Joe Gomes, CFA, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Generalist , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Overview. ISG delivered a strong first quarter, with revenue and adjusted EBITDA both at the top end of guidance. For the quarter, adjusted EBITDA margins expanded more than 100 basis points from the prior year. Revenue growth was driven primarily by Europe, up 25%, and recurring revenues, up 9%, as AI continues to be a tailwind for the Company.
1Q26 Results. ISG reported 1Q26 revenue of $61.2 million, up 2.7% y-o-y and above our $60.5 million estimate. Americas’ revenue of $39.8 million was down 3% y-o-y, Europe was up 25% to $17.3 million, and Asia Pacific was down 15% to $4.1 million. Adjusted EBITDA rose 11.8% y-o-y to $8.27 million, while the margin expanded to 13.5% from 12.4%. We were at $7.55 million and 12.5%. ISG reported net income of $2.7 million, up 83% y-o-y, and EPS of $0.05. Adjusted EPS was $0.09, up 17%. We were at $0.04 and $0.07, respectively.
Equity Research is available at no cost to Registered users of Channelchek. Not a Member? Click ‘Join’ to join the Channelchek Community. There is no cost to register, and we never collect credit card information.
This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
Company to Provide Corporate Updates including New Developments, First Quarter 2026 Overview and Financial Results; Conference Call to be Held on Monday, May 11, 2026, at 4:30 PM Eastern Time
MIAMI, May 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SKYX Platforms Corp. (NASDAQ: SKYX) (d/b/a SKYX Technologies) (the “Company” or “SKYX”), a highly disruptive advanced smart home and AI platform technology company with over 100 pending and issued patents globally and 60 lighting and home décor websites, with a mission to make homes and buildings become safe and smart as the new standard, announces today that it will host a Corporate Update call and present the first quarter 2026 overview and financial results. The conference call will be held on Monday, May 11, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
SKYX Participating Members will Include:
Rani Kohen, Founder and Executive Chairman
Lenny Sokolow, CEO
Steve Schmidt, SKYX President, (Former CEO of Nielsen Data Corporation and former President of Office Depot International)
Marc Boisseau, CFO
SKYX Platforms – Q1 2026 Corporate Update Call
Date: Monday, May 11, 2026 Time: 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time U.S./Canada Toll-Free: 1-877-407-0792 International: 1-201-689-8263
Please dial in at least 10 minutes before the start of the call to ensure timely participation.
A replay of the call will be available through June 11, 2026. To access the replay, please dial 1-844-512-2921 within the United States and Canada or 1-412-317-6671 internationally and enter Access ID 13760591.
As electricity is a standard in every home and building, our mission is to make homes and buildings become safe-advanced and smart as the new standard. SKYX has a series of highly disruptive advanced smart home and AI platform technologies, with over 100 U.S. and global patents and patent pending applications. Additionally, the Company owns 60 lighting and home decor websites for both retail and commercial segments. Our technologies place an emphasis on high quality and ease of use, while significantly enhancing both safety and lifestyle in homes and buildings. We believe that our products are a necessity in every room in both homes and other buildings in the U.S. and globally. For more information, please visit our website at https://skyplug.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this press release are not based on historical facts but are forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “evaluate,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “objective,” “ongoing,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target” “view,” “will,” or “would,” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements reflect the Company’s reasonable judgment with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which have outcomes difficult to predict and may be outside our control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include statements relating to the Company’s ability to successfully launch, commercialize, develop additional features and achieve market acceptance of its products and technologies and integrate its products and technologies with third-party platforms or technologies; the Company’s efforts and ability to drive the adoption of its products and technologies as a standard feature, including their use in homes, hotels, offices and cruise ships; the Company’s ability to capture market share; the Company’s estimates of its potential addressable market and demand for its products and technologies; the Company’s ability to raise additional capital to support its operations as needed, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern; the Company’s ability to execute on any sales and licensing or other strategic opportunities; the possibility that any of the Company’s products will become National Electrical Code (NEC)-code or otherwise code mandatory in any jurisdiction, or that any of the Company’s current or future products or technologies will be adopted by any state, country, or municipality, within any specific timeframe or at all; risks arising from mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other collaborations; the Company’s ability to attract and retain key executives and qualified personnel; guidance provided by management, which may differ from the Company’s actual operating results; the potential impact of unstable market and economic conditions on the Company’s business, financial condition, and stock price; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. There can be no assurance as to any of the foregoing matters. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws.
Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Strong Q3 Adj EBITDA. The company reported fiscal Q3 revenue of $430.9 million and adj. EBITDA of $44.6M. While revenue was modestly lower than our estimate of $449.0M, adj. EBITDA strongly outperformed our estimate of $35.0M. Notably, adj. EBITDA benefited from a favorable $14.0M adjustment to commissions receivables and continued operational discipline.
Underlying profitability remains solid. Normalized EBITDA margins were approximately 7% after excluding the one-time commission benefit. Core operating performance appears to be improving. The Senior segment demonstrated resilience despite ongoing headwinds in Medicare Advantage. Healthcare Services (SelectRx) revenue grew 5% YoY to $199M, driven by continued membership growth and higher prescription utilization per member.
Equity Research is available at no cost to Registered users of Channelchek. Not a Member? Click ‘Join’ to join the Channelchek Community. There is no cost to register, and we never collect credit card information.
This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
The Renovation is in Process and Will Include Rooms, Suites, Bars, Restaurants, Lobby, Ballroom, Spa, Gym, Meeting Rooms, Corridors, Among Other Hotel Areas
SKYX and Group OTT are Expected to Collaborate on Additional Hotels
The Hotel Formerly The Grand Medicis Hotel is a Designated Historic Property in the Heart of La Bourboule a Leading Thermal Spa Destination Centered on Health, Wellness, and Longevity Tourism
SKYX’s Technologies Expansion Provides Additional Opportunities for Future Recurring Revenues through Interchangeability, Upgrades, AI Services, Monitoring, Subscriptions, Among Others
SKYX Technologies Reduces Up to 90% Time and Cost of Hotel Renovation or New Build and is Continuing Discussions with Additional Hotel Groups and Owners Regarding Utilization of its Smart Advanced Time and Cost Saving Game-Changing Technologies for Hotels and Buildings
MIAMI, May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SKYX Platforms Corp. (NASDAQ: SKYX) (d/b/a SKYX Technologies) (the “Company” or “SKYX”), an award winning highly disruptive advanced smart home and AI platform technology company with over 100 U.S. and global pending and issued patents and a portfolio of 60 lighting and home décor websites, with a mission to make homes and buildings become advanced-safe-smart instantly as the new standard, today announced it will deploy its advanced and smart technologies during a master renovation of an historical architectural preservation hotel The Grand Hotel du Parc, in La Bourboule, France.
The historical hotel, formerly The Grand Medicis hotel, currently has 100 rooms and suites and is expected to build 30 additional rooms. The hotel amenities and areas include bars, restaurants, ballroom, spa and gym, among other hotel facilities.
The Grand Hotel du Parc
During the course of the three-phase renovation and new build, SKYX is expected to supply thousands of units of its advanced smart plug & play technologies comprising ceiling lighting, ceiling fans, recessed lights, down lights, EXIT signs, emergency lights, indoor and outdoor lights, wall lights among other advanced smart products.
The Grand Hotel du Parc is based on an integrated approach combining hospitality, residential offerings, food & beverage, and immersive experiences. For more than 35 years, France-based Group OTT has developed more than 250 buildings throughout Europe, including hotels, residential, and commercial projects valued at over $4 billion.
Jean-François Ott, Founder of Group OTT, said; “I am very excited to make the first introduction of SKYX’s game-changing technologies for hotels and buildings during the grand opening of The Grand Hotel du Parc. We expect to deploy SKYX’s technologies in additional hotels of our group in the near future. By integrating SKYX’s technologies into these properties, we will cut significant time and cost while advancing the lifestyle and safety standards of our hotels and buildings.”
Rani Kohen, Founder and Executive Chairman of SKYX Platforms, said; “We are excited to deploy our technologies in our first European hotel collaboration in the historical hotel The Grand Hotel du Parc in La Bourboule, France. We look forward to continuing to grow our hotel segment in both the U.S. and Europe, based on our advanced technologies and including the significant time and cost saving during hotel renovations and new builds.”
For more information about SKYX click here: www.skyx.com
About SKYX Platforms Corp.
As electricity is a standard in every home and building, our mission is to make homes and buildings become safe-advanced and smart as the new standard. SKYX has a series of highly disruptive advanced-safe-smart platform technologies, with over 100 U.S. and global patents and patent pending applications. Additionally, the Company owns 60 lighting and home decor websites for both retail and commercial segments. Our technologies place an emphasis on high quality and ease of use, while significantly enhancing both safety and lifestyle in homes and buildings. We believe that our products are a necessity in every room in both homes and other buildings in the U.S. and globally. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.skyx.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this press release are not based on historical facts, but are forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “evaluate,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “objective,” “ongoing,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target” “view,” “will,” or “would,” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements reflect the Company’s reasonable judgment with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which have outcomes difficult to predict and may be outside our control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include statements relating to the Company’s ability to successfully launch, commercialize, develop additional features and achieve market acceptance of its products and technologies and integrate its products and technologies with third-party platforms or technologies; the Company’s ability to achieve positive cash flows; the Company’s efforts and ability to drive the adoption of its products and technologies as a standard feature, including their use in homes, hotels, offices and cruise ships; the Company’s ability to capture market share; the Company’s estimates of its potential addressable market and demand for its products and technologies; the Company’s ability to raise additional capital to support its operations as needed, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern; the Company’s ability to execute on any sales and licensing or other strategic opportunities; the possibility that any of the Company’s products will become National Electrical Code (NEC)-code or otherwise code mandatory in any jurisdiction, or that any of the Company’s current or future products or technologies will be adopted by any state, country, or municipality, within any specific timeframe or at all; risks arising from mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other collaborations; the Company’s ability to attract and retain key executives and qualified personnel; guidance provided by management, which may differ from the Company’s actual operating results; the potential impact of unstable market and economic conditions on the Company’s business, financial condition, and stock price; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. There can be no assurance as to any of the foregoing matters. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws.
Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 – Consolidated Earnings Highlights
Revenue of $430.9 million
Net income of $40.2 million
Adjusted EBITDA* of $44.6 million
Fiscal Year 2026 Guidance Ranges:
Revenue expected in a range of $1.61 billion to $1.71 billion
Adjusted EBITDA* expected in a range of $90 million to $100 million
Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 – Segment Highlights
Senior
Revenue of $182.9 million
Adjusted EBITDA of $58.6 million
Approved Medicare Advantage policies of 175,557
Healthcare Services
Revenue of $199.4 million
Adjusted EBITDA of $5.3 million
116,616 SelectRx members
Life
Revenue of $47.9 million
Adjusted EBITDA of $6.1 million
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SelectQuote, Inc. (NYSE: SLQT) reported consolidated revenue for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 of $430.9 million compared to consolidated revenue for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 of $408.2 million. Consolidated net income for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 was $40.2 million compared to consolidated net income for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 of $26.0 million. Finally, consolidated Adjusted EBITDA* for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 was $44.6 million compared to consolidated Adjusted EBITDA* for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 of $37.7 million.
SelectQuote Chief Executive Officer Tim Danker remarked, “SelectQuote delivered consistent profit and cash flow for another quarter, despite market shifts for both Medicare Advantage and prescription drugs. We reaffirm our financial outlook for fiscal 2026 driven by operating execution by our agents and continued leverage of our information and technology advantages. Revenue to customer acquisition cost of 6.7X represented a high water mark for the company, and more importantly, signals the value our differentiated healthcare service model provides to policyholders and prescription drug customers.”
Mr. Danker continued, “Our goal to drive reliable and consistent profit, and cash flow growth remains priority number one. We believe the improvement to our capital structure to date, combined with the continued maturation of our SelectRx business, positions SelectQuote to materially expand cash flow in the years ahead. We continue to grow our receivables balance, which now stands at nearly $1 billion and grew by nearly $50 million over the past year, including a $14 million positive change in estimate reflective of the durability and dependability of these future cash flows.”
* See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.
Segment Results
We currently have three reportable segments: 1) Senior, 2) Healthcare Services and 3) Life. The performance measures of the segments include total revenue and adjusted EBITDA. Costs of commissions and other services revenue, cost of goods sold-pharmacy revenue, marketing and advertising, selling, general, and administrative, and technical development operating expenses that are directly attributable to a segment are reported within the applicable segment. Indirect costs of revenue, marketing and advertising, selling, general, and administrative, and technical development operating expenses are allocated to each segment based on varying metrics such as headcount.
Senior
Financial Results
The following table provides the financial results for the Senior segment for the periods presented:
Operating Metrics
Submitted Policies
Submitted policies are counted when an individual completes an application with our licensed agent and provides authorization to the agent to submit the application to the insurance carrier partner. The applicant may have additional actions to take before the application will be reviewed by the insurance carrier.
The following table shows the number of submitted policies for the periods presented:
Approved Policies
Approved policies represents the number of submitted policies that were approved by our insurance carrier partners for the identified product during the indicated period. Not all approved policies will go in force.
The following table shows the number of approved policies for the periods presented:
Lifetime Value of Commissions per Approved Policy
Lifetime value of commissions per approved policy represents commissions estimated to be collected over the estimated life of an approved policy based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, contracted commission rates, carrier mix and expected policy persistency with applied constraints. The lifetime value of commissions per approved policy is equal to the sum of the commission revenue due upon the initial sale of a policy, and when applicable, an estimate of future renewal commissions.
The following table shows the lifetime value of commissions per approved policy for the periods presented:
Healthcare Services
Financial Results
The following table provides the financial results for the Healthcare Services segment for the periods presented:
Operating Metrics
Members
The total number of SelectRx members represents the amount of active customers to which an order has been shipped and the prescriptions per day represents the total average prescriptions shipped per business day. These two metrics are the primary drivers of revenue for Healthcare Services.
The following table shows the total number of SelectRx members as of the periods presented:
The total number of SelectRx members increased by 11% as of March 31, 2026, compared to March 31, 2025, due to our strategy to grow SelectRx membership.
The following table shows the average prescriptions shipped per day for the periods presented:
Combined Senior and Healthcare Services – Consumer Per Unit Economics
Combined Senior and Healthcare Services consumer per unit economics represents total MA and MS commissions; other product commissions; other revenues, including revenues from Healthcare Services; and operating expenses associated with Senior and Healthcare Services, each shown per number of approved MA and MS policies over a given time period. Management assesses the business on a per-unit basis to help ensure that the revenue opportunity associated with a successful policy sale is attractive relative to the marketing acquisition cost. Because not all acquired leads result in a successful policy sale, all per-policy metrics are based on approved policies, which is the measure that triggers revenue recognition.
The MA and MS commission per MA/MS policy represents the LTV for policies sold in the period. Other commission per MA/MS policy represents the LTV for other products sold in the period, including DVH prescription drug plan, and other products, which management views as additional commission revenue on our agents’ core function of MA/MS policy sales. Pharmacy revenue per MA/MS policy represents revenue from SelectRx, and other revenue per MA/MS policy represents revenue from Population Health, production bonuses, marketing development funds, lead generation revenue, and adjustments from the Company’s reassessment of its cohorts’ transaction prices. Total operating expenses per MA/MS policy represents all of the operating expenses within Senior and Healthcare Services. The revenue to customer acquisition cost (“CAC”) multiple represents total revenue as a multiple of total marketing acquisition cost, which represents the direct costs of acquiring leads. These costs are included in marketing and advertising expense within the total operating expenses per MA/MS policy.
The following table shows combined Senior and Healthcare Services consumer per unit economics for the periods presented. Based on the seasonality of Senior and the fluctuations between quarters, we believe that the most relevant view of per unit economics is on a rolling 12-month basis. All per MA/MS policy metrics below are based on the sum of approved MA/MS policies, as both products have similar commission profiles.
Total revenue per MA/MS policy increased 21% for the twelve months ended March 31, 2026, compared to the twelve months ended March 31, 2025, primarily due to the increase in pharmacy revenue. Total operating expenses per MA/MS policy increased 22% for the twelve months ended March 31, 2026, compared to the twelve months ended March 31, 2025, driven by an increase in cost of goods sold-pharmacy revenue for Healthcare Services due to the growth of the business.
Life
Financial Results
The following table provides the financial results for the Life segment for the periods presented:
Operating Metrics
Life premium represents the total premium value for all policies that were approved by the relevant insurance carrier partner and for which the policy document was sent to the policyholder and payment information was received by the relevant insurance carrier partner during the indicated period. Because our commissions are earned based on a percentage of total premium, total premium volume for a given period is the key driver of revenue for our Life segment.
The following table shows term and final expense premiums for the periods presented:
Earnings Conference Call
SelectQuote, Inc. will host a conference call with the investment community on May 5, 2026 beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. To register for this conference call, please use this link: https://events.q4inc.com/analyst/775360431?pwd=VqmW7XWK. After registering, a confirmation will be sent via email, including dial-in details and unique conference call codes for entry. Registration is open through the live call, but to ensure you are connected for the full call we suggest registering at least 10 minutes before the start of the call. The event will also be webcasted live via our investor relations website https://ir.selectquote.com/investor-home/default.aspx.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures intended to supplement, not substitute for, comparable GAAP measures. To supplement our financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP and to provide investors with additional information regarding our GAAP financial results, we have presented in this release Adjusted EBITDA, which, when presented on a consolidated basis, is a non-GAAP financial measure. This non-GAAP financial measure is not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to any similarly titled measure presented by other companies. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income plus interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, changes in fair value of warrant liabilities, loss on extinguishment of debt, and certain add-backs for non-cash or non-recurring expenses, including restructuring and share-based compensation expenses. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is net income. We monitor and have presented in this release Adjusted EBITDA because it is a key measure used by our management and Board of Directors to understand and evaluate our operating performance, establish budgets, and develop operational goals for managing our business. In particular, we believe that excluding the impact of these expenses in calculating Adjusted EBITDA can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons of our core operating performance.
A reconciliation of the differences between Adjusted EBITDA and its most directly comparable GAAP measure, net income, is presented below on page 15. The Company is unable to provide a quantitative reconciliation of forward-looking Adjusted EBITDA to its most directly comparable GAAP measure without unreasonable effort because it is not possible to predict certain information included in the calculation of such GAAP measure, including the fair value of outstanding warrants to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock. The unavailable information could have a significant impact on the Company’s GAAP financial results.
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “predict,” “potential,” “believe,” “will likely result,” “expect,” “continue,” “will,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “would” and “outlook,” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words or phrases of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. Accordingly, we caution you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. There are or will be important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our reliance on a limited number of insurance carrier partners and any potential termination of those relationships or failure to develop new relationships; existing and future laws and regulations affecting the health insurance market; changes in health insurance products offered by our insurance carrier partners and the health insurance market generally; insurance carriers offering products and services directly to consumers; changes to commissions paid by insurance carriers and underwriting practices; competition with brokers, exclusively online brokers and carriers who opt to sell policies directly to consumers; competition from government-run health insurance exchanges; developments in the U.S. health insurance system; our dependence on revenue from carriers in our senior segment and downturns in the senior health as well as life, automotive and home insurance industries; our ability to develop new offerings and penetrate new vertical markets; risks from third-party products; failure to enroll individuals during the Medicare annual enrollment period; our ability to attract, integrate and retain qualified personnel; our dependence on lead providers and ability to compete for leads; failure to obtain and/or convert sales leads to actual sales of insurance policies; access to data from consumers and insurance carriers; accuracy of information provided from and to consumers during the insurance shopping process; cost-effective advertisement through internet search engines; ability to contact consumers and market products by telephone; global economic conditions, including inflation; disruption to operations as a result of future acquisitions; significant estimates and assumptions in the preparation of our financial statements; impairment of goodwill; potential litigation and other legal proceedings or inquiries; our existing and future indebtedness; our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants; access to additional capital; our ability to regain and maintain compliance with NYSE listing standards; failure to protect our intellectual property and our brand; fluctuations in our financial results caused by seasonality; accuracy and timeliness of commissions reports from insurance carriers; timing of insurance carriers’ approval and payment practices; factors that impact our estimate of the constrained lifetime value of commissions per policyholder; changes in accounting rules, tax legislation and other legislation; disruptions or failures of our technological infrastructure and platform; failure to maintain relationships with third-party service providers; cybersecurity breaches or other attacks involving our systems or those of our insurance carrier partners or third-party service providers; our ability to protect consumer information and other data; failure to market and sell Medicare plans effectively or in compliance with laws; and other factors related to our pharmacy business, including manufacturing or supply chain disruptions, access to and demand for prescription drugs, changes in reimbursement rates under our contracts with pharmacy benefit managers, and regulatory changes or other industry developments that may affect our pharmacy operations. For a further discussion of these and other risk factors that could impact our future results and performance, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”) and subsequent periodic reports filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as otherwise required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
About SelectQuote:
Founded in 1985, SelectQuote (NYSE: SLQT) pioneered the model of providing unbiased comparisons from multiple, highly-rated insurance companies, allowing consumers to choose the policy and terms that best meet their unique needs. Two foundational pillars underpin SelectQuote’s success: a strong force of highly-trained and skilled agents who provide a consultative needs analysis for every consumer, and proprietary technology that sources and routes high-quality leads. Today, the Company operates an ecosystem offering high touchpoints for consumers across insurance, pharmacy, and virtual care.
With an ecosystem offering engagement points for consumers across insurance, Medicare, pharmacy, and value-based care, the company now has three core business lines: SelectQuote Senior, SelectQuote Healthcare Services, and SelectQuote Life. SelectQuote Senior serves the needs of a demographic that sees around 10,000 people turn 65 each day with a range of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans. SelectQuote Healthcare Services is comprised of the SelectRx Pharmacy, a Patient-Centered Pharmacy Home™ (PCPH) accredited pharmacy, SelectPatient Management, a provider of chronic care management services, and Healthcare Select which proactively connects consumers with a wide breadth of healthcare services supporting their needs.
Belden Inc. (NYSE: BDC) is making its biggest strategic push in years. The St. Louis-based specialty networking solutions provider announced Wednesday it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire RUCKUS Networks from Vistance Networks (Nasdaq: VISN) for approximately $1.85 billion in a debt-financed transaction that fundamentally reshapes what Belden is — and who it competes against.
The deal adds capabilities Belden simply doesn’t have today: enterprise-grade Wi-Fi and switching technology. For a company that has long been the infrastructure layer — the cables, connectors, and passive components behind enterprise and industrial networks — acquiring RUCKUS is a direct move up the stack.
What Belden Is Buying
RUCKUS is not a niche player. The company serves more than 48,000 customers globally with an integrated portfolio spanning Wi-Fi, enterprise switching, and an AI-driven cloud networking platform. Its sweet spots are high-density, mission-critical environments — hospitality, education, and healthcare — exactly the verticals where Belden already has customer relationships and distribution reach.
That overlap is the deal’s core thesis. Belden walks into existing customer accounts and can now offer a complete end-to-end networking solution rather than handing off business to competitors at the active networking layer. The cross-sell opportunity is immediate and doesn’t require building new channels from scratch.
The industrial angle is equally compelling. As manufacturers and industrial operators accelerate the convergence of their IT and OT environments — connecting factory floors to enterprise networks — demand for high-performance wireless and switching in industrial settings is rising sharply. RUCKUS gives Belden a proven platform to chase that opportunity.
The Financial Case
At approximately 13x projected 2026 adjusted EBITDA, Belden is paying a growth multiple, but the numbers justify the premium. RUCKUS comes in with high-single-digit revenue growth, gross margins above 60%, and adjusted EBITDA margins above 20% — all meaningfully better than Belden’s current profile. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to adjusted earnings per share and expand both gross and EBITDA margins in the first full year of ownership.
The combined adjusted EBITDA base is projected at approximately $650 million, which gives Belden a meaningful cash generation engine to attack the debt load. J.P. Morgan has provided fully committed debt financing, and Belden expects to bring net leverage below 3.0x within the first full year post-close, targeting approximately 1.5x by 2029. Share repurchases will be paused until leverage is closer to that long-term target — a responsible trade-off given the size of the bet.
The Bigger Picture
This acquisition is Belden making a definitive statement about what it wants to be. The company has spent years positioning around industrial and enterprise connectivity, but selling passive networking infrastructure in a world moving toward software-defined, cloud-managed networking was increasingly a commodity play. RUCKUS changes that equation.
Bringing an AI-driven cloud networking platform under the Belden umbrella alongside established hardware capabilities creates a more defensible, higher-value business. Customers increasingly want fewer vendors and more complete solutions — Belden is positioning itself to be that vendor.
Both boards have approved the transaction. Close is expected in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Perfect Corp. (NYSE: PERF) (“Perfect” or the “Company”), a leading artificial intelligence (“AI”) company offering AI and augmented reality (“AR”) powered solutions to beauty, fashion, photo and video creative industries, today announced its unaudited financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2026.
Highlights for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
Total revenue was $17.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $16.0 million in the same period of 2025, an increase of 12.0%. The increase was primarily due to continued revenue growth in our mobile app and web subscriptions, as well as growth in virtual points revenue, which is generated from end users purchasing and consuming virtual points for AI-powered services available on YouCam mobile apps and web services.
Gross profit was $14.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $12.5 million in the same period of 2025, an increase of 17.8%.
Operating income was $1.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to an operating loss of $0.2 million in the same period of 2025, representing an increase of $1.6 million.
Netincome was $2.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $2.3 million during the same period of 2025, an increase of 2.6%.
Operating cash flow was $4.2 million in the first quarter of 2026, compared to $4.3 million in the same period of 2025, a decrease of 1.9%.
Ms. Alice H. Chang, Founder, Chairwoman, and Chief Executive Officer of Perfect Corp., commented, “Perfect Corp. continues to focus on advancing its consumer B2C and enterprise B2B businesses through AI-driven innovation. We are seeing continued demand for Generative AI and Agentic AI solutions and intend to continue to focus toward developing products and services in this area. We remain committed to evolving our technology capabilities and expanding our offerings to address opportunities across both segments.”
Financial Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
Revenue
Total revenue was $17.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $16.0 million in the same period of 2025, an increase of 12.0%.
AI- and AR- cloud solutions and subscription revenue was $15.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $14.1 million in the same period of 2025, an increase of 9.8%. The increase was driven by the continued revenue growth from YouCam mobile app and web subscriptions, supported by growing popularity among consumers for Generative AI technologies and AI editing features for photos and videos.
Licensing revenue was $1.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $1.6 million in the same period of 2025, a decrease of 5.4%. The Company anticipates that this legacy non-recurring revenue will become increasingly immaterial as it continues to prioritize enhancing its market leadership in the consumer beauty and AI mobile apps and web subscriptions as well as AI- and AR-based SaaS subscription solutions for brands and customers.
Others revenue was $1.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $0.3 million in the same period of 2025, an increase of 179.5%. The increase was driven by the growth of virtual points purchased and consumed by end users. Virtual points are used for AI-powered services available on YouCam mobile apps and web services.
Gross Profit
Gross profit was $14.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared with $12.5 million in the same period of 2025, an increase of 17.8%. Gross margin was 81.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2026, up from 77.9% in the same period of 2025. The increase in gross margin during the quarter was primarily due to the increase in operational efficiency resulting from the ongoing realignment of engineering professionals as we continue to transition from customization of software toward more standardized AI/API solutions for our customer base.
Total Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses were $13.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared with $12.6 million in the same period of 2025, an increase of 4.7%. The increase was primarily due to the recognition of expected credit losses and higher sales and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 2026.
Sales and marketing expenses were $7.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $7.4 million during the same period of 2025, an increase of 3.9%. This increase was primarily due to an increase in mobile apps advertising expenses.
Research and development expenses remained relatively stable at $3.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $3.6 million during the same period of 2025.
General and administrative expenses remained stable at $1.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, and for the same period of 2025, demonstrating our effective cost control.
Expected credit losses were $307 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to nil in the same period of 2025. The recognition of expected credit losses was primarily attributable to an unexpected order cancellation by a customer.
Operating Income
Total operating income was $1.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared with an operating loss of $0.2 million in the same period of 2025, representing an increase of $1.6 million. The increase was primarily driven by higher revenue and gross profit, while operating expenses grew modestly.
Net Income
Net income was $2.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $2.3 million during the same period of 2025, an increase of 2.6%. The positive net income was supported by our steady revenue growth and effective cost control.
Liquidity and Capital Resource
As of March 31, 2026, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were $120.6 million (or $176.4 million when including 6-month time deposits of $36.4 million, US Treasuries of $15.2 million, and money market funds of $4.2 million, which are classified as financial assets at amortized cost and financial assets at fair value through profit or loss under IFRS, respectively), compared to $126.0 million (or $172.4 million when including time deposits and US Treasuries) as of December 31, 2025.
The Company had a positive operating cash flow of $4.2 million in the first quarter of 2026, compared to $4.3 million in the same period of 2025. The Company continues to invest in growth while maintaining a healthy cash reserve to support business operations underscoring the Company’s operational health and sustainability.
Key Business Metrics
The number of active subscribers for the Company’s YouCam mobile apps and web services was 864,000 as of March 31, 2026, compared to over 908,000 as of December 31, 2025, a decrease of 4.8%. This decline was attributable to the increase in the average selling price of mobile app and web service subscription plans introduced in early 2025, which strategically prioritized higher revenue per user and long-term monetization efficiency over short-term volume growth..
As of March 31, 2026, the Company’s cumulative customer base included 866 brand clients, with over 989,000 digital stock keeping units (“SKUs”) for makeup, haircare, skincare, shoes, bags, eyewear, watches and jewelry products, compared to 859 brand clients and over 982,000 digital SKUs as of December 31, 2025. The number of Key Customers 1 of the Company as of March 31, 2026 was 118 compared to 135 as of December 31, 2025. The decline in the number of Key Customers was primarily due to customers churns in North America.
Recent Development
On March 18, 2026, Perfect announced receipt of preliminary non-binding “Going Private” proposal.
On March 23, 2026, Perfect’s Board announced the formation of special committee to evaluate on the preliminary non-binding “Going Private” proposal received on March 18, 2026.
On April 20, 2026, Perfect announced appointment of financial advisor and legal counsel to the special committee.
About Perfect Corp.
Founded in 2015, Perfect Corp. is a leading AI company offering self-developed AI- and AR- powered solutions dedicated to transforming the world with digital tech innovations that make your virtual world beautiful. On Perfect’s direct consumer business side, Perfect operates a family of YouCam consumer apps and web-editing services for photo, video and camera users, centered on unleashing creativity with AI-driven features for creation, beautification and enhancement. On Perfect’s enterprise business side, Perfect empowers major beauty, skincare, fashion, jewelry, and watch brands and retailers by supplying them with omnichannel shopping experiences through AR product try-ons and AI-powered skin diagnostics. With cutting-edge technologies such as Generative AI, real-time facial and hand 3D AR rendering and cloud solutions, Perfect enables personalized, enjoyable, and engaging shopping journey and helps brands elevate customer engagement, increase conversion rates, and propel sales growth. Throughout this journey, Perfect maintains its unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and fulfilling social responsibilities. For more information, visit https://ir.perfectcorp.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to Perfect. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “target,” “seek” or the negative or plural of these words, or other similar expressions that are predictions or indicate future events or prospects, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including strategies or plans, are also forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on Perfect’s reasonable expectations and beliefs concerning future events and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These factors are difficult to predict accurately and may be beyond Perfect’s control. Forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere speak only as of the date made. New uncertainties and risks arise from time to time, and it is impossible for Perfect to predict these events or how they may affect Perfect. In addition, risks and uncertainties are described in Perfect’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings may identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Perfect cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this communication will prove to be accurate. There may be additional risks that Perfect presently does not know or that Perfect currently does not believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by Perfect, its directors, officers or employees or any other person that Perfect will achieve its objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. Except as required by applicable law, Perfect does not have any duty to, and does not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere after the date of this communication. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing the views of Perfect as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication.
The relationship between Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and OpenAI just got a lot more complicated — and for investors watching the enterprise software and AI space, the implications stretch well beyond two companies renegotiating a contract.
On Monday, Microsoft announced a sweeping revision to its long-term partnership with OpenAI, officially ending its exclusive access to the AI startup’s intellectual property and models. Under the original agreement, Microsoft held exclusive rights to OpenAI’s IP and technology until the company achieved artificial general intelligence (AGI) — a milestone defined as AI that matches or surpasses human intelligence. That clause is now gone.
The revised deal allows OpenAI to distribute its models through any cloud provider, including direct competitors like Amazon Web Services. Microsoft’s Azure platform retains its designation as OpenAI’s primary cloud infrastructure and will continue to receive first access to new OpenAI products — but the competitive moat that defined the original partnership has been significantly narrowed. In exchange, Microsoft will no longer make revenue-sharing payments to OpenAI, though OpenAI is still obligated to continue paying revenue share back to Microsoft through 2030.
MSFT shares dipped roughly 1% on the announcement.
The timing is notable. The renegotiation comes just two days before Microsoft reports quarterly earnings on Wednesday — an earnings report already under a microscope after a rough six months for the stock. MSFT has lost approximately 20% over that period, while cloud rivals Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) have surged 17% and 30%, respectively.
A key metric investors will be watching Wednesday is Azure’s growth rate. In its last reported quarter, Microsoft disclosed that Azure revenue growth was constrained by data center capacity — the business grew 38%, but management indicated it would have hit 40% with sufficient infrastructure in place. Any update on capacity buildout and AI-driven cloud demand will likely move the stock.
But the bigger story here may not be Microsoft at all — it’s what this deal signals for the broader enterprise software market. The so-called “SaaS-pocalypse” — the fear that AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic will build their own enterprise tools and disintermediate traditional software providers — has been quietly hammering the sector for months. With OpenAI now free to go directly to any cloud customer through any platform, that risk just became more tangible.
The damage is already showing up in valuations. Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) and ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) are each down roughly 31% year-to-date. Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI) has shed more than 40%. These are not small-cap companies, but the ripple effects are being felt across the entire software ecosystem — including the mid-market and smaller players who compete for enterprise IT budgets.
For the small and microcap space, the takeaway is straightforward: the enterprise software stack is being repriced in real time. Companies that built their value proposition around integrating with or complementing legacy SaaS platforms need to be asking hard questions about their positioning as AI-native competitors gain distribution.
The Microsoft-OpenAI relationship has always been one of the most consequential partnerships in tech. Monday’s announcement makes it clear that even that relationship isn’t immune to the disruption reshaping the entire industry.
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) did something Friday that took 26 years to accomplish — it traded above its dot-com-era peak set in the year 2000. With shares surging more than 22% on the heels of a blowout first-quarter earnings report, the stock cleared a ceiling that had capped rallies multiple times over the past two decades and is now trading in price discovery territory for the first time since the internet bubble.
The catalyst was a Q1 2026 earnings print that demolished Wall Street expectations across every key metric. Intel posted revenue of $13.6 billion, up 7% year-over-year, against analyst consensus that had penciled in closer to $12.4 billion. Non-GAAP earnings per share came in at $0.29, crushing the $0.01 estimate. For context, that’s a 28-cent beat on the bottom line — a number that tells you just how badly the Street had underestimated Intel’s momentum heading into the quarter.
The segment doing the heavy lifting is Data Center and AI. That division posted revenue growth of 22% year-over-year, making it Intel’s fastest-growing area. More telling: AI-driven business revenue surged 40% year-over-year, marking the sixth consecutive quarter in which the company exceeded its own guidance. Intel Foundry — its contract manufacturing arm — also contributed meaningfully, bringing in $5.4 billion, up 20% sequentially.
It’s worth noting that Intel did report a GAAP net loss of $3.7 billion for the quarter, driven primarily by $4.1 billion in restructuring and other charges, including a Mobileye goodwill impairment. That number is real and matters, but the market’s reaction tells you investors are focused on the operating trajectory — not the one-time write-downs.
The technical story is just as significant as the fundamental one. Intel had been trapped below its 2000 peak for over two decades, with failed breakout attempts in both 2020 and 2021. The stock had already staged a remarkable recovery before earnings, rising more than 60% off its March 30 low and adding roughly $130 billion in market value in that stretch. Friday’s move didn’t just extend that rally — it changed the long-term chart structure entirely.
Intel isn’t alone in its momentum. The PHLX Semiconductor Index is currently on a 17-consecutive-day winning streak, one of the longest runs in the index’s history. The entire chip complex has been repriced higher as AI infrastructure buildout accelerates and demand for advanced silicon continues to outstrip supply.
Management guided Q2 2026 revenue to a range of $13.8 to $14.8 billion, with non-GAAP EPS of $0.20 and a non-GAAP gross margin of 39% — forward guidance that signals the company expects its momentum to hold.
The key watch now is whether Intel can close at a record high above $75.83 by the end of Friday’s session. A confirmed close above that level would be a landmark moment for one of the most watched charts in technology. A retreat back below $65, however, would reframe this move as a failed breakout — and signal the stock needs more time before it can sustain new all-time highs.
Either way, Intel’s earnings don’t just matter for INTC shareholders. They’re a read-through for semiconductor capital spending, AI chip demand, and the broader thesis that the CPU — not just the GPU — has a critical role in the next wave of AI infrastructure.
Joe Gomes, CFA, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Generalist , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.
Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.
Additional Agreement. Hot on the heels of last week’s strategic partnership agreement with Group OTT, SKYX signed an agreement with OTT Heritage Hospitality, a prominent European developer, to deploy and market SKYX’s technologies across the European hotel chains segment and buildings. The new agreement provides additional focus and opportunity for SKYX, in our view, marking another significant step in the Company’s global expansion.
OTT Heritage Hospitality. Also founded by Jean-Francois Ott, OTT Heritage is a real estate company specializing in special situation real estate. The strategy consists of acquiring assets affordably in well-known cities, leveraging their underlying market value. With an investment pipeline of €150-250 million, current projects include a hotel consolidation strategy (objective: 2,000+ rooms) in Lourdes, luxury hospitality in Grasse and Prague, and redevelopment of the legendary Magny-Cours Formula 1 track, with the vision to turn the area into a premier destination for car and motorsport enthusiasts, including racing experiences, hotels, F&B, entertainment, and golf.
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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).
*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.
The wave is no longer building — it has made landfall. In the span of a single week, Meta announced it is cutting 10% of its workforce (roughly 8,000 employees), Microsoft launched a voluntary buyout program targeting approximately 7% of its U.S. staff, and Snap disclosed a 16% reduction — about 1,000 jobs — all under the banner of AI-driven efficiency. Add Amazon, Oracle, Block, and Salesforce to the list, and the message from corporate America’s biggest names is unmistakable: AI is now a cost-cutting weapon, and human headcount is the first casualty.
Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google alone are projected to spend approximately $650 billion in capital expenditures in 2026. The paradox? The same technology they claim is unlocking productivity is also justifying mass layoffs. Snap’s leadership framed their cuts as enabling faster, leaner squads. Block’s CEO publicly attributed a 40% workforce reduction to the deployment of internal intelligence tools. Salesforce pointed to AI coding agents replacing the need for human engineers. The narrative is consistent enough to raise a pointed question: is this genuine transformation, or a convenient cover for margin repair?
For small and microcap investors, the implications cut deeper than headline risk on large-cap tech stocks.
First, AI adoption no longer belongs exclusively to companies with multi-billion-dollar R&D budgets. The same tools that Meta and Microsoft are deploying internally are increasingly available to smaller operators — often through the very platforms Big Tech is building. That’s a real competitive leveler. Small and microcap companies that move early on AI integration stand to compress their cost structures in ways that could dramatically re-rate their earnings profiles.
Second, the displacement of tens of thousands of skilled tech workers creates a talent pipeline that smaller companies can now access. Engineers, product managers, and data scientists who previously would have never considered a company with a sub-$500 million market cap are suddenly in the job market — and often more open to equity-heavy compensation packages. For growth-stage small caps, that is a structural recruiting opportunity.
Third, and perhaps most importantly for investors, Big Tech’s AI spending spree is creating a robust ecosystem of beneficiaries across the supply chain — many of them small and microcap companies. Infrastructure build-out at this scale drives demand for specialized hardware, cooling technology, energy solutions, cybersecurity tools, and vertical AI software providers. These are not household names. They are precisely the kind of companies that ChannelChek and Noble Capital Markets exist to surface.
The layoff headlines are really a signal about where capital is flowing, not just where jobs are disappearing. The companies being cut from the org charts of Menlo Park and Redmond are not the story. The companies quietly building the infrastructure that enables those cuts — and the smaller operators sharp enough to ride the same wave — are where the real opportunity lives.
The AI efficiency era has arrived. The question for small cap investors is whether they are positioned to benefit from it or simply watching it unfold from the sidelines.
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) dropped one of the biggest corporate leadership announcements in years on Monday: Tim Cook will step down as CEO on September 1, 2026, transitioning to executive chairman, while John Ternus — currently Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering — becomes the company’s eighth chief executive. The move was unanimously approved by Apple’s board of directors.
Ternus, 50, is a 25-year Apple veteran who joined the company in 2001 as a product design engineer and rose through the ranks overseeing hardware development for the iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Mac product lines. His appointment continues Apple’s tradition of internal succession — the same approach used when Cook replaced Steve Jobs in 2011.
The transition is effective September 1, with Cook remaining in his CEO role through the summer to ensure continuity. Arthur Levinson, Apple’s non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will shift to lead independent director at the same time Ternus joins the board.
For investors, the leadership change raises a question that goes beyond Apple’s $4 trillion market cap: what does a hardware-first CEO mean for the company’s strategic direction — and who benefits downstream?
Cook’s tenure was defined by operational excellence and margin expansion. Under his leadership, Apple’s profit more than quadrupled, and the company became the first to achieve a $1 trillion market cap. But the knock on Cook heading into his final years was the same one analysts have leveled at Apple broadly — a lagging AI strategy relative to peers.
Ternus inherits that problem directly. Apple has faced a bumpy rollout of its AI-enhanced Siri platform and relied on Google’s Gemini in January as a bridge while its own large language model development hit snags. The company is now accelerating development of AI-driven wearables — reportedly including smart glasses, a pendant device, and camera-equipped AirPods — along with a foldable iPhone that some analysts are calling the most significant hardware moment in years. Bloomberg has also reported Apple is eyeing deeper moves into robotics.
That product roadmap matters significantly for the small and microcap companies sitting inside Apple’s supply chain. Shifts in hardware strategy at the CEO level translate directly into procurement decisions, component specifications, and manufacturing volumes that flow through dozens of smaller, publicly traded suppliers. When Apple pivots toward new form factors — AI wearables, foldable displays, edge-computing hardware — it creates winners and losers across a web of suppliers many of which operate well below the $2 billion market cap threshold.
Wall Street’s initial read on the Ternus appointment has been cautiously positive. Morgan Stanley noted that promoting a product-centric engineer signals Apple’s core hardware flywheel will remain intact. Wedbush’s lead tech analyst characterized the move as an opportunity for Apple to shift from a defensive to offensive posture in the AI hardware race.
Whether Ternus can deliver on both sides of that mandate — preserving Cook’s operational discipline while channeling the kind of product innovation the market has been waiting for — will define not just Apple’s next chapter, but the trajectory of an entire ecosystem of smaller companies built around it.
Apple is scheduled to report fiscal second-quarter earnings next week, with Cook still at the helm for that call. Ternus, however, will almost certainly face pointed questions from investors about his vision from day one.
During the Course of the Agreement the Prominent European Development Group OTT Heritage Hospitality Expects to Market and Deploy SKYX’s Disruptive Technologies into Hundreds of European Hotels, Buildings and Developments
Throughout the Term of the Agreement Prominent Developer and SKYX Expect to Deploy and Market Hundreds of Thousands of Products into Massive European Hospitality Market
124,000 Hotel Rooms are Projected to Open in Europe in 2026, with Over 250,000 Additional Rooms in the Development Pipeline Industry-Wide
Through Its Platform and Network, OTT Heritage Hospitality Provides Access to a Broad Pipeline of Hospitality Projects Across Europe and Intends to Actively Market and Facilitate the Adoption of SKYX’s Technologies Across a Range of Hotel, Building, and Development Opportunities Leveraging Significant Time and Cost Efficiencies of Up to 90%
SKYX’s Technologies are Expected to Offer Long-Term Recurring Revenue Opportunities Through Monitoring, Subscriptions, and AI Services, in Addition to Product Upgrades, Interchangeability and Platform-Wide Integrations for Future Development
MIAMI, April 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SKYX Platforms Corp. (NASDAQ: SKYX) (d/b/a SKYX Technologies) (the “Company” or “SKYX”), an award winning highly disruptive advanced and smart home and AI platform technology company with over 100 U.S. and global pending and issued patents and a portfolio of 60 lighting and home décor websites, with a mission to make homes and buildings become advanced-safe-smart instantly as the new standard, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with OTT Heritage Hospitality, a prominent European developer, to deploy and market its technologies across the vast European hotel chains segment and buildings.
This agreement marks a significant step in SKYX’s global expansion strategy as it continues to advance its mission to make hotels, homes, and buildings smarter, safer, and advanced.
Under the agreement, SKYX’s advanced and smart home and building technologies are expected to penetrate the vast European hotel market with over 132,000 hotels with hundreds of thousands of additional rooms in the development pipeline in addition to residential and commercial projects throughout Europe.
During the course of the agreement SKYX and OTT Heritage Hospitality expect to deploy and market SKYX’s disruptive technologies to hundreds of European hotels, buildings and developments with the aim of deploying hundreds of thousands of units across European hotel and real estate developments.
OTT Heritage Hospitality provides its platform and network as well as access to a broad pipeline of hospitality projects across Europe and intends to actively market and facilitate the adoption of SKYX’s technologies across a range of hotel, building, and development opportunities, leveraging the significant time and cost efficiencies of up to 90% provided by SKYX’s technologies.
Jean-François Ott, Founder of OTT Heritage Hospitality, said; “As a long-time developer of hotel and real estate projects, I see a tremendous opportunity in marketing and facilitating the penetration of SKYX’s highly disruptive technologies into hotels and real estate projects across Europe. By leveraging significant time and cost efficiencies of up to 90% for hotel renovations as well as new builds, we can enable properties to become smarter, safer, and more technologically advanced.”
Rani Kohen, Founder and Executive Chairman of SKYX Platforms, said; “This partnership marks a significant step in our global expansion strategy as we continue with our goal and mission to advance hotels, homes, and buildings by making them smarter and safer. We look forward to partnering with such an established European hotel and real estate developer.”
For more information about SKYX click here: www.skyx.com
About SKYX Platforms Corp.
As electricity is a standard in every home and building, our mission is to make homes and buildings become safe-advanced and smart as the new standard. SKYX has a series of highly disruptive advanced-safe-smart platform technologies, with over 100 U.S. and global patents and patent pending applications. Additionally, the Company owns 60 lighting and home decor websites for both retail and commercial segments. Our technologies place an emphasis on high quality and ease of use, while significantly enhancing both safety and lifestyle in homes and buildings. We believe that our products are a necessity in every room in both homes and other buildings in the U.S. and globally. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.skyx.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this press release are not based on historical facts, but are forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “evaluate,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “objective,” “ongoing,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target” “view,” “will,” or “would,” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements reflect the Company’s reasonable judgment with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which have outcomes difficult to predict and may be outside our control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include statements relating to the Company’s ability to successfully launch, commercialize, develop additional features and achieve market acceptance of its products and technologies and integrate its products and technologies with third-party platforms or technologies; the Company’s ability to achieve positive cash flows; the Company’s efforts and ability to drive the adoption of its products and technologies as a standard feature, including their use in homes, hotels, offices and cruise ships; the Company’s ability to capture market share; the Company’s estimates of its potential addressable market and demand for its products and technologies; the Company’s ability to raise additional capital to support its operations as needed, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern; the Company’s ability to execute on any sales and licensing or other strategic opportunities; the possibility that any of the Company’s products will become National Electrical Code (NEC)-code or otherwise code mandatory in any jurisdiction, or that any of the Company’s current or future products or technologies will be adopted by any state, country, or municipality, within any specific timeframe or at all; risks arising from mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other collaborations; the Company’s ability to attract and retain key executives and qualified personnel; guidance provided by management, which may differ from the Company’s actual operating results; the potential impact of unstable market and economic conditions on the Company’s business, financial condition, and stock price; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. There can be no assurance as to any of the foregoing matters. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws.
