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# Beta Finch Podcast Script: Coca-Cola Q1 2026 Earnings

**ALEX**: Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown where we dive deep into the numbers that matter. I'm Alex, and joining me as always is my co-host Jordan. Today we're breaking down Coca-Cola's Q1 2026 earnings - and folks, this was a strong start to the year for the beverage giant.

Before we jump in, I need to share an important disclaimer: This podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

**JORDAN**: Thanks Alex. And what a quarter this was for Coca-Cola! Let me hit you with the headline numbers first. The company delivered 10% organic revenue growth with 3% volume growth across all segments. That's particularly impressive when you consider the challenging macro environment we're seeing globally.

**ALEX**: Absolutely. And Jordan, what really caught my attention was the earnings per share performance - 18% growth to 86 cents per share on a comparable basis. That's solid double-digit growth that beat expectations. CEO Henrique Braun seemed pretty confident about their "balanced growth algorithm" approach.

**JORDAN**: Right, and that's a key theme throughout this call - this idea of balancing volume growth with price/mix improvements. They managed 3% volume growth and 2% price/mix growth in Q1, which Braun described as exactly the kind of balanced approach they're targeting. He mentioned they might see this flip to 2% volume and 3% price/mix in other quarters, but the goal is maintaining that balance.

**ALEX**: Now, there were some interesting regional dynamics here. North America showed solid performance with volume and value share gains, but they had some headwinds from Easter timing and category mix issues, particularly with packaged water and production constraints on Topo Chico and Fairlife.

**JORDAN**: And speaking of Fairlife - which investors have been watching closely - Braun confirmed that the Webster facility capacity is coming online in Q2 as planned, which should help address those production constraints. That's a key capacity expansion for their growing dairy business.

**ALEX**: Let's talk about some of the geographic highlights because this really shows Coke's global reach. In Latin America, they gained value share despite challenges in Mexico from the sugar tax that was implemented at the beginning of the year. But Brazil and Central America more than offset those declines.

**JORDAN**: And in EMEA - that's Europe, Middle East, and Africa - they gained value share and grew volume across all operating units, despite some obvious challenges from the Middle East conflict. Braun noted that while they grew volume for the quarter overall, volumes did decline in March after the onset of that conflict.

**ALEX**: The Asia Pacific region is particularly interesting from a strategic standpoint. They grew volume across all operating units despite cycling a tough comparison from the prior year. But Jordan, the margin story there was concerning - operating margins compressed almost 10 percentage points.

**JORDAN**: That's right Alex, and CFO John Murphy addressed this directly. About two-thirds of that margin compression was due to a one-time inventory issue, particularly phasing of juice inventory costs in China. They also had commodity pressures in tea and coffee businesses. Murphy emphasized this was largely a Q1 anomaly and they expect improvement as the year progresses.

**ALEX**: One thing that really stood out in the Q&A was the discussion around innovation and consumer centricity. Braun talked about their "4 I's" approach - insight, innovation, intimacy, and integrated execution. T

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**Beta Finch - Episode 127: Coca-Cola Q4 2025**

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**ALEX:** Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown where we cut through the corporate speak to bring you what really matters. I'm Alex.

**JORDAN:** And I'm Jordan. Today we're diving into Coca-Cola's Q4 2025 earnings call - and wow, what a historic moment this was.

**ALEX:** Absolutely. Before we jump in though, I need to mention that this podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

**JORDAN:** So Alex, let's start with the elephant in the room - this was CEO James Quincey's final earnings call after a decade at the helm.

**ALEX:** Right, and what a send-off! Quincey handed the reins to Henrique Braun, who's been with the company for over 30 years. But let's talk numbers first - Coca-Cola delivered on both their top and bottom line guidance for 2025, which is no small feat given the challenging macro environment.

**JORDAN:** The headline numbers are solid. They achieved 4% comparable earnings per share growth despite facing 5 points of currency headwinds and a 2-point increase in their tax rate. That's actually pretty impressive when you break it down.

**ALEX:** And they maintained their streak of gaining value share for 19 consecutive quarters. That's nearly five years of consistently winning market share, Jordan.

**JORDAN:** Let's dig into the Q4 specifics because there's an interesting story in the price-mix numbers. They reported only 1% price-mix growth, but CFO John Murphy clarified that underlying pricing was actually 4%, with a 3% negative mix impact from geography and timing issues.

**ALEX:** That's a perfect example of why Quincey urged analysts to take a "4-quarter view" rather than getting caught up in quarterly noise. When you smooth out the mix effects, you see consistent 5% revenue growth, which aligns with their long-term algorithm.

**JORDAN:** Speaking of long-term, let's talk about their 2026 guidance. They're projecting 4% to 5% organic revenue growth and 7% to 8% comparable EPS growth. But here's the kicker - they're expecting a more balanced mix between volume and pricing going forward.

**ALEX:** That's a key shift, Jordan. For the past few years, they've been heavily price-driven due to inflation. Now they're signaling a return to more balanced growth, which suggests they believe they can start winning back volume while maintaining pricing power.

**JORDAN:** But it's not all smooth sailing. They're facing some headwinds in key markets. Mexico is implementing an excise tax that will pressure volumes, China continues to see softer consumer spending, and India needs to rebuild momentum after a challenging 2025.

**ALEX:** New CEO Henrique Braun was pretty candid about this. He mentioned that their "all-weather strategy" helps them leverage strong markets to offset weaker ones. It's essentially a global portfolio approach - when one region struggles, others can pick up the slack.

**JORDAN:** Let's talk about innovation because Braun made some interesting comments here. He said their innovation "is not where it needs to be" and they need to get closer to consumers and improve speed to market.

**ALEX:** That was refreshingly honest. He talked about wanting to better anticipate the next growth opportunities in beverages and be more proactive rather than reactive. They announced two new billion-dollar brands - innocent and Santa Clara from Mexico - bringing their total to 32 billion-dollar brands.

**JORDAN:** The Mexico example is fascinating because Santa Clara started as a local value-added dairy brand and grew into a billion-dollar business. That's exactly the playbook Br

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Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown. Here's the KLA Corporation script.

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**ALEX:** Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown of the numbers that move markets. I'm Alex.

**JORDAN:** And I'm Jordan. Today we're digging into KLA Corporation's June quarter fiscal 2026 results — and Alex, this one's got some pretty eye-popping AI-infrastructure numbers in it.

**ALEX:** It really does. But before we get into it — quick disclaimer. This podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

**JORDAN:** Good housekeeping. Okay, let's talk numbers. KLA makes process control and inspection equipment for semiconductor fabs — basically the tools that check whether chips are being made correctly. And this quarter, revenue hit a record $3.66 billion, up 7% sequentially and 15% year-over-year.

**ALEX:** And that beat the midpoint of their own guidance. Non-GAAP EPS came in at $1.50, GAAP EPS at $1.04 — both at the high end of their ranges. Oh, and worth flagging for anyone checking historical charts: KLA did a 10-for-1 stock split effective June 11th, so all these per-share numbers are split-adjusted.

**JORDAN:** Good catch, because that trips people up. Gross margin was 62.4%, also above guidance, and operating margin was a very healthy 43.7%. Free cash flow came in at $817 million, and they returned $876 million to shareholders — split between buybacks and dividends.

**ALEX:** So strong quarter across the board. But honestly, the guidance and the forward commentary is where this call gets interesting. CEO Rick Wallace and CFO Bren Higgins were pretty emphatic that momentum is accelerating, not just holding steady.

**JORDAN:** Right, they raised their wafer fab equipment — WFE — market outlook for all of 2026 to roughly $150 billion, up from a prior $140 billion-plus estimate. That's the fourth time this year they've raised that number.

**ALEX:** Fourth time. And management said they expect KLA's second half of calendar 2026 revenue to grow about 20% over the first half. September quarter guidance alone is for $4 billion in revenue, plus or minus $200 million — that's another double-digit sequential jump.

**JORDAN:** The driver behind all of this is AI infrastructure — hyperscale data center buildout, more complex chip designs, rising high-bandwidth memory adoption, and advanced packaging. Management basically said every one of those trends increases "process control intensity," meaning more of KLA's tools are needed per wafer.

**ALEX:** The advanced packaging story stood out to me. They now expect that business to hit about $1.1 billion in calendar 2026, growth of more than 70% year-over-year — nearly double the growth rate of the packaging market itself. That's a big upward revision from their earlier high-50s percent estimate.

**JORDAN:** And that ties back to the Orbotech acquisition from 2019 — Rick called it out directly, saying the thesis around rising chip-package value is really playing out now. Combined with their specialty semiconductor and PCB businesses, that whole segment is expected to grow over 25% this year.

**ALEX:** Services was another bright spot — $820 million in revenue, up 17% year-over-year. And in the Q&A, Bren mentioned services should accelerate toward the high end of their 13-15% long-term target range next year, since 80% of that revenue is contract-based, which gives nice visibility.

**JORDAN:** Speaking of Q&A, there were some great exchanges. One analyst pushed hard on gross margins, given memory pricing headwinds — Bren estimated that's costing them over 100 basis points right now, and said that pressure likely continues into 2027. But he still expects ma

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**BETA FINCH PODCAST SCRIPT**

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**ALEX:** Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown where we turn quarterly reports into conversations you'll actually want to hear. I'm Alex, and I'm joined by my co-host Jordan. Today we're diving into KLA Corporation's Q3 2026 results - and wow, what a quarter this was.

Before we jump in, I need to share an important disclaimer: This podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

**JORDAN:** Thanks Alex. And speaking of wow - KLA absolutely crushed it this quarter. Revenue hit $3.415 billion, which was not only up 4% sequentially but also 11% year-over-year. That beat their internal forecasts too.

**ALEX:** Right, and the earnings per share story is even better - $9.40 non-GAAP EPS. But Jordan, what really caught my attention was their forward-looking commentary. They're basically saying 2027 is going to be massive for the semiconductor equipment industry.

**JORDAN:** Exactly. CEO Rick Wallace made some pretty bold statements about visibility into 2027. He said there's "unprecedented demand visibility" from customers and that normally they wouldn't comment on 2027 growth rates in April of 2026, but the demand environment is giving them that confidence. They expect 2027 year-over-year growth to be higher than 2026.

**ALEX:** Let's break down what's driving this optimism. KLA is the leader in process control equipment - think of them as the quality control experts for semiconductor manufacturing. Every time chip makers need to inspect their wafers or measure critical dimensions, they're likely using KLA tools.

**JORDAN:** And AI is clearly the rocket fuel here. The company specifically called out AI as "a core driver of KLA's performance." They're seeing increased investment in leading-edge foundry logic and high bandwidth memory - both critical for AI applications. What's fascinating is they raised their advanced packaging revenue outlook from $635 million to approximately $1 billion for 2026.

**ALEX:** That's a 57% increase! Advanced packaging is becoming crucial as chip companies try to pack more performance into smaller spaces. It's like upgrading from a studio apartment to a high-rise - you need much more sophisticated tools to make sure everything fits perfectly.

**JORDAN:** The numbers tell a compelling story about market share too. KLA increased their global share in both overall wafer equipment and process control markets in 2025. In advanced packaging specifically, they gained 14 percentage points of market share and saw 70% year-over-year revenue growth.

**ALEX:** Now let's talk about the elephant in the room - supply chain constraints. During the Q&A, management acknowledged they're dealing with unprecedented demand urgency from customers. CFO Brent Higgins said customers are showing "a higher level of urgency around securing capacity" than he's seen before.

**JORDAN:** This creates an interesting dynamic. On one hand, it's validation of incredibly strong demand. On the other hand, it means KLA has to rapidly scale operations, hire more people, and ensure they can deliver. The good news is they seem confident about supporting the 2027 ramp.

**ALEX:** Speaking of 2027, let's dig into their industry outlook. They're expecting the wafer equipment market to exceed $140 billion in 2026 - that's up from previous estimates of $135-140 billion. But here's the kicker: they think their semiconductor process control systems business will grow over 20% in 2026, significantly outpacing the broader market.

**JORDAN:** The geographic and end-market mix is interesting too. For the June quarter, they're forecasting foundry logic to be about 82% of revenue with me

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**BETA FINCH PODCAST SCRIPT**

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**ALEX:** Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown where we turn complex quarterly reports into digestible insights. I'm Alex, and I'm joined as always by my co-host Jordan. Today we're diving into KLA Corporation's Q2 2026 earnings - that's ticker KLAC for those following along.

Before we jump in, I need to share an important disclaimer: This podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Jordan, KLA just posted some pretty impressive numbers. Walk us through the headline figures.

**JORDAN:** Alex, these results are really something. KLA delivered $3.3 billion in revenue for Q2, which represents 17% year-over-year growth. But here's what really caught my attention - their earnings per share jumped 29% to $8.85 on a non-GAAP basis. That's some serious operating leverage right there.

**ALEX:** That leverage is exactly what you want to see in a capital equipment company. And they're not just growing - they're throwing off serious cash. What did free cash flow look like?

**JORDAN:** Record-breaking, Alex. They hit $1.26 billion in quarterly free cash flow, and for the full year they generated $4.4 billion - that's 30% growth year-over-year. They returned $3 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. For a company with their market cap, that's substantial capital allocation.

**ALEX:** Now, KLA is a semiconductor equipment company, specifically focused on process control - think inspection and measurement tools that ensure chips are made correctly. What's driving this growth?

**JORDAN:** It's really the AI story, Alex. CEO Rick Wallace was crystal clear that AI infrastructure demand is a core driver. Their tools are essential for manufacturing the advanced chips needed for AI applications - everything from leading-edge foundry logic to high-bandwidth memory, or HBM.

What's fascinating is they're seeing process control intensity increase dramatically, especially in memory. Wallace mentioned that DRAM manufacturing now looks "much more similar to what logic did not that long ago" in terms of requiring sophisticated inspection tools.

**ALEX:** That's a key point about intensity. Can you break that down for our listeners?

**JORDAN:** Absolutely. Process control intensity basically means how much inspection and measurement equipment you need per dollar of total semiconductor equipment spending. As chips get more complex - smaller features, more layers, tighter specifications - you need proportionally more of KLA's tools.

In DRAM memory, they're seeing about 100 basis points of intensity increase with EUV lithography adoption, and another 100 basis points with HBM. That's essentially doubling their addressable market per chip produced.

**ALEX:** Speaking of markets, let's talk guidance. What's KLA expecting for 2026?

**JORDAN:** Here's where it gets interesting. For the full year, they're guiding for mid-single digit revenue growth, but CFO Bren Higgins emphasized that growth will accelerate in the second half. They're expecting the core wafer fab equipment market to grow high single to low double digits to about $120 billion, plus an additional $12 billion advanced packaging market.

But there's a constraint story here, Alex.

**ALEX:** Right, supply constraints. This came up multiple times in the Q&A. What's the issue?

**JORDAN:** Two main problems. First, KLA themselves are constrained by long lead-time components, especially optics. Higgins said decisions they made last summer are affecting what they can ship in the first half of 2026. Their lead times are extending because demand is so strong.

But second, and this is crucial - their customers are

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ALEX: Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown, where we take a dense earnings call transcript and turn it into something you can actually enjoy with your coffee. I'm Alex.

JORDAN: And I'm Jordan. Today we're diving into JPMorgan Chase, ticker JPM, Q2 2026 results — and Alex, this one had a little bit of everything: blowout numbers, a leadership shakeup, and Jamie Dimon being Jamie Dimon.

ALEX: Before we get into it, quick disclaimer: this podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

JORDAN: Good, glad that's out of the way. So let's start with the headline numbers.

ALEX: JPMorgan posted net income of $16.9 billion, EPS of $6.14, and a return on tangible common equity of 23%. Strip out some one-off items and revenue was actually up 15% year-over-year.

JORDAN: And that growth was really broad-based — markets revenue was the biggest driver, but you also had higher asset management fees, stronger investment banking revenue, and higher deposit and loan balances. The one drag was lower rates, but honestly, that barely made a dent.

ALEX: Expenses climbed too — $27.3 billion, up 15%, mostly tied to volume and revenue-related costs plus front-office hiring. Credit costs came in at $2.5 billion. And here's a nice surprise for investors: the board is bumping the quarterly dividend up to $1.65 a share starting next quarter.

JORDAN: Let's talk about the business lines, because two of them really stood out. The CIB — that's the Corporate and Investment Bank — had a monster quarter. Revenue up 27% year-over-year, investment banking fees up 30%, with double-digit growth across the board.

ALEX: And equities trading? Up 86% year-over-year. Eighty-six percent, Jordan.

JORDAN: That's the kind of number that makes you sit up. CFO Jeremy Barnum was pretty candid on the call though — he said this level of equities strength is "a little bit hard to imagine being repeated." So management itself is tapping the brakes on extrapolating this quarter forward.

ALEX: Right, and same with investment banking — some of that came from large deals getting pulled forward and a couple of high-profile IPOs. But he also said the pipeline remains "quite robust," and there's this interesting dynamic where the buzz around big deals seems to be generating even more activity.

JORDAN: Meanwhile, on the asset and wealth management side, AUM hit $5.1 trillion, up 18%, with $50 billion in long-term net inflows. And in consumer banking, they added over 500,000 net new checking accounts this quarter. That's a franchise that's just quietly compounding.

ALEX: Let's get into the bigger story of the call, though — the leadership news. JPMorgan just elevated Doug and Troy to co-presidents, and long-time consumer banking head Marianne Lake is retiring as a result.

JORDAN: This dominated the Q&A. Analysts kept probing Jamie Dimon about succession, and he was pretty firm that the timetable for his own tenure "hasn't changed" — still talking in terms of a few years, plus or minus, with the board ultimately deciding.

ALEX: One exchange I loved — Mike Mayo basically said, half-joking, "you've now got an FX trader running the consumer bank," referring to Troy. Barnum jumped in to correct him: Troy was actually an options trader, not FX. Small detail, but it got a laugh.

JORDAN: Dimon's broader point was that he wants leaders who've operated across the whole company, not just people who came up through investment banking. He was pretty explicit that leaders who only understand trading or dealmaking can end up neglecting the rest of the franchise.

ALEX: Let's talk guidance, because they raised it meaningfully. Full-year NII outlook ex-Markets moved up

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# Beta Finch Podcast Script: JPMorgan Chase Q1 2026 Earnings

**ALEX**: Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown where we cut through the noise to bring you the insights that matter. I'm Alex.

**JORDAN**: And I'm Jordan. Today we're diving into JPMorgan Chase's Q1 2026 earnings, and wow, what a quarter this was.

**ALEX**: Before we jump in, I need to mention that this podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

**JORDAN**: Absolutely. Now Alex, let's talk numbers because JPMorgan absolutely crushed it this quarter.

**ALEX**: They really did, Jordan. Net income hit $16.5 billion with earnings per share of $5.94 - that's a return on tangible common equity of 23%. Revenue came in at $50.5 billion, up 10% year-over-year. These are the kind of numbers that make other banks jealous.

**JORDAN**: What's really impressive is how broad-based this strength was. Markets revenue was particularly strong, along with Asset Management and Investment Banking fees. But here's the thing - while revenue grew 10%, expenses jumped 14% to $26.9 billion. That caught my attention.

**ALEX**: Good eye, Jordan. Jeremy Barnum, the CFO, explained that the expense growth was largely driven by higher compensation - including revenue-related comp - and growth in front office employees. Essentially, they're paying more because they're making more. It's what Jamie Dimon calls "good expense growth."

**JORDAN**: Speaking of Jamie Dimon, he made some fascinating comments about the competitive landscape. There was this whole discussion about their new AI cash management tool that's getting a lot of attention. Some analysts are worried it could pressure deposits across the industry.

**ALEX**: Right, but Dimon had a very measured response. He basically said, "Look, competition for deposits has always been intense. This is just us trying to help our customers manage their money better." He quoted Jeff Bezos: "Your margin is my opportunity," suggesting they're comfortable with creating more competition if it serves customers better.

**JORDAN**: Now let's talk about the elephant in the room - regulatory capital requirements. This was a major theme throughout the call, and frankly, JPMorgan is not happy about the proposed Basel III and G-SIB surcharge changes.

**ALEX**: This is huge, Jordan. Barnum laid out some pretty stark numbers. While other large banks might see about a 5% reduction in capital requirements under the new rules, JPMorgan is looking at a 4% INCREASE. That translates to roughly $20 billion in additional G-SIB capital requirements based on their current balance sheet.

**JORDAN**: And Dimon was particularly fired up about this. He said they'll have to find ways to "arbitrage" around these rules to serve clients properly, which he admitted he doesn't like doing. The concern is that these rules could make JPMorgan less competitive both domestically against smaller banks and internationally.

**ALEX**: Let's shift to the business segments. The Corporate and Investment Bank was a real standout - net income of $9 billion on revenue of $23.4 billion, up 19% year-over-year. Investment banking fees were up 28%, driven by strong M&A and equity underwriting activity.

**JORDAN**: The trading business continues to be remarkably consistent. Fixed income was up 21%, equities up 17%. When asked about this sustained strength, Dimon gave a great analogy - he compared it to Home Depot managing inventory. "They don't call it trading, but there's that element of risk management there."

**ALEX**: What I found interesting was their discussion of balance sheet growth. A lot of the growth this quarter came from the Markets business - about $6

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**BETA FINCH PODCAST SCRIPT**

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**ALEX**: Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown. I'm Alex, and I'm here with my co-host Jordan to dive into JPMorgan Chase's Q4 2025 earnings call. Jordan, this was quite the eventful call - Jamie Dimon and Jeremy Barnum had a lot to unpack.

**JORDAN**: They sure did, Alex. But before we dive in, I need to mention something important. This podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

**ALEX**: Absolutely crucial reminder, Jordan. Now, let's talk numbers. JPMorgan reported some solid Q4 results - net income of $13 billion, EPS of $4.63, and an 18% return on tangible common equity. Revenue came in at $46.8 billion, up 7% year-over-year. What caught your eye first?

**JORDAN**: What jumped out immediately was that $2.2 billion reserve build related to the Apple Card acquisition. That's a massive number that shows JPMorgan is serious about this partnership. Strip that out, and the underlying business performance looks even stronger. The Consumer and Community Banking division would have shown $5.3 billion in net income without that reserve hit.

**ALEX**: The Apple Card deal is fascinating. Jeremy Barnum called it a "win-win-win" for all three parties - JPMorgan, Apple, and Goldman Sachs, who's exiting the business. But Jordan, what really struck me was the timeline - they're saying it'll take two full years to integrate this portfolio. Why so long?

**JORDAN**: That's the really interesting technical aspect here. Jamie Dimon explained that Apple built a completely different tech stack integrated into iOS - it's not just a traditional credit card they can quickly fold into their existing systems. They literally have to rebuild Apple's technology architecture within JPMorgan's infrastructure. It's going to cost significant money, but Dimon seemed genuinely excited about what they'll learn from Apple's customer service standards and user experience approach.

**ALEX**: Speaking of big numbers, let's talk about that $9 billion expense increase guidance for 2026. Total adjusted expenses are expected to hit $105 billion. Mike Mayo from Wells Fargo really pressed them on this during the Q&A, and Jamie Dimon's response was pretty telling.

**JORDAN**: Dimon was almost defiant about it, in a good way. He essentially said "we see huge opportunities, and we're not going to try to meet some expense target and then ten years from now have you asking us how JPMorgan got left behind." They're investing in rural branches, international expansion, better payment systems, AI across the company, and what Dimon called their "SRI initiative" which could be far bigger than expected.

**ALEX**: The guidance for 2026 shows they're expecting net interest income excluding markets of around $95 billion, with total NII at $103 billion. They're also projecting a card net charge-off rate of approximately 3.4%. But Jordan, there was this elephant in the room that dominated much of the Q&A...

**JORDAN**: You're talking about the credit card interest rate cap proposal. This came up right after President Trump's social media post about potentially capping credit card APRs. The timing was incredible - literally happening as earnings calls were taking place across the banking sector.

**ALEX**: Jeremy Barnum and Jamie Dimon were pretty direct about this. Barnum said if price controls are imposed, "people will lose access to credit on a very, very extensive and broad basis, especially the people who need it the most." Dimon added that it would be "very dramatic" and force them to adjust their entire business model.

**JORDAN**: What's important for listeners to understand is that the credit card busin

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ALEX: Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown. Today we're digging into Johnson & Johnson's second quarter 2026 results, and Jordan, there's a lot to unpack here.

JORDAN: There really is. But first, the fine print — this podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

ALEX: Right, so let's get into it. J&J posted $25.3 billion in quarterly sales, up 5.6% operationally. That doesn't sound huge until you realize they absorbed a 460 basis point headwind from STELARA losing patent protection to biosimilars.

JORDAN: Yeah, strip out STELARA and the rest of the business grew double digits. That's the real story. Net earnings came in at $5.5 billion, diluted EPS of $2.27, and on an adjusted basis, EPS was $2.90, up nearly 5% year-over-year. And here's the kicker — they raised full-year guidance. Operational sales growth now expected at 6.5% to 7.1%, and adjusted EPS guidance moved up to $11.50-$11.65.

ALEX: They're also closing in on a milestone — more than $100 billion in annual revenue for the first time in the company's 140-year history.

JORDAN: Which is wild to say out loud. This is a company with 28 different products or platforms each doing over a billion dollars a year. That's not a one-hit-wonder portfolio, that's just breadth everywhere.

ALEX: Let's talk oncology, because that's really where J&J flexed this quarter. DARZALEX, their multiple myeloma drug, did over $4 billion, up almost 18%. But the newer combo therapies are what caught my eye — CARVYKTI up 47.7%, TECVAYLI up 56%, TALVEY up 62.6%.

JORDAN: Those growth rates on top of an already-dominant multiple myeloma franchise are pretty remarkable. And they're not resting — new data showed the TALVEY-DARZALEX combo keeping over 80% of patients progression-free at two years, with overall survival up to 89%. That's the kind of data that extends a franchise's life for years.

ALEX: Then there's the newer launches — ICOTYDE in psoriasis, INLEXZO in bladder cancer, RYBREVANT in lung and now head-and-neck cancer. ICOTYDE in particular is getting a lot of attention. Over 11,000 patients started therapy, 6,000 unique prescribers, and more than half of commercial payers already covering it within 90 days.

JORDAN: What's interesting is how they're positioning it alongside TREMFYA, which by the way had a monster quarter — 71% growth, its first $2 billion quarter. Instead of cannibalizing each other, management's framing ICOTYDE as the go-to first systemic treatment and TREMFYA as the first-choice biologic, especially for patients trending toward psoriatic arthritis. It's a two-pronged attack on the same disease area.

ALEX: Now, MedTech was the softer spot this quarter — only 3.6% growth. Cardiovascular was the drag, mainly Abiomed's heart pump business.

JORDAN: Right, and this is worth unpacking because it wasn't a demand problem. A neutral clinical trial out of the U.K. made physicians more cautious about patient selection for Impella devices, so usage slowed. Management was pretty direct about it — they called it a "behavioral" issue, not structural. They're leaning on their own much larger evidence base, over 40,000 patients studied versus the UK trial's 300, while they wait for their own PROTECT IV trial data, which won't read out until 2027.

ALEX: Meanwhile, three of MedTech's four businesses — surgery, vision, and orthopedics — actually accelerated and beat expectations. So it's really one segment, heart recovery, dragging on an otherwise solid MedTech story.

JORDAN: And there's real excitement building around the robotics pipeline — the OTTAVA surgical robot and MONARCH for urology are both awaiti

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**Beta Finch Podcast Script: Johnson & Johnson Q4 2025**

ALEX: Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown where we dive deep into the numbers that matter. I'm Alex, and joining me as always is my co-host Jordan. Today we're dissecting Johnson & Johnson's Q4 2025 earnings call, and wow - what a way to cap off the year.

Before we jump in, I need to mention that this podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

JORDAN: Thanks Alex, and yeah, JNJ really delivered here. They're calling 2025 a "catapult year" - and the numbers back that up. Let's start with the headline figures because they're impressive across the board.

ALEX: Absolutely. Fourth quarter operational sales growth came in at 7.1%, which is solid, but the full-year picture is even better. They hit $94.2 billion in total revenue for 2025 with 5.3% operational growth. But here's the kicker, Jordan - they're guiding for $100 billion at the midpoint for 2026. That's a massive psychological milestone for any healthcare company.

JORDAN: Right, and what's fascinating is how they're positioning this growth. CEO Joaquin Duato kept emphasizing their "28 billion-dollar products" - that's an incredible diversification of revenue streams. No other healthcare company has that kind of breadth. They're not relying on one or two blockbusters like some of their competitors.

ALEX: Let's break down the two main segments. On the Innovative Medicine side, they posted 5.3% operational growth for the year, crossing $60 billion in pharma sales for the first time. The star performer here continues to be DARZALEX in multiple myeloma - $14 billion in annual sales with 22% growth. That's just staggering for a drug of that size.

JORDAN: And they're not stopping there. The multiple myeloma franchise is becoming a juggernaut. They mentioned being the number one company in that space, with 80% of patients treated with at least one of their four medicines. Plus, CARVICTI, their CAR-T therapy, is showing strong momentum with over 10,000 patients treated across 14 markets.

ALEX: The immunology story is equally compelling. Tremfya hit $5 billion in sales and grew 65% in Q4 - that's not a typo, sixty-five percent! They're confident it'll exceed $10 billion in peak sales, especially as it continues taking share in inflammatory bowel disease where STELARA used to dominate.

JORDAN: Speaking of STELARA, that's the elephant in the room that's actually becoming less relevant. STELARA declined 48.6% due to biosimilar competition, but here's what's remarkable - JNJ grew double digits for the full year excluding STELARA. They've successfully navigated that cliff, which was a major investor concern.

ALEX: Now let's talk MedTech. 5.4% operational growth for the year with some really strong pockets. Cardiovascular was the standout with 15% operational growth, reaching $9 billion. The Abiomed and Shockwave acquisitions are clearly paying dividends here.

JORDAN: What caught my attention was their robotics ambition. They just submitted their Ottava robotic surgery system for FDA approval via a de novo pathway - meaning there's no predicate device to compare it against. That suggests they truly believe they have something differentiated in a space dominated by Intuitive Surgical.

ALEX: The guidance for 2026 is aggressive but achievable based on their pipeline momentum. 5.7% to 6.7% operational sales growth, with that $100 billion midpoint I mentioned. Adjusted EPS growth of 5.5% at the midpoint, which factors in about $500 million in medtech tariffs - significantly higher than 2025.

JORDAN: I want to highlight something CFO Joe Wolk said ab

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