Fortinet and Ecopetrol have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – August 6, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Fortinet FTNT as the Bull of the Day and Ecopetrol EC as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. BBAI, AeroVironment AVAV and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions KTOS.

 Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Cybersecurity has quietly become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI revolution. As enterprises race to deploy generative AI, they're also discovering they need a new generation of network security to protect it. That's exactly where Cybersecurity has quietly become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI revolution. As enterprises race to deploy generative AI, they're also discovering they need a new generation of network security to protect it. That's exactly where today’s Bull of the Day shines.

Today’s Bull of the Day is Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) Fortinet. Fortinet has long been known as a leader in firewalls and secure networking, but today's company is much more than a hardware vendor. Its Security Fabric platform spans networking, cloud security, endpoint protection, operational technology, and AI-powered threat detection. As organizations consolidate vendors and modernize infrastructure, Fortinet continues to take market share.

The real catalyst, however, is earnings. Analysts have steadily raised profit expectations over the past several months, helping propel Fortinet into the good graces of our Zacks Rank. Over the last week alone, fourteen analysts have upped the ante for current year and next year earnings. The bullish sentiment has increased our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year from $3.01 to $3.40 while next year’s number is up from $3.30 to $3.80.

Fortinet just delivered a blockbuster quarter, beating Wall Street on both the top and bottom lines while raising guidance. Adjusted earnings came in at $0.90 per share versus expectations of $0.75, while management also boosted its outlook for billings and full-year revenue. The results underscore that cybersecurity spending remains one of the last places CIOs are willing to cut budgets, especially as AI expands the attack surface for businesses.

Fortinet, Inc. Price and Consensus

Perhaps even more impressive is Fortinet's profitability. While many cybersecurity companies continue chasing growth at the expense of margins, Fortinet consistently generates industry-leading operating margins and healthy free cash flow. That combination of growth and profitability is increasingly rare in software.

The technical picture isn't hurting either. Shares have surged to fresh highs following earnings, confirming institutional demand remains firmly intact despite broader market volatility. Momentum investors love companies that beat estimates and raise guidance, and Fortinet checked both boxes.

Bear of the Day:

The energy sector has enjoyed a remarkable run over the last few years, fueled by resilient crude prices and disciplined capital spending. But not every oil producer is firing on all cylinders. Some are battling headwinds that have nothing to do with the price of oil. That's the case with today's Bear of the Day.

Today’s Bear of the Day is Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) Ecopetrol. Ecopetrol is Colombia's largest integrated energy company, producing crude oil, natural gas, and refined products while operating an extensive pipeline network throughout the country. On paper, it should be benefiting from a supportive commodity backdrop. Instead, investors are facing weakening earnings expectations, rising uncertainty, and an increasingly challenging operating environment.

The biggest red flag is earnings revisions. Over the last several months, Wall Street analysts have steadily lowered profit forecasts for both the current year and next year. Our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has come down from $2.31 to $1.85 with next year’s number off from $2.09 to $1.78. The good news for investors is that current year earnings growth is still forecast to rise 46% but next year that number will contract by 7%.

Falling earnings estimates are often one of the strongest warning signs for future stock performance, especially when multiple analysts move in the same direction. The pressure extends beyond analyst models. Production growth has slowed while higher operating costs and lower realized pricing have squeezed margins. At the same time, Colombia's evolving energy policies and government influence over the company continue to create uncertainty around future exploration activity, reserve replacement, and long-term capital allocation. Investors rarely reward uncertainty, particularly in capital-intensive industries like energy.

The Oil and Gas – Integrated – International industry ranks in the Bottom 5% of our Zacks Industry Rank. There are no stocks within the good graces of our Zacks Rank.

Additional content:

Can BigBear.ai Lead the Multi-Drone Mission AI Solutions Market?

BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. is positioning itself to become a key player in AI-powered autonomous mission management, with multi-drone orchestration emerging as one of its most promising growth opportunities. The company's second-quarter 2026 update highlighted ConductorOS, an AI platform designed to enable a single operator to manage fleets of drones from multiple manufacturers. This capability addresses one of the military's biggest operational challenges — processing massive volumes of data while reducing operator workload. The company believes this technology aligns well with the rapidly expanding demand for autonomous defense systems.

The opportunity appears substantial. Management pointed to growing investments in autonomous warfare and counter-drone technologies, supported by rising geopolitical tensions and increasing defense modernization efforts. ConductorOS is designed to transform one operator into the command center for a multi-vendor drone fleet, making it relevant for surveillance, reconnaissance and mission coordination. These trends reinforce BigBear.ai's strategy of delivering mission-ready AI for complex defense environments rather than competing in broader enterprise AI markets.

The company's improving financial position provides additional support for this strategy. Second-quarter revenues increased 13% year over year to $36.7 million, gross margin expanded 781 basis points to 32.8%, backlog rose 9% from 2025-end to $269.6 million, and management reaffirmed its full-year revenue guidance of $135-$165 million. BigBear.ai also ended the quarter with roughly $410 million in cash and investments, giving it flexibility to invest in product development and pursue acquisitions that could strengthen its autonomous systems portfolio.

How BigBear.ai Compares with Closest Drone AI Rivals

BigBear.ai competes with AeroVironment and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in AI-enabled autonomous defense technologies, unmanned systems and mission software.

AeroVironment has established a strong position in tactical drones and loitering munitions, with deep relationships across the United States and allied defense agencies. However, AeroVironment primarily generates revenues from unmanned aircraft platforms, whereas BigBear.ai is differentiating itself through AI-driven mission software that can orchestrate fleets from multiple drone manufacturers using its ConductorOS platform. This vendor-agnostic approach could broaden adoption across diverse defense environments.

Kratos Defense is another important competitor with strengths in unmanned aerial systems, autonomous aircraft and defense technologies. While Kratos Defense has significant expertise in drone hardware and tactical platforms, BigBear.ai is concentrating on the software layer that enables a single operator to control multiple autonomous assets simultaneously while reducing cognitive workload. As military organizations increasingly emphasize interoperable, AI-powered mission management instead of standalone platforms, BigBear.ai's software-first strategy could provide a differentiated competitive advantage alongside AeroVironment and Kratos Defense.

BBAI’s Price Performance, Valuation & EPS Estimate Trend

Shares of BBAI have plunged 41.6% year to date (YTD), underperforming the Zacks Computers - IT Services industry.

BBAI stock is currently trading at a discount compared with the industry peers, with a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 9.62.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BBAI’s 2026 loss per share has widened in the past 30 days, as shown below. The estimated figure indicates a narrower loss from the year-ago loss of 82 cents per share.

BigBear.ai currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). 

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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