Shares moved in after-hours trading as a handful of high-profile earnings reports sparked notable price action. FedEx Corp rose about 9% after the bell as fiscal third-quarter results topped Wall Street expectations and the company raised its full-year earnings guidance, according to CNBC’s market coverage. The Memphis-based logistics giant posted $5.25 in earnings per share, excluding items, on revenue of $24 billion, versus consensus estimates of $4.09 per share on $23.43 billion in revenue. The strong showing underscored improving profitability and a healthier demand backdrop for parcels, setting the stage for potential further upside in the logistics complex.
Planet Labs PBC, the satellite imagery company, climbed roughly 19% after reporting fourth-quarter results that beat expectations. The company said it broke even on an adjusted basis for the quarter, while first-quarter and full-year revenue guidance also exceeded forecasts. The better-than-expected quarter and the above-consensus outlook highlight a continued appetite for high-frequency imagery and data analytics, according to CNBC’s post-market notes.
Firefly Aerospace also moved higher, gaining about 8% after fourth-quarter results exceeded forecasts. The space transportation company reported revenue of $57.7 million and an adjusted loss of 38 cents per share, excluding items, versus consensus expectations of a 49-cent loss on $52.4 million in revenue, according to FactSet data cited in the report.
Scholastic, the publisher and educator-focused content company, rose about 9% after reporting a third-quarter loss that was smaller than feared. The company posted an adjusted loss of 15 cents per share, versus an expected loss of 37 cents per share per FactSet estimates.
Key takeaways
- FedEx – Shares surged about 9% after-hours after earnings and revenue beat, with the company also raising full-year earnings guidance.
- Planet Labs – Stock jumped ~19% on a Q4 beat and upbeat revenue guidance for the upcoming periods.
- Firefly Aerospace – The stock advanced ~8% as revenue beat and a narrower loss beat expectations, supporting views on its growth trajectory in space transport.
- Scholastic – Up roughly 9% after a smaller-than-forecast loss, helping ease investor concerns around the company’s profitability path.
- Overall, the moves reflect a mixed earnings landscape where some smaller and growth-oriented names are delivering upside surprises and guiding higher, while others still face profitability questions.
What drove the move
FedEx benefited from a combination of factors, primarily a better-than-expected quarterly performance and an explicit upgrade to full-year earnings guidance. The results imply stronger profitability or cost discipline across its networks, alongside resilient demand for shipping services that can support margin improvement as the year progresses.
Planet Labs benefited from a fourth-quarter outcome that exceeded expectations, with investors also parsing the forward-looking guidance. An adjusted breakeven for the quarter reduces near-term profitability concerns, while the improved revenue outlook for the first quarter and full year signals continued demand for its satellite imagery and data services.
Firefly Aerospace delivered a revenue beat and a smaller loss than expected, a combination that can attract attention in the early-stage space sector where the path to sustained profitability remains a key focus. The better-than-forecast top-line figure helps frame the company’s longer-term program execution and potential scale.
Scholastic demonstrated progress toward profitability by reporting a smaller loss than anticipated, which can alleviate some anxiety around its ability to monetize content and expand under evolving education technology trends.
Market reaction
In after-hours trading, FedEx traded higher, lifting sentiment around traditional logistics operators that have struggled at times with margin pressure and demand volatility. Planet Labs’ nearly 20% advance reflected enthusiasm for its growth trajectory and the upside from continued satellite data monetization. Firefly and Scholastic also moved higher, capturing investor interest in the broader themes of space infrastructure and education publishing, respectively. The magnitude of moves underscores how earnings timing and guidance can quickly reprice stocks after the close, even when market liquidity is thinner.
What analysts are saying
Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected FedEx to deliver about $4.09 in earnings per share on roughly $23.43 billion in revenue for the quarter. The actual results, coupled with a raised earnings outlook, may prompt closer scrutiny of whether the momentum is sustainable across the balance of the fiscal year and into peak shipping season.
Firefly’s results were framed against a consensus that called for a larger loss per share while revenue was forecast at about $52.4 million. The reported numbers point to progress on cost control and program execution, though investors will remain focused on long-term path to profitability and contract visibility.
Scholastic faced consensus estimates of a roughly 37-cent loss for the quarter; an adjusted loss of 15 cents beat that forecast and could be viewed as a sign of stabilization in some of the company’s core education channels, depending on how demand and pricing evolve.
Overall, the data show a mixed bag for earnings season so far, with some players showing meaningful upside versus expectations and others delivering more modest improvements. The dispersion highlights sector-specific dynamics and the ongoing challenge of forecasting profitability for smaller, high-growth names alongside industrials and traditional consumer businesses.
Bigger picture
The earnings tape in the near term continues to shape risk sentiment as investors weigh a combination of corporate profit vitality, guidance revisions, and the pace of the economic cycle. The Fed’s stance on rates—along with any incoming inflation data and macro indicators—remains a backdrop for equity volatility. In this environment, earnings beats and improved guidance can help support stock prices, particularly for companies with long-term growth theses or improving operating leverage. The reaction in after-hours trading suggests that investors are assigning value to concrete progress on profitability and forward-looking targets, even as the broader market contends with macro uncertainty.
Looking ahead, traders will be watching for fresh guidance updates and earnings from other companies to gauge whether the post-earnings impulse can sustain across sectors. Key catalysts include upcoming earnings releases, potential guidance revisions, and any new color on cost savings, pricing power, or demand trends that could influence multiple industries—from logistics to space technology to education content providers.
What to watch next: continued earnings reports in the coming days, any updates to guidance from the named companies, and macro data that could influence rate expectations and risk appetite. Investors will seek clarity on whether today’s beats translate into durable earnings power and higher, sustained valuations.
