Business
Alphabet (GOOGL) Stock Dips Modestly as Investors Eye AI Spending and Q1 Earnings
Alphabet Inc. shares traded lower in early Thursday trading, pulling back from recent levels as Wall Street digested the tech giant’s strong fourth-quarter performance and ambitious plans for heavy artificial intelligence investments in 2026.
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As of mid-morning Eastern time on March 26, 2026, Alphabet’s Class A shares (GOOGL) were changing hands around $286, down roughly 1.5% from the previous close near $290.93. The stock has fluctuated between approximately $285 and $290 so far in the session, with volume on pace to exceed the daily average. For the week, shares are modestly lower after a mixed performance in recent sessions.
The Mountain View, California-based company, parent of Google, reported robust fiscal 2025 fourth-quarter results on Feb. 4. Revenue climbed 18% year-over-year to $113.8 billion, surpassing analyst expectations, while net income surged 30% to $34.5 billion. Earnings per share reached $2.82, beating forecasts of around $2.64.
For the full year 2025, Alphabet’s revenue topped $402.8 billion for the first time, up 15% from the prior year. Net income rose to $132.2 billion, with diluted EPS at $10.81. Operating margin held steady near 32%, even as the company absorbed a $2.1 billion stock-based compensation charge related to its Waymo autonomous driving unit.
Google Services, which includes Search, YouTube and subscriptions, drove much of the growth. Segment revenue increased 14% to $95.9 billion in the quarter, fueled by 17% growth in Google Search and other advertising, 9% gains in YouTube ads and strong subscription momentum. YouTube’s total revenue across ads and subscriptions exceeded $60 billion for the full year.
Google Cloud continued its rapid expansion, with revenue jumping 48% to $17.7 billion in the fourth quarter. The unit’s annual run rate surpassed $70 billion, powered by demand for AI infrastructure and enterprise solutions on Google Cloud Platform. CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted AI as a key growth driver across the business.
“AI investments and infrastructure are driving revenue and growth across the board,” Pichai said in the earnings release. He noted the launch of Gemini 3 as a milestone, with the Gemini app reaching over 750 million monthly active users and first-party models processing billions of tokens per minute.
The company also outlined aggressive capital spending plans for 2026, projecting $175 billion to $185 billion in capex — significantly above prior analyst estimates. Much of that will fund data centers and AI compute capacity to meet surging demand from cloud customers and internal needs.
Analysts largely viewed the results positively, though the elevated spending outlook raised questions about near-term margin pressure. Consensus remains a “Buy” rating, with average 12-month price targets around $350 to $367, implying potential upside of more than 20% from current levels. Some firms have targets as high as $420.
Alphabet’s balance sheet remains fortress-like. The company ended 2025 with about $126.8 billion in cash and marketable securities. It returned capital to shareholders through $5.5 billion in share repurchases and $2.5 billion in dividends in the fourth quarter. A quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share was paid, with the ex-dividend date in early March.
Short interest stands at roughly 80 million shares as of mid-March, representing about 1.4% of the float — relatively low for a mega-cap tech name. Days to cover hover around 2.8, suggesting limited immediate squeeze risk.
Shares have shown volatility in 2026, trading in a 52-week range of roughly $140.53 to $349. Market capitalization sits near $3.5 trillion. Year-to-date performance has been mixed amid broader tech sector rotations and concerns over high valuations in the artificial intelligence space. The stock’s beta around 1.1 indicates it moves roughly in line with the broader market.
The company’s core advertising business, which still accounts for the majority of revenue, benefits from its dominant position in search and video. Digital ad spending has remained resilient, though competition from platforms like TikTok and emerging AI-driven search tools continues to evolve the landscape. YouTube’s subscription growth, including YouTube Premium, has provided diversification.
Google Cloud’s momentum positions Alphabet as a key player in the hyperscale cloud market, competing with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Enterprise adoption of generative AI tools has accelerated demand for specialized infrastructure, where Alphabet claims advantages through its custom chips and integrated AI offerings.
Other Bets, including Waymo, continue to incur losses but represent long-term optionality in autonomous vehicles and moonshot projects. The $2.1 billion charge in the fourth quarter reflected a higher valuation for Waymo following an investment round.
Wall Street expects the next earnings report, covering the first quarter of 2026, around April 23. Analysts are modeling continued double-digit revenue growth, with particular focus on Google Cloud margins and the pace of AI-related capex deployment.
Challenges persist. Regulatory scrutiny remains a headwind, with ongoing antitrust cases in the U.S. and Europe potentially affecting search and advertising practices. The company also faces intensifying competition in AI from OpenAI, Anthropic and others, though its vast data resources and distribution through Google products provide a strong moat.
Broader economic factors, including interest rates and consumer spending, could influence ad budgets. Yet Pichai and the leadership team have emphasized AI as an “expansionary moment” for Search, where new features drive more usage rather than cannibalizing existing revenue.
For investors, Alphabet offers a blend of mature cash flow generation from advertising and high-growth exposure through cloud and AI. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio sits around 25, considered reasonable for a company with consistent earnings beats and strong free cash flow — $73.3 billion for full-year 2025.
Retail and institutional interest remains high, with the stock a core holding in many growth-oriented portfolios. Options activity often spikes around earnings, reflecting expectations for volatility.
As Alphabet prepares for its Q1 update, focus will likely center on whether AI monetization is accelerating as hoped and how the heavy 2026 investments will impact profitability in the near term versus long-term positioning.
The tech sector’s rotation in early 2026 has seen some profit-taking in high-flyers, but analysts generally see Alphabet as well-positioned for continued leadership in digital infrastructure and services.
GameStop-like meme dynamics are absent here; instead, moves are driven by fundamental execution in AI and cloud. With a massive cash pile, disciplined capital return and clear strategic direction under Pichai, Alphabet embodies the tension between today’s strong results and tomorrow’s heavy spending.
Investors will monitor technical support near $280 and resistance around $300 in the coming sessions.
Business
Equity MFs delivered over 8% return last week. Check top 9
Equity mutual funds saw a strong performance last week, with over 8% returns for the category. Among the top performers, international funds like Mirae Asset Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF FoF led the pack with an 8.49% gain.
Business
Weyerhaeuser Q1 2026 slides: EBITDA surges on climate deal

Weyerhaeuser Q1 2026 slides: EBITDA surges on climate deal
Business
Alarm.com Holdings, Inc. (ALRM) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Operator
Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Alarm.com First Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised today’s conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your speaker today, Matthew Zartman. Please go ahead.
Matthew Zartman
Vice President of Strategic Communications & Investor Relations
Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to Alarm.com’s First Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. Please note that this call is being recorded. Joining us today are Steve Trundle, our CEO; and Kevin Bradley, our CFO.
During today’s call, we will be making forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, estimates and other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. We refer you to the risk factors discussed in our Form 8-K and the associated press release, which were filed with the SEC earlier today. The call is subject to these risk factors, and we encourage you to review them.
Alarm.com assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements or other information that speak as of their respective dates. In addition, several non-GAAP financial measures will be discussed on the call. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures can be found in today’s press release on our
Business
Market Trading Guide: Buy Coforge and NBCC on Monday for near-term gains of up to 7%
Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities, said the mood has further deteriorated as the index also moved below the 50-day EMA on the intraday timeframe. In addition, the RSI has re-entered a bearish crossover on the daily chart, reflecting weakening momentum, he said.
“Overall, the sentiment appears weak, with heavy call writing visible around the 24,200 strike. If the Nifty sustains below 24,200 on Monday, the index could witness further correction towards the 24,050–24,000 zone. On the other hand, a move back above 24,200 may trigger a near-term recovery rally towards 24,350–24,400,” De said.
Here are the 2 stocks to buy:
Buy Coforge at Rs 1,368 | Upside: 7% | Stop Loss: Rs 1,320 | Target: Rs 1,420-1,460
Coforge Limited has witnessed a strong rebound from lower levels and recently given a breakout above the crucial Rs 1,330–1,350 resistance zone, supported by strong volumes. The stock is trading above short-term EMAs, while RSI has moved above 65, indicating improving bullish momentum. The breakout also signals a possible trend reversal after a prolonged corrective phase. A buy at CMP (Rs 1,365–1,370) can be considered with a stop loss near Rs 1,320. On the upside, the stock may head towards Rs 1,420–1,460 in the near term. Sustaining above Rs 1,330 will be important for the continuation of the positive momentum.
(Virat Jagad, Sr. Technical Research Analyst, at Bonanza Portfolio)
Buy NBCC (India) at Rs 101 | Upside: 7% | Stop Loss: Rs 97-98 | Target: Rs 104-108
NBCC (India) Limited is showing signs of a strong recovery after a prolonged correction, with the stock reclaiming all major EMAs and giving a breakout above the Rs 98–100 resistance zone. Rising volumes and RSI near 70 indicate strengthening bullish momentum. The stock has formed a higher high–higher low structure, suggesting continuation of the uptrend. A buy at CMP (Rs 100–101) can be considered with a stop loss near Rs 97–98. On the upside, the stock may head towards Rs 104–108 in the short term. Sustaining above the breakout zone of Rs 98 will remain crucial for maintaining the positive bias.
(Virat Jagad, Sr. Technical Research Analyst, at Bonanza Portfolio)
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Business
Chart Industries earnings up next as estimates slide

Chart Industries earnings up next as estimates slide
Business
Is KeyBank Down Today? Online Banking and App Hit by Widespread Outage on Busy Weekend
CLEVELAND — KeyBank customers across the United States encountered significant disruptions Saturday as the regional bank’s online banking platform and mobile app experienced a widespread outage, preventing many from accessing accounts, making transfers or completing routine transactions on a busy weekend. While core branch and ATM services remained operational, the digital banking failure frustrated thousands of users who reported login errors, frozen screens and failed fund transfers throughout the day.
Downdetector and other outage tracking sites showed a sharp spike in user reports beginning early Saturday morning, with the majority of complaints centered on the mobile app and online banking portal. As of Saturday evening, many services had partially recovered, but intermittent issues persisted for some customers, according to real-time monitoring data. KeyBank has not issued a detailed public explanation but confirmed it is actively working to restore full functionality.
A KeyBank spokesperson said in a statement: “We are aware of the technical issues impacting our digital banking services and apologize for any inconvenience. Our teams are working urgently to resolve the matter and restore normal access as quickly as possible.” The bank encouraged customers to use branch locations, ATMs or the automated phone system for urgent needs during the disruption.
The outage comes at an inconvenient time for many customers, with Mother’s Day weekend shopping, bill payments and travel-related transactions peaking. Social media platforms filled with complaints, memes and expressions of frustration from users unable to check balances or send payments. Some reported being locked out entirely, while others could log in but faced delays or error messages when attempting transfers or deposits.
Scope of the Disruption
Reports indicate the problems primarily affected online banking and the mobile app, with users unable to view account balances, pay bills, transfer funds or deposit checks remotely. ATM and in-branch services continued without major interruptions, though some customers noted longer-than-usual wait times at branches as people sought alternatives to digital channels. International wire transfers and certain business banking features were also impacted for a period.
KeyBank serves millions of customers primarily in the Northeast and Midwest, with a strong presence in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and other states. The outage appeared nationwide rather than regionally concentrated, suggesting a central system or cloud-related issue rather than a localized problem.
This is not the first time KeyBank has faced digital banking challenges. Similar, though shorter, disruptions occurred earlier in 2026, prompting the bank to invest in infrastructure upgrades. Industry analysts suggest that rapid growth in digital banking usage, combined with increasing cybersecurity threats, has strained legacy systems at several regional banks.
Customer Impact and Frustration
Many customers took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction. “Been trying to pay my rent for two hours — KeyBank app is completely down,” one user posted. Others expressed concern about time-sensitive payments, including mortgages, utilities and payroll deposits. Small business owners reported particular difficulty managing cash flow during the outage.
KeyBank’s customer service lines experienced longer hold times as callers sought assistance. The bank activated additional support staff and encouraged use of its automated systems where possible. Some users reported success using the website via desktop browsers when the app remained unresponsive.
Financial experts advise customers facing urgent needs to visit a physical branch with proper identification or use alternative payment methods such as cash, checks or services from other institutions if available. Once systems are fully restored, users should review account activity carefully for any delayed transactions.
Possible Causes and Technical Context
While KeyBank has not confirmed the root cause, industry observers point to several common triggers for such outages: scheduled maintenance gone wrong, cloud service provider issues, cybersecurity incidents or unexpected spikes in traffic. The timing on a Saturday — typically a lower-volume day — suggests it may have been related to backend maintenance or a third-party service failure.
Regional banks like KeyBank often rely on a mix of in-house systems and external vendors for digital platforms, increasing vulnerability to cascading failures. The increasing sophistication of cyber threats has also forced banks to implement frequent updates and patches, sometimes leading to unintended disruptions.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and state banking regulators monitor such incidents closely. While isolated outages are common in the industry, repeated or prolonged disruptions can trigger greater scrutiny and potential fines if customer harm is demonstrated.
KeyBank’s Response and Recovery Efforts
The bank has prioritized restoring mobile app functionality first, given its popularity among younger and on-the-go customers. Technical teams are conducting system-wide checks to prevent recurrence. Customers affected by delayed transactions or fees incurred due to the outage are encouraged to contact support for potential reimbursement once services normalize.
KeyBank has a history of transparent communication during technology issues and typically offers goodwill gestures such as waived fees for impacted customers. An official post-incident review is expected in the coming days.
Broader Implications for Digital Banking
This outage highlights the growing reliance on digital banking and the vulnerabilities that come with it. As more consumers shift away from branches, even brief disruptions can cause significant inconvenience. Banks across the country continue investing billions in cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure and redundant systems to minimize future risks.
For KeyBank specifically, the incident may accelerate plans for platform modernization. The bank has been expanding its digital offerings in recent years to compete with larger national players and fintech disruptors. Maintaining trust through reliable service remains critical in a competitive market.
Customers are advised to keep multiple access methods available — including desktop websites, mobile apps and phone banking — and to maintain up-to-date contact information with the bank. Setting up alerts for account activity can also help catch any delayed transactions quickly.
As services continue to recover Saturday evening, KeyBank urged patience and thanked customers for their understanding. Full restoration is expected within hours, though some residual delays in transaction processing may linger into Sunday.
The incident serves as a reminder of both the convenience and fragility of modern digital banking. While KeyBank works to resolve the current issues, customers and the broader industry will be watching closely to see how quickly and effectively the bank rebounds from this disruption.
Business
Sensex to hit 3 lakh by 2036? Raamdeo Agrawal says India is the ‘Ferrari’ among markets, here’s why
Speaking at Groww India Investor Festival 2026, the market veteran said that decades of compounding, rising financialisation and structural growth trends have built the strong foundation of the Indian market. “I have seen Sensex go from 100 to 80,000 in 40 years. For me to believe the journey will be any different over the next 40 years, there is no argument for that,” Agrawal said.
Markets in South Korea and Japan have recently seen sharp surges to record highs, while Dalal Street delivered comparatively muted returns. Many analysts highlighted that the strong earnings growth by several of these markets, thanks to the AI boom, is attracting FPI flows into those markets. Agrawal, however, reaffirmed that India’s long-term structural trajectory remains unmatched, while acknowledging that some regions are currently benefiting from an AI-led earnings cycle.
Drawing a comparison between India’s Sensex and South Korea’s KOSPI, both launched in January 1980, Agrawal pointed out that while the Korean benchmark index is at around 5,000 points today, the Sensex has climbed past 80,000. “Form may be temporary, but class is permanent. India is the way to go,” he said at the event.
The market expert highlighted that India’s market capitalisation has compounded at nearly 14% annually in dollar terms over the last two decades, compared with around 7% for the US market. “Every five to six years, you double. That is the pace,” he added.
Why India creates more multibaggers
The MOFSL Chairman said his investing philosophy has always focused on finding businesses operating in fast-growing industries within fast-growing economies. Referring to an internal study inspired by Thomas Phelps’ book ‘100 to 1 in the Stock Market’, Agrawal noted that nearly 20% of companies in the NSE 500 delivered over 25% annualised returns for a decade — effectively becoming 10-baggers. The comparable figure in the S&P 500, he said, stood at just around 7%.
“Multi-bagging happens where growth is fastest. You get the maximum multi-baggers in the country which is growing fastest and in the industry which is growing fastest,” he said. Vision, courage and patience are the three things that act as the formula for identifying outsized winners, according to the market veteran. “Whenever you are hitting a big one, you are mostly alone. You need conviction to stay with it,” he added.
Investors often underestimate how compounding works over long periods, Agrawal said, adding that in a stock that delivers 100x returns over two decades, a disproportionate amount of wealth creation typically happens in the final few years. “You sit through 19 years because most of the compounding comes in the 19th and 20th year,” he said.
The Bharti Airtel bet that shaped his investing career
Raamdeo Agrawal reminisced about his early investment in Bharti Airtel. In 2003, after studying the economics of network businesses and speaking with Sunil Bharti Mittal, the market expert became convinced that India’s mobile revolution would create enormous value.
At the time, India had only around 50 million fixed-line phones for a population of more than one billion. Agrawal estimated Bharti Airtel could generate Rs 27,000–28,000 crore in profits over the following five years, even though its market capitalisation was only around Rs 5,000 crore.
He bought Bharti Airtel’s shares at around Rs 19–30 apiece, despite scepticism from peers and friends. “I was alone all the way through,” he recalled. While he sold some shares early under pressure, he held on to a significant portion as the stock multiplied several times over. His final exit came years later at around Rs 650, translating into roughly a 25-fold return.
The next generation of winners
Agrawal pointed out that India’s expanding capital markets ecosystem can create the next wave of multi-baggers. “We are adding nearly 3 million new customers every month…We already have more than 220 million demat accounts. By 2031–32, we could reach 500–600 million,” he said.
Rising retail participation will create opportunities across brokers, exchanges, asset managers, wealth platforms and depositories, he said, admitting to missing out on the sharp rally in BSE despite understanding the sector deeply.
“The stock went up almost 50 times, and I did not make a single paisa,” he said with a laugh.
Today’s quick commerce momentum is similar to Bharti Airtel in 2003
Agrawal drew parallels between India’s quick commerce industry and the early days of telecom. He said the firms operating in the segment are still in the heavy cash-burn phase, but the underlying network effects could eventually create very large businesses.
“This is a Bharti moment,” he said, referring to the potential scale of India’s quick commerce opportunity. He cited comments from global retail executives, including leadership at Walmart, describing India’s quick commerce ecosystem as a glimpse into the future of retail.
What Raamdeo Agrawal avoids completely
Despite his appetite for growth, Agrawal said that he maintains strict filters while evaluating businesses. He avoids companies generating return on equity below 20% and pays close attention to receivables cycles as an indicator of business quality.
“If return on equity is 9 or 10%, I do not even want to enter the meeting,” he said, adding that management quality remains his biggest filter. “They will go to hell and take you along,” he said, referring to promoters with compromised governance standards.
Agrawal also stressed the importance of visiting factories and observing operations first-hand instead of relying solely on management presentations.
Sensex at 3 lakh by 2036?
Agrawal remained bullish on India’s long-term macroeconomic trajectory, projecting that per capita income could double over the next six to seven years. The market veteran expects Sensex to touch 1.5 lakh by 2030 and potentially 3 lakh by 2036, driven by sustained earnings growth and rising participation in financial assets. “Three lakh in 12 years is more guaranteed than one-and-a-half lakh in six years,” he said. “That is how compounding works,” he said at the event.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Business
Bonus issues, stock splits & dividends: SBI among 18 stocks turning ex-date this week. Do you own any?
Kothari Petrochemicals – Dividend
Kothari Petrochemicals has set May 11 (Monday) as the record date to determine shareholder eligibility for its interim dividend of Rs 1 per share (10%) with a face value of Rs 10 each. The dividend will be paid on or before June 3.
Manappuram Finance – Dividend
Manappuram Finance has set May 11 (Monday) as the record date to determine shareholder eligibility for its interim dividend of Rs 0.50 per share (25%) with a face value of Rs 2 each.
PAE – Dividend
PAE, whose core activity includes marketing and distributing automotive components, has set May 11 (Monday) as the record date to determine shareholder eligibility for its interim dividend of Rs 0.20 per share with a face value of Rs 10 each. Notably, the stock will also turn ex-record date for its 6:1 bonus issue on May 25.
Aptus Pharma – Bonus issue
Aptus Pharma has set May 12 (Tuesday) as the record date for its 3:2 bonus issue. This means that the shareholders who own the shares of the company as on the record date will get 3 bonus shares for every two shares held.
Godrej Consumer Products – Dividend
FMCG-major Godrej Consumer Products has fixed May 12 (Tuesday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its interim dividend of Rs 5 per share (500%) with a face value of Rs 1 each. The dividend will be paid on or before June 4.
NRB Bearings – Dividend
Needle roller bearing manufacturer NRB Bearings has fixed May 13 (Wednesday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its interim dividend of Rs 2.25 per share (112.5%) with a face value of Rs 1 each.
Brookfield India Real Estate Trust REIT – Dividend
Brookfield India Real Estate Trust REIT has fixed May 14 (Thursday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders set to receive its prospective dividend, which will be considered and approved by its board of directors during its meeting on Monday.
Oberoi Realty – Dividend
Oberoi Realty has fixed May 14 (Thursday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its fourth interim dividend of Rs 2 per share (20%) with a face value of Rs 10 each. The dividend will be paid on or before May 22.
Anand Rathi Wealth – Dividend
Anand Rathi Wealth has fixed May 15 (Friday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its interim dividend of Rs 7 per share.
Aptus Value Housing Finance India – Dividend
Aptus Value Housing Finance India has fixed May 15 (Friday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its second interim dividend of Rs 2.50 per share (125%) with a face value of Rs 2 each.
Biogen Pharmachem Industries – Bonus issue
Biogen Pharmachem Industries has fixed May 15 (Friday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders for its 1:6 bonus issue. The company had announced in April that it will issue “1 new equity shares of Rs.1 each for every 6 existing equity shares of Rs.1 each fully paid up”.
Dev Labtech Venture – Bonus issue, stock split
Dev Labtech Venture has set May 15 (Friday) as the record date for 1:1 bonus issue and 1:2 stock split. As part of the bonus issue, eligible shareholders will get one bonus share for every share held in the company as on the record date. As part of the stock split, each share of the company will be split into two shares.
Gopal Snacks – Dividend
Gopal Snacks has fixed May 16 (Saturday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its prospective third interim dividend which may be considered and approved by its board of directors during its meeting scheduled on Tuesday. As the record day falls on a weekend when markets are closed, May 15 will be the effective record date.
HBG Hotels – Dividend
HBG Hotels has fixed May 15 (Friday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its interim dividend of Rs 0.15 per share (1.5%).
IEX – Dividend
Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has fixed May 15 (Friday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its final dividend of Rs 2 per share with a face value of Rs 1 each.
Kennametal India
Kennametal India has fixed May 15 (Friday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its interim dividend of Rs 40 per share (400%).
Nexus Select Trust
Nexus Select Trust has fixed May 15 (Friday) as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive its prospective dividend that its board may consider and approve during its upcoming meeting this week.
State Bank of India
State Bank of India (SBI) declared a dividend of Rs 17.35 per equity share for the financial year ended March 31, 2026. The bank has fixed May 16 (Saturday) as the record date for determining the eligibility of shareholders entitled to receive the dividend. As the record date falls on a weekend when markets are closed, May 15 will be the effective record date. The dividend payment is scheduled to be made on June 4, 2026, the bank said in a regulatory filing on Friday.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Business
MrBeast and top creators turn to platform gurus
When wildlife TV personality Forrest Galante sat down for his monthly call with YouTube consultant Paddy Galloway, he received some bad news.
No more turtles.
Galante has 2.5 million YouTube subscribers. He’s been producing wildlife programming for more than a decade, including a docuseries on Animal Planet and a show on the History Channel. He owns his own production company. Generally speaking, Galante’s got a good feel for what his audience wants.
But it was Galloway, something of a guru in the still-burgeoning YouTube creator economy, who identified that whenever Galante showed turtles in his videos, viewer engagement dropped. It was consistent and significant.
“Maybe it’s just turtles are more commonplace and they’re kind of slow and they don’t really do much,” Galloway said in an interview. “We noticed three or four videos in a row, when Forrest was showing turtles, the viewers were just kind of disengaged, and they were leaving.”
This is the kind of insight that many of the most popular YouTube creators, including Jimmy Donaldson, known to the world as MrBeast, and sports creator Jesse Riedel, also known as Jesser, have paid Galloway to provide.
As YouTube creatorship cracks open millions, or potentially even billions, of dollars for the most-watched personalities, Galloway has made a name for himself as one of the best of a growing class of YouTube consultants — a bona fide YouTube whisperer.
“I think he’s an absolute genius,” said Galante.
“Super smart guy,” Riedel told CNBC.
“I don’t want to say Paddy has changed my life completely,” said Humphrey Yang, a former financial advisor whose YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers. “But he’s definitely helped a lot.”
YouTube’s media dominance
YouTube will showcase many of its top creators on Wednesday in New York City’s Lincoln Center for its annual upfront advertising presentation, which it calls Brandcast. Like YouTube’s influence in modern media, the event has grown in size and prestige every year as YouTube’s viewership share rises.
YouTube makes up 12.7% of all streaming in the U.S., according to Nielsen’s most recent “The Gauge” report. Netflix is second with 8.4%, followed by Disney with 5%.
Sixty-seven million people consider themselves online content creators, according to a 2025 Goldman Sachs report. That number could rise to more than 100 million by 2030, Goldman estimates.
About 10,000 U.S. YouTube channels have more than 1 million subscribers, according to a YouTube spokesperson. For many of these creators, YouTube can be a lucrative full-time job. But to make a business out of the largely free platform, videos need to get consistent clicks — preferably in the millions.
With YouTube’s recommendation algorithm constantly evolving, many creators have been turning to strategists to maintain success on the platform.
“From zero [subscribers] to 1 million, you don’t need it, but from 1 million to 10 million, or 1 million to 100 million, you definitely need a strategist,” Aniket Mishra, a YouTube growth strategist, told CNBC.
In recent years, videos best watched on TV, rather than on mobile devices, have surged in popularity as YouTube has taken over more and more connected-TV viewing, rivaling subscription streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
Creators say the Alphabet-owned platform has responded by favoring longer videos, often exceeding 30 minutes. That shift means higher production value and bigger investment from creators. It also means the potential to earn more money.
Since 2021, YouTube has paid out over $100 billion to creators, and an increasing share of that money is flowing to those producing content for bigger screens, YouTube said. The number of channels earning more than $100,000 from TV screens jumped 45% year over year, the company reported.
Regardless, success on the platform remains a simple task of getting viewers through the door, and these strategists maintain that they are the best equipped to optimize a creator’s videos.
“The reason people pay us top dollar is because we have been doing it for the longest, and we have the best success rate,” Galloway said. “Our average increase in views after a year — so, year-on-year after working with us — is 350%.”
The YouTube whisperer
Galloway’s interest in YouTube consulting began out of self-interest. He started posting YouTube videos of his own in 2006, just a year after the service first began, and wanted to figure out why certain videos went viral so his own could gain popularity, he told CNBC.
Within a few years, Galloway’s search for the ingredients of virality became the subject of his videos. He began creating self-dubbed “YouTube Masterclass” videos such as “How Peter McKinnon gained 1 million subscribers in under 1 year” and “Here’s How Mr Beast BLEW UP – How He Grew His YouTube Channel.”
YouTube personality Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, arrives for the 36th Annual Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on March 4, 2023.
Michael Tran | Afp | Getty Images
Galloway grew his channel to about 500,000 subscribers, and the videos got Donaldson’s attention. Galloway began working directly for Donaldson, providing him with strategy ideas. Donaldson is now the undisputed king of YouTube with 483 million subscribers.
Galloway worked with Riedel from 2021 through January of this year, encouraging him to change his focus from daily vlogs to bigger concept ideas that pulled in more viewers.
“He was like, ‘You need to make videos that anybody can enjoy,’” Riedel said. “A lot of my videos were personal joke after personal joke. Right in the intro, if you watched it and you didn’t know me or my jokes, you’d be like, ‘What am I watching?’”
After years of plateauing at roughly 3 million subscribers, Riedel saw his subscriber number begin to soar. Today, Riedel is the largest sports-focused creator on YouTube with more than 41 million subscribers.
Content creator Jesser attends a game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Jan. 15, 2025.
Juan Ocampo | National Basketball Association | Getty Images
Galloway’s secrets often center around two simple concepts: headline and thumbnail image.
“We will deliberate a title — just one title — for like 30 minutes,” said Yang, who’s worked with Galloway since early 2022. “Changing a couple of the words in the title can have a huge impact on how the actual video does.”
Galloway has a staff of seven people who analyze what’s working on YouTube and how to create the best content target to perform well on the platform. He also owns three other companies, including one, Upright Media, that helps with the production and editing of videos.
Galloway’s largest clients have daily Slack communication with his team to discuss thumbnails and to run detailed diagnostics of video performance.
What’s the return on investment?
At his peak, Galloway said, he had a waitlist of 5,000 people and was only able to work with about 10 clients at a time.
His services aren’t cheap.
Paddy Galloway.
Courtesy: Paddy Galloway
Galloway typically charges flat fees for his work “starting in the $15,000 a month range” he said, though rates can go “considerably higher” depending on the project. That price gets clients full-time service — “in the weeds with you every day,” he said.
“It was like, ‘Oh my god, we’re paying this big amount of money for this unknown factor, will we ever get a return?” said Galante, of the turtle-light wildlife videos.
Strategist Mishra said he works primarily with business owners who have built YouTube channels around their products or services. He said he charges between $1,500 and $12,000 a month, depending on how much work he takes on, and said the creators who hire him have already figured out the basics on their own and hit a ceiling.
Mishra said his advice is often to study what is already working in a certain niche and replicate it.
American wildlife biologist Forrest Galante watches a wild crocodile caught in a motorcycle tire on the Palu River, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, March 11, 2020.
Mohamad Hamzah | Nurphoto | Getty Images
“Copy with taste,” he said. “It’s very important that you have some kind of unique angle, but make sure the formatting of the videos, the pacing and everything else is similar to an outlier idea that is already proven in the niche.”
And while these strategists can’t promise guaranteed subscribers or views, they say their value lies in familiarity with what the platform rewards.
“What I do is I promise you knowledge, and hopefully with enough knowledge, growth comes next,” said Mario Joos, who spent nearly three years as retention director for MrBeast. “The algorithm will just reward what people want to watch.”
Though the highest level of advisory services can run into the thousands of dollars, an initial call with a YouTube coach can cost as little as $250, Joos said. He described the next level of service as “consultant” — someone who is providing advice but not actually helping a creator implement it. That’s Joos’ role today, he said.
The final rung is pure strategist — a role Joos had when he was working with MrBeast, he said, and the rung Galloway falls into.
“Now it’s not just like you’re telling the creator to execute on the knowledge. You are applying the knowledge,” said Joos. “You leave notes on videos. You go through the ideation process. And when there’s 100 ideas on the table, you look into them, you think about them, and you may even come up with the ideas. So that’s what a strategist does there. They have expertise.”
YouTube’s evolving trends
For YouTube’s most popular creators, the platform offers some consultant-like services for free, including thumbnail art guidance, guest ideas and suggestions for video introductions, according to Reed Fernandez, a strategic partner manager for YouTube’s top creators since 2021.
Fernandez is one of several hundred strategic partner managers for YouTube around the world who focus on the top 10% of YouTube creators. Fernandez’s specific team works with about 100 creators in the U.S., he said. Some of his clients include Brittany Broski, Dude Perfect and Alix Earle.
Brittany Broski at VidCon 2022 in Anaheim, California, June 23, 2022.
David Livingston | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Fernandez’s team typically approaches the creators it wants to help, based on perceived growth opportunity on the platform, Fernandez said. That makes the partnership beneficial for both YouTube and the individual creator, boosting overall engagement on the site.
“We’re looking for things like: Do we see them growing a lot year over year? We think they’re a big bet that we should try to put our full force behind to help them succeed on the platform,” said Fernandez.
Beyond consultant services, YouTube also connects some of these creators with speaking events and press junkets to extend reach and boost awareness.
Fernandez’s team can also offer insider tips on monetization, he said. He used the example of a creator whose videos were consistently just under the 8-minute threshold to qualify for mid-roll advertisements. Making their videos just 30 seconds longer, he told the creator, could make a significant difference in their earnings.
But even with YouTube’s internal support, many creators still turn to outside strategists to go deeper on the technical side.
When a viewer clicks on a YouTube video, watches it through, shares it or leaves a comment, YouTube registers that as a positive signal of interest. Videos that consistently generate those responses get surfaced more broadly and pushed onto the homepage, into recommendations and in front of new audiences.
Joos said his expertise sits specifically in retention, understanding not just whether a video performs, but exactly when viewers stop watching and why.
YouTube Studio, the backend dashboard that gives creators detailed statistics on their content, includes a retention chart that tracks audience drop-off. YouTube strategists use that data to inform everything from pacing decisions to keeping the viewer engaged until the end of the video.
Gabriel Leblanc-Picard, co-founder of Upload Strategy and the former head of ideation for MrBeast, said simplicity is the most reliable formula for success on the platform.
“Dim it down to like, if a 6-year-old could understand it,” he said. “People don’t want to watch something that is complicated, even the language that you use.”
During his time at MrBeast, Leblanc-Picard said he filtered through roughly 10,000 ideas, constantly looking for concepts that could expand the channel’s audience. One challenge he was given: Attract more female viewers to a channel whose fanbase he described as mostly “11-year-old boys.”
His answer was to develop a video about being stranded in the woods with an ex-girlfriend.
A video titled “Survive 30 Days Stranded With Your Ex, Win $250,000” was posted in March and has already surpassed 120 million views.
“At the end of the day, you’re making content for people,” Leblanc-Picard said. “The algorithm will reward what people want to watch.”
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