‘Shocked’ EU reaction to White House Zelensky meeting sends defense stocks soaring
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 03 2025
0mins
Should l Buy AM?
Source: MarketWatch
Market Reaction: President Trump and Vice President Vance's criticism of Ukrainian President Zelensky led to a significant rise in European defense stocks, marking one of the best days for the sector in years.
Stock Performance: Major defense companies such as Rheinmetall, BAE Systems, Leonardo, Dassault Aviation, and Hensoldt experienced double-digit percentage gains following the incident.
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Analyst Views on AM
Wall Street analysts forecast AM stock price to fall
2 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
1 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Sell
Current: 20.440
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Current: 20.440
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About AM
Antero Midstream Corporation is a midstream energy company. The Company owns, operates and develops midstream gathering, compression, processing and fractionation assets located in the Appalachian Basin, as well as integrated water assets that primarily service Antero Resources Corporation’s (Antero Resources) properties. The Company’s assets consist of gathering systems and compression facilities, water handling and blending facilities and interests in processing and fractionation plants. The Company’s segments include gathering and processing and water handling. The gathering and processing segment includes a network of gathering pipelines and compressor stations that collect and process production from Antero Resources’ wells in the Appalachian Basin, as well as equity in earnings from its investments in the Joint Venture and Stonewall. The water handling segment includes two independent systems that deliver water from sources and other fluid handling services.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.

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- Strong Financial Performance: EBITDA grew 7% year-over-year in 2025, reaching $285 million, marking the 11th consecutive year of growth since the 2014 IPO, demonstrating the company's success in capital-efficient organic growth and throughput enhancement.
- Significant Increase in Free Cash Flow: Free cash flow after dividends reached $325 million in 2025, a 30% increase, allowing the company to reduce leverage to 2.7x and repurchase approximately $48 million in shares, thereby enhancing financial stability.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Management forecasts adjusted EBITDA exceeding $1.2 billion in 2026, an 8% year-over-year increase, with free cash flow projected at $360 million, an 11% increase, while maintaining a balanced return of capital program to ensure a strong balance sheet within a low 3x leverage range.
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- HG Midstream Acquisition: Antero Midstream completed the $1.1 billion acquisition of HG Midstream, adding over 400 highly economic undeveloped locations that will immediately compete for development projects in 2026, thereby enhancing the company's competitive position in the Marcellus Shale.
- Sustained EBITDA Growth: In 2025, Antero Midstream achieved a 7% EBITDA growth, marking the eleventh consecutive year of growth since its 2014 IPO, while free cash flow after dividends increased by 30%, reflecting improved capital efficiency.
- 2026 Capital Budget: The company plans to invest between $190 million and $220 million in 2026, covering routine and growth-oriented projects, particularly expenditures related to integrating acquired assets, which are expected to enhance downstream deliverability in the dry gas segment.
- Future Growth Expectations: Antero Midstream forecasts EBITDA exceeding $1.2 billion in 2026, an 8% year-over-year increase, with a planned $360 million in free cash flow after dividends, indicating the company's ability to sustain shareholder returns while maintaining low leverage.
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- Strong Financial Performance: Antero Midstream reported Q4 2025 revenues of $297 million, a 3.3% increase year-over-year, with the Gathering and Processing segment contributing $241 million, indicating stable growth in core operations.
- Cash Flow Growth: The adjusted free cash flow for 2025 was $192 million, showing a decline from 2024, but the company anticipates achieving $755 to $815 million in free cash flow for 2026, reflecting future capital efficiency and financial health.
- Capital Expenditure Plans: The 2026 capital budget is projected to be between $190 million and $220 million, with approximately $145 million allocated for gathering and compression infrastructure, aimed at enhancing downstream deliverability of dry gas assets and strengthening market competitiveness.
- Share Repurchase Strategy: In Q4 2025, Antero Midstream repurchased 2.7 million shares for $48 million, demonstrating a commitment to shareholder returns, while as of December 31, 2025, the remaining repurchase capacity stood at $336 million, boosting market confidence.
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- Earnings Announcement Date: Antero Midstream is set to release its Q4 earnings on February 11 after market close, with a consensus EPS estimate of $0.27, reflecting a 3.8% year-over-year growth, indicating stability in profitability.
- Revenue Expectations: The anticipated revenue for Q4 is $291.82 million, representing a 1.5% year-over-year increase, which highlights the company's ongoing growth potential in the natural gas sector despite market fluctuations.
- Historical Performance Review: Over the past two years, Antero Midstream has only beaten EPS estimates 25% of the time while surpassing revenue estimates 63% of the time, indicating challenges in managing market expectations.
- Estimate Revision Dynamics: In the last three months, EPS estimates have seen no upward revisions and two downward adjustments, while revenue estimates experienced one upward and one downward revision, suggesting a cautious market outlook on the company's future performance.
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- Antero Midstream's Consistent Dividends: Antero Midstream declared a cash dividend of $0.225 per share for Q4 2025, or $0.90 annualized, marking the 45th consecutive quarterly dividend since its IPO in November 2014, showcasing its stable financial performance.
- Tanger Dividend Declaration: Tanger announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.2925 per share, payable on February 13, 2026, reflecting its ongoing profitability in the retail market and commitment to shareholders.
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- Earnings Release Schedule: Antero Resources plans to issue its Q4 2025 earnings on February 11, 2026, after NYSE trading closes, which is expected to provide crucial financial and operational insights for investors assessing the company's performance.
- Conference Call Details: The company will hold a conference call on February 12, 2026, at 9:00 AM MT to discuss the earnings results, followed by a brief Q&A session, enhancing interaction with analysts and improving transparency.
- Participation Instructions: Investors wishing to join the call can dial 877-407-9079 (U.S.) or 201-493-6746 (International) and reference “Antero Resources” to ensure smooth access, facilitating the acquisition of the latest information.
- Webcast Replay Availability: The live webcast of the call will be available on Antero's website, with replays accessible until February 19, 2026, ensuring that investors who cannot participate live can still obtain important information, thereby enhancing information accessibility.
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