Stock Markets February 23, 2026

After-hours movers show mixed reactions as guidance, beats and misses drive flows

Late trading activity highlights divergent responses to results and forward-looking targets across health, retail, tech and defense stocks

By Hana Yamamoto HIMS BBBY MYGN KEYS EVER
After-hours movers show mixed reactions as guidance, beats and misses drive flows
HIMS BBBY MYGN KEYS EVER

A group of companies including Hims & Hers Health, Bed Bath & Beyond, Myriad Genetics, Keysight Technologies, EverQuote and Kratos Defense posted varied after-hours moves as earnings and guidance diverged from analyst expectations. Stock reactions tracked whether companies topped revenue and EPS estimates or issued forward guidance that missed market forecasts.

Key Points

  • Guidance drove many after-hours moves - companies that issued forward targets below consensus saw share price pressure despite some delivering revenue or EPS beats.
  • Sectors impacted include healthcare and biotech (HIMS, MYGN), consumer retail (BBBY), technology and measurement equipment (KEYS), insurance lead generation (EVER), and defense contractors (KTOS).
  • Top-line beats alone were not always sufficient to sustain gains if near-term guidance failed to meet analyst expectations.

After the regular session, several companies registered notable price moves as investors parsed quarterly results and forward guidance. Market participants reacted differently depending on whether a company beat revenue or earnings expectations or issued forward projections that diverged from consensus.

Hims & Hers Health (HIMS) slipped 2% following results that matched quarterly expectations but guidance that left operating profit below estimates. Management projected 2026 Adjusted EBITDA of $300 million to $375 million, compared with the street estimate of $370.8 million.

Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) climbed 3.7% after reporting quarterly revenue of $273.4 million, ahead of the consensus estimate of $262.94 million. The top-line beat drove the post-close uptick in the share price.

Myriad Genetics (MYGN) posted a strong after-hours gain, rising 18% after reporting better-than-expected EPS and revenue for the final quarter of 2025. The magnitude of the move reflected the combination of both earnings and sales outperformance.

Keysight Technologies (KEYS) advanced 14% after its results and guidance came in well above analysts' forecasts. Keysight sees fiscal 2026 revenue of $1.69 billion to $1.71 billion, versus the consensus estimate of $1.51 billion.

EverQuote (EVER) fell 4% despite delivering robust fourth-quarter results; the company issued guidance that disappointed investors. Revenue for the quarter totaled $195.3 million, above the consensus estimate of $176.82 million, but EverQuote cautioned that first-quarter 2026 revenue is expected to be $175 million to $185 million compared with the consensus of $192.9 million.

Kratos Defense (KTOS) was down 3% after releasing mixed fourth-quarter results and guidance. The company's fourth-quarter revenue came in at $345.1 million, beating the consensus estimate of $327.63 million, while guidance for first-quarter 2026 revenue of $335 million to $345 million trailed the consensus of $346.9 million.


This after-hours session illustrated the market's sensitivity to forward guidance as much as to reported quarterly performance. Companies that paired beats with constructive guidance drew stronger positive reactions, while otherwise solid results were weighed down when forward targets disappointed relative to consensus.

Risks

  • Forward guidance shortfalls may weigh on near-term share performance for companies even when quarterly revenue or EPS beat estimates - relevant to all sectors mentioned.
  • Mixed signals from results and guidance can increase volatility in after-hours trading, particularly for mid-cap technology and defense names.
  • Revenue guidance that falls short of consensus poses a risk to short-term investor sentiment and could impact capital allocation decisions across affected sectors.

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