Stock Markets May 21, 2026 04:36 PM

After-hours movers lift a range of sectors as earnings and guidance reshape outlooks

Earnings beats, product timing confirmations and strategic decisions drive after-hours gains for several mid- and large-cap names

By Priya Menon WDAY ROST EL DECK TTWO

After the market closed, a number of companies across software, retail, consumer goods, gaming and communications posted results or released corporate updates that pushed their shares higher. Notable moves included Workday, Ross Stores, Estée Lauder, Deckers, Take-Two Interactive, Zoom and Webull Corp, with gains driven by earnings beats, margin and revenue outlooks, corporate strategy announcements and a confirmed release date for a major game title.

After-hours movers lift a range of sectors as earnings and guidance reshape outlooks
WDAY ROST EL DECK TTWO

Key Points

  • Workday beat Q1 estimates with EPS of $2.66 and revenue of $2.54 billion, and raised fiscal 2027 adjusted operating margin outlook to 30.5% while reaffirming subscription revenue guidance of $9.93 billion to $9.95 billion - impacts enterprise software and cloud subscription economics.
  • Ross Stores beat Q1 EPS estimates, reported $6 billion in revenue, and raised full-year EPS guidance to $7.50-$7.74 - impacts retail and consumer discretionary sectors.
  • Este9e Lauder ended merger talks with Puig and will proceed independently under its "Beauty Reimagined" strategy; Deckers, Take-Two, Zoom and Webull also moved after earnings or corporate updates - impacts consumer goods, gaming, communications, and fintech markets.

Stocks across multiple sectors moved in after-hours trading following quarterly results, strategic decisions and product-timing confirmations from a set of widely followed companies.

Workday (WDAY) climbed 6% after reporting fiscal first-quarter results that exceeded analyst expectations. The enterprise software company posted EPS of $2.66 on revenues of $2.54 billion. Management also updated its fiscal 2027 outlook, raising the companys adjusted operating margin projection to 30.5% while reiterating a subscription revenue target of $9.93 billion to $9.95 billion.

Apparel retailer Ross Stores (ROST) jumped 9% after a strong fiscal first quarter. The company reported EPS of $2.02, beating estimates by $0.31, and generated revenues of $6 billion. On the back of the quarters momentum, Ross raised its full-year EPS guidance to a range of $7.50 to $7.74 and provided a positive outlook for the second quarter.

Este9e Lauder (EL) shares surged 15% following an announcement that the company has ended all merger and business combination talks with Puig. With the discussions concluded, the cosmetics company said it will continue independently, expressing confidence in its existing standalone strategy, called "Beauty Reimagined."

Deckers Brands (DECK) saw shares rise 4% after reporting fourth-quarter results that outpaced estimates. The company posted EPS of $0.96 on revenue of $1.12 billion. Management supplemented the quarter with an upbeat fiscal 2027 outlook, forecasting revenue and EPS slightly above Wall Street expectations.

Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO) was up 8% after the publisher confirmed a release date for its highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, setting the launch for November 19. The market reaction to the launch confirmation outweighed mixed fourth-quarter financials; however, Take-Twos initial fiscal 2027 net bookings guidance of $8.00 billion to $8.20 billion came in well below the $9.11 billion consensus estimate.

Zoom Video Communications (ZM) rose 4% after delivering a clean first-quarter performance. The company reported EPS of $1.55 and revenue of $1.24 billion, both ahead of expectations. Zoom also raised its full-year 2027 forecast, guiding revenue and profitability above consensus estimates.

Webull Corp (BULL) ticked up 2% after-hours despite a softer quarterly report. The digital brokerage reported Q1 EPS of $0.03 and revenues of $159.93 million, missing Wall Street expectations on both measures.


Sector implications - The after-hours moves touched multiple areas of the market: enterprise software and cloud subscription economics for Workday; off-price retail sales and consumer discretionary demand for Ross Stores; luxury and beauty strategy for Este9e Lauder; performance footwear and outdoor apparel for Deckers; interactive entertainment and content-timing effects for Take-Two; enterprise communications for Zoom; and digital brokerage results for Webull.

What to watch next - Market participants will likely follow how the raised outlooks from Workday and Zoom translate into full-year results, whether Rosss stronger guidance holds through the shopping seasons, and how Take-Twos bookings guidance evolves relative to the confirmed product launch.

Risks

  • Take-Twos initial fiscal 2027 net bookings guidance of $8.00 billion to $8.20 billion was well below the $9.11 billion consensus estimate, introducing uncertainty for the interactive entertainment sector.
  • Webull reported Q1 EPS of $0.03 and revenue of $159.93 million, missing expectations on both counts, which raises questions about near-term performance in the digital brokerage segment.
  • Several companies provided forward-looking guidance or strategy updates; any future execution shortfalls relative to the raised outlooks from Workday, Ross Stores, Deckers or Zoom could weigh on their respective sectors.

More from Stock Markets

S&P Global Upholds Fast-Entry Rules Ahead of SpaceX Public Debut Jun 4, 2026 Insperity Shares Climb After CEO Buys 233,000 Shares Jun 4, 2026 SpaceX Signals Firmness on $135 IPO Price as Roadshow Begins Jun 4, 2026 CME Chief Warns CFTC Approval of Perpetual Crypto Futures Could Create Systemic Risk Jun 4, 2026 AmperCap Raises $125 Million in NASDAQ Listing as It Targets U.S.-Mexico Middle-Market Deals Jun 4, 2026