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Broadcom Inc. Announces Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Results and Quarterly Dividend

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Revenue of $22,187 million for the second quarter, up 48 percent from the prior year periodGAAP net income of $9,310 million for the second quarter; Non-GAAP net income of $12,074 million for the second quarterAdjusted EBITDA of $15,244 million for the second quarter, or 69 percent of revenueGAAP diluted EPS of $1.91 for the second quarter; Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $2.44 for the second quarterCash from operations of $10,493 million for the second quarter, less capital expenditures of $231 million, resulted in $10,262 million of free cash flow, or 46 percent of revenueQuarterly common stock dividend of $0.65 per shareThird quarter fiscal year 2026 revenue guidance of approximately $29.4 billion, an increase of 84 percent from the prior year periodThird quarter fiscal year 2026 Non-GAAP operating income guidance of approximately 67 percent of projected revenue (1)Third quarter fiscal year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance of approximately 68 percent of projected revenue (1)

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Broadcom Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGO), a global technology leader that designs, develops and supplies semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions, today reported financial results for its second quarter of fiscal year 2026, ended May 3, 2026, provided guidance for its third quarter of fiscal year 2026 and announced its quarterly dividend.

“Broadcom achieved record revenue, operating profit and free cash flow in Q2 driven by accelerating growth in AI semiconductor revenue and strong operating leverage. Q2 semiconductor revenue from AI of $10.8 billion grew 143% year-over-year, above our forecast, driven by increasing demand for custom AI accelerators and AI networking,” said Hock Tan, President and CEO of Broadcom Inc. “The momentum continues and in Q3 we expect semiconductor revenue from AI to grow over 200 percent year-over-year to $16.0 billion.” 

“Q2 consolidated revenue grew 48% year-over-year to a record $22.2 billion. Adjusted EBITDA increased 52% year-over-year to a record $15.2 billion, representing 69% of revenue,” said Kirsten Spears, CFO of Broadcom Inc. “In Q3 we expect consolidated revenue growth to increase 84% year-over-year to $29.4 billion, with non-GAAP operating margin stable at 67% reflecting our strong operating leverage.” 

(1) The Company is not readily able to provide a reconciliation of projected non-GAAP financial measures presented to the relevant projected GAAP measures without unreasonable effort.

Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Highlights

GAAP

Non-GAAP

(Dollars in millions, except per share data)

Q2 26

Q2 25

Change  

Q2 26

Q2 25

Change  

Net revenue

$

22,187

$

15,004

+48

%

$

22,187

$

15,004

+48

%

Net income

$

9,310

$

4,965

+88

%

$

12,074

$

7,787

+55

%

Earnings per common share – diluted

$

1.91

$

1.03

+85

%

$

2.44

$

1.58

+54

%

(Dollars in millions)

Q2 26

Q2 25

Change

Cash flow from operations                                             

$

10,493

$

6,555

+60

%

Adjusted EBITDA

$

15,244

$

10,001

+52

%

Free cash flow

$

10,262

$

6,411

+60

%

Net revenue by segment

(Dollars in millions)

Q2 26

Q2 25

Change  

Semiconductor solutions                                             

$

15,009

68

%

$

8,408

56

%

+79

%

Infrastructure software

7,178

32

6,596

44

+9

%

Total net revenue

$

22,187

100

%

$

15,004

100

%

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents at the end of the fiscal quarter were $19,628 million, compared to $14,174 million at the end of the prior fiscal quarter.

During the second fiscal quarter, the Company generated $10,493 million in cash from operations and spent $231 million on capital expenditures, resulting in $10,262 million of free cash flow.

On March 31, 2026, the Company paid a cash dividend of $0.65 per share, totaling $3,092 million.

The differences between the Company’s GAAP and non-GAAP results are described generally under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below and presented in detail in the financial reconciliation tables attached to this release.

Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Business Outlook

Based on current business trends and conditions, the outlook for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, ending August 2, 2026, is expected to be as follows:

Third quarter revenue guidance of approximately $29.4 billion;Third quarter non-GAAP operating income guidance of approximately 67 percent of projected revenue;Third quarter Adjusted EBITDA guidance of approximately 68 percent of projected revenue.

The guidance provided above is only an estimate of what the Company believes is realizable as of the date of this release. The Company is not readily able to provide a reconciliation of projected non-GAAP financial measures to the relevant projected GAAP measures without unreasonable effort. Actual results will vary from the guidance and the variations may be material. The Company undertakes no intent or obligation to publicly update or revise any of these projections, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Quarterly Dividends

The Board of Directors of Broadcom has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.65 per share. The dividend is payable on June 30, 2026 to stockholders of record at the close of business (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on June 22, 2026.

Financial Results Conference Call

Broadcom Inc. will host a conference call to review its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 and to discuss the business outlook today at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

To Listen via Internet: The conference call can be accessed live online in the Investors section of the Broadcom website at https://investors.broadcom.com/.

Replay: An audio replay of the conference call can be accessed for one year through the Investors section of Broadcom’s website at https://investors.broadcom.com/.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The non-GAAP measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. When possible, a reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP financial data is included in the supplemental financial data attached to this press release. The Company is not readily able to provide a reconciliation of projected non-GAAP measures to the comparable GAAP measures without unreasonable effort. Broadcom believes non-GAAP financial information provides additional insight into the Company’s on-going performance. Therefore, Broadcom provides this information to investors for a more consistent basis of comparison and to help them evaluate the results of the Company’s on-going operations and enable more meaningful period to period comparisons.   

In addition to GAAP reporting, Broadcom provides investors with net income, operating income, gross margin, operating expenses, cash flow and other data on a non-GAAP basis. This non-GAAP information excludes amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring and other charges, acquisition-related costs, including integration costs, non-GAAP tax reconciling adjustments, and other adjustments. Management does not believe that these items are reflective of the Company’s underlying performance. Internally, these non-GAAP measures are significant measures used by management for purposes of evaluating the core operating performance of the Company, establishing internal budgets, calculating return on investment for development programs and growth initiatives, comparing performance with internal forecasts and targeted business models, strategic planning, evaluating and valuing potential acquisition candidates and how their operations compare to the Company’s operations, and benchmarking performance externally against the Company’s competitors. The exclusion of these and other similar items from Broadcom’s non-GAAP financial results should not be interpreted as implying that these items are non-recurring, infrequent or unusual.

Free cash flow measures have limitations as they omit certain components of the overall cash flow statement and do not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. Investors should not consider presentation of free cash flow measures as implying that stockholders have any right to such cash. Broadcom’s free cash flow may not be calculated in a manner comparable to similarly named measures used by other companies.

About Broadcom

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) is a technology leader that designs, develops, and supplies semiconductors and infrastructure software for global organizations’ complex, mission-critical needs. Broadcom combines long-term R&D investment with superb execution to deliver the best technology, at scale. Broadcom is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For more information, visit www.broadcom.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning Broadcom. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements that address our expected future business and financial performance, our plans and expectations with regard to our share repurchases, and other statements identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “should,” “intend,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “aim,” and similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs of Broadcom’s management, current information available to Broadcom’s management, and current market trends and market conditions and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.

Particular uncertainties that could materially affect future results include risks associated with: global economic conditions and uncertainty; government regulations, trade restrictions and trade tensions; global political and economic conditions relating to our international operations; cyclicality in the semiconductor industry undergoing profound change due to AI; any loss of our significant customers and fluctuations in the timing and volume of significant customer demand; the slow or unsuccessful return on our research and development investments, expansion of our business strategy or adoption of new business models; our dependence on contract manufacturing and outsourced supply chain; our dependency on a limited number of suppliers; our ability to continue winning business in the semiconductor solutions industry; our ability to accurately estimate customers’ demand and adjust our manufacturing and supply chain accordingly; dependence on senior management and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to maintain or improve gross margin; our ability to protect against cybersecurity threats and a breach of security systems; prolonged disruptions of our, our customers’ or our suppliers’ facilities or other significant operations; our ability to maintain appropriate manufacturing capacity and quality; dependence on and risks associated with distributors and other channel partners of our products; ability of our software portfolio to manage and secure IT infrastructures and environments; demand for our data center virtualization products and customer acceptance of our software, services and business strategy; competitiveness of our software solutions and compatibility of our software with operating environments, platforms or third-party products; our ability to enter into satisfactory software license agreements; use of open source software in our software and services; sales to government customers; our ability to manage our software solutions and services lifecycles; our competitive performance; quarterly and annual fluctuations in operating results; any acquisitions or dispositions we may make, such as delays, challenges and expenses associated with receiving governmental and regulatory approvals and satisfying other closing conditions, and with integrating acquired businesses with our existing businesses and our ability to achieve the benefits, growth prospects and synergies expected by such acquisitions; involvement in legal proceedings; our ability to protect our intellectual property and the unpredictability of any associated litigation expenses; any expenses or reputational damage associated with resolving customer product warranty and indemnification claims, or other undetected defects or bugs; our compliance with privacy and data security laws; corporate responsibility matters; our provision for income taxes and overall cash tax costs; our ability to maintain tax concessions in certain jurisdictions; potential tax liabilities as a result of acquiring VMware; our significant indebtedness and the need to generate sufficient cash flows to service and repay such debt; the amount and frequency of our share repurchase program; and other events and trends on a national, regional, industry-specific and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive and regulatory nature.

Our filings with the SEC, which are available without charge at the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov, discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Actual results may vary from the estimates provided. We undertake no intent or obligation to publicly update or revise any of the estimates and other forward-looking statements made in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contact:
Ji Yoo
Broadcom Inc.
Investor Relations
650-427-6000
investor.relations@broadcom.com

(AVGO-Q)

 BROADCOM INC. 

 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS – UNAUDITED 

 (IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA) 

Fiscal Quarter Ended 

Two Fiscal Quarters Ended 

 May 3, 

 February 1, 

 May 4, 

 May 3, 

 May 4, 

2026

2026

2025

2026

2025

Net revenue

$

22,187

$

19,311

$

15,004

$

41,498

$

29,920

Cost of revenue:

Cost of revenue

5,301

4,679

3,296

9,980

6,569

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets

1,461

1,462

1,483

2,923

2,967

Restructuring charges

10

13

28

23

42

Total cost of revenue

6,772

6,154

4,807

12,926

9,578

Gross margin

15,415

13,157

10,197

28,572

20,342

Research and development

2,995

2,965

2,693

5,960

4,946

Selling, general and administrative

1,055

1,019

1,083

2,074

2,032

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets

506

507

506

1,013

1,017

Restructuring and other charges

71

103

86

174

258

Total operating expenses

4,627

4,594

4,368

9,221

8,253

Operating income

10,788

8,563

5,829

19,351

12,089

Interest expense

(776)

(801)

(769)

(1,577)

(1,642)

Other income, net

118

433

25

551

128

Income before income taxes

10,130

8,195

5,085

18,325

10,575

Provision for income taxes

820

846

120

1,666

107

Net income

$

9,310

$

7,349

$

4,965

$

16,659

$

10,468

Net income per share:

Basic

$

1.96

$

1.55

$

1.05

$

3.51

$

2.23

Diluted

$

1.91

$

1.50

$

1.03

$

3.41

$

2.17

Weighted-average shares used in per share calculations:

Basic

4,747

4,741

4,707

4,744

4,701

Diluted

4,876

4,888

4,826

4,882

4,831

Stock-based compensation expense:

Cost of revenue

$

223

$

236

$

203

$

459

$

356

Research and development

1,395

1,447

1,169

2,842

1,991

Selling, general and administrative

474

493

399

967

704

Total stock-based compensation expense

$

2,092

$

2,176

$

1,771

$

4,268

$

3,051

 

 BROADCOM INC. 

 FINANCIAL RECONCILIATION: GAAP TO NON-GAAP – UNAUDITED 

 (IN MILLIONS) 

 Fiscal Quarter Ended 

Two Fiscal Quarters Ended 

 May 3, 

 February 1, 

 May 4, 

 May 3, 

 May 4, 

2026

2026

2025

2026

2025

Gross margin on GAAP basis

$

15,415

$

13,157

$

10,197

$

28,572

$

20,342

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets

1,461

1,462

1,483

2,923

2,967

Stock-based compensation expense

223

236

203

459

356

Restructuring charges

10

13

28

23

42

Gross margin on non-GAAP basis

$

17,109

$

14,868

$

11,911

$

31,977

$

23,707

Research and development on GAAP basis

$

2,995

$

2,965

$

2,693

$

5,960

$

4,946

Stock-based compensation expense

1,395

1,447

1,169

2,842

1,991

Research and development on non-GAAP basis

$

1,600

$

1,518

$

1,524

$

3,118

$

2,955

Selling, general and administrative expense on GAAP basis

$

1,055

$

1,019

$

1,083

$

2,074

$

2,032

Stock-based compensation expense

474

493

399

967

704

Acquisition-related costs

–

2

90

2

197

Selling, general and administrative expense on non-GAAP basis

$

581

$

524

$

594

$

1,105

$

1,131

Total operating expenses on GAAP basis

$

4,627

$

4,594

$

4,368

$

9,221

$

8,253

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets

506

507

506

1,013

1,017

Stock-based compensation expense

1,869

1,940

1,568

3,809

2,695

Restructuring and other charges

71

103

86

174

258

Acquisition-related costs

–

2

90

2

197

Total operating expenses on non-GAAP basis

$

2,181

$

2,042

$

2,118

$

4,223

$

4,086

Operating income on GAAP basis

$

10,788

$

8,563

$

5,829

$

19,351

$

12,089

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets

1,967

1,969

1,989

3,936

3,984

Stock-based compensation expense

2,092

2,176

1,771

4,268

3,051

Restructuring and other charges

81

116

114

197

300

Acquisition-related costs

–

2

90

2

197

Operating income on non-GAAP basis

$

14,928

$

12,826

$

9,793

$

27,754

$

19,621

Interest expense on GAAP basis

$

(776)

$

(801)

$

(769)

$

(1,577)

$

(1,642)

Loss on debt extinguishment

31

55

–

86

65

Interest expense on non-GAAP basis

$

(745)

$

(746)

$

(769)

$

(1,491)

$

(1,577)

Other income, net on GAAP basis

$

118

$

433

$

25

$

551

$

128

Excise tax benefit

–

(315)

–

(315)

–

Other

–

–

6

–

(21)

Other income, net on non-GAAP basis

$

118

$

118

$

31

$

236

$

107

Provision for income taxes on GAAP basis

$

820

$

846

$

120

$

1,666

$

107

Non-GAAP tax reconciling adjustments

1,407

1,167

1,148

2,574

2,434

Provision for income taxes on non-GAAP basis

$

2,227

$

2,013

$

1,268

$

4,240

$

2,541

Net income on GAAP basis

$

9,310

$

7,349

$

4,965

$

16,659

$

10,468

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets

1,967

1,969

1,989

3,936

3,984

Stock-based compensation expense

2,092

2,176

1,771

4,268

3,051

Restructuring and other charges

81

116

114

197

300

Acquisition-related costs

–

2

90

2

197

Loss on debt extinguishment

31

55

–

86

65

Excise tax benefit

–

(315)

–

(315)

–

Other

–

–

6

–

(21)

Non-GAAP tax reconciling adjustments

(1,407)

(1,167)

(1,148)

(2,574)

(2,434)

Net income on non-GAAP basis

$

12,074

$

10,185

$

7,787

$

22,259

$

15,610

Net income on GAAP basis

$

9,310

$

7,349

$

4,965

$

16,659

$

10,468

Non-GAAP Adjustments:

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets

1,967

1,969

1,989

3,936

3,984

Stock-based compensation expense

2,092

2,176

1,771

4,268

3,051

Restructuring and other charges

81

116

114

197

300

Acquisition-related costs

–

2

90

2

197

Loss on debt extinguishment

31

55

–

86

65

Excise tax benefit

–

(315)

–

(315)

–

Other

–

–

6

–

(21)

Non-GAAP tax reconciling adjustments

(1,407)

(1,167)

(1,148)

(2,574)

(2,434)

Other Adjustments:

Interest expense

745

746

769

1,491

1,577

Provision for income taxes on non-GAAP basis

2,227

2,013

1,268

4,240

2,541

Depreciation

163

150

142

313

284

Amortization of purchased intangibles and right-of-use assets

35

34

35

69

72

Adjusted EBITDA

$

15,244

$

13,128

$

10,001

$

28,372

$

20,084

Weighted-average shares used in per share calculations – diluted on GAAP basis

4,876

4,888

4,826

4,882

4,831

Non-GAAP adjustment (1)

64

69

111

66

85

Weighted-average shares used in per share calculations – diluted on non-GAAP basis     

4,940

4,957

4,937

4,948

4,916

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

10,493

$

8,260

$

6,555

$

18,753

$

12,668

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

(231)

(250)

(144)

(481)

(244)

Free cash flow

$

10,262

$

8,010

$

6,411

$

18,272

$

12,424

(1) Non-GAAP adjustment for the number of shares used in the diluted per share calculations excludes the impact of stock-based compensation expense expected

to be incurred in future periods and not yet recognized in the financial statements, which would otherwise be assumed to be used to repurchase shares under the

GAAP treasury stock method.

 

BROADCOM INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS – UNAUDITED

(IN MILLIONS)

May 3,

November 2,

2026

2025

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$

19,628

$

16,178

Trade accounts receivable, net

10,830

7,145

Inventory

4,328

2,270

Other current assets

7,427

5,980

Total current assets

42,213

31,573

Long-term assets:

Property, plant and equipment, net

2,788

2,530

Goodwill

97,801

97,801

Intangible assets, net

28,333

32,273

Other long-term assets

8,023

6,915

Total assets

$

179,158

$

171,092

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable

$

2,337

$

1,560

Employee compensation and benefits

1,134

2,129

Short-term debt

2,252

3,152

Other current liabilities

13,139

11,673

Total current liabilities

18,862

18,514

Long-term liabilities:

Long-term debt

62,655

61,984

Other long-term liabilities

9,950

9,302

Total liabilities

91,467

89,800

Stockholders’ equity:

Preferred stock

–

–

Common stock

5

5

Additional paid-in capital

75,312

71,308

Retained earnings

12,166

9,761

Accumulated other comprehensive income    

208

218

Total stockholders’ equity

87,691

81,292

  Total liabilities and equity

$

179,158

$

171,092

 

 BROADCOM INC. 

 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS – UNAUDITED 

 (IN MILLIONS) 

 Fiscal Quarter Ended 

Two Fiscal Quarters Ended 

 May 3, 

 February 1, 

 May 4, 

 May 3, 

 May 4, 

2026

2026

2025

2026

2025

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$

9,310

$

7,349

$

4,965

$

16,659

$

10,468

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:    

Amortization of intangible and right-of-use assets

2,002

2,003

2,024

4,005

4,056

Depreciation

163

150

142

313

284

Stock-based compensation

2,092

2,176

1,771

4,268

3,051

Deferred taxes and other non-cash taxes

(603)

(455)

(571)

(1,058)

(1,267)

Loss on debt extinguishment

31

55

–

86

65

Non-cash interest expense

67

72

94

139

191

Other

3

15

40

18

81

Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and disposals:

  Trade accounts receivable, net

(2,370)

(1,315)

(590)

(3,685)

(1,129)

  Inventory

(1,366)

(692)

(109)

(2,058)

(257)

  Accounts payable

149

534

(613)

683

(372)

  Employee compensation and benefits

270

(1,261)

287

(991)

(621)

  Other current assets and current liabilities

474

(692)

(55)

(218)

(29)

  Other long-term assets and long-term liabilities

271

321

(830)

592

(1,853)

Net cash provided by operating activities

10,493

8,260

6,555

18,753

12,668

Cash flows from investing activities:

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

(231)

(250)

(144)

(481)

(244)

Purchases of investments

(23)

(114)

(57)

(137)

(162)

Sales of investments

39

244

78

283

96

Other

7

5

(10)

12

3

Net cash used in investing activities

(208)

(115)

(133)

(323)

(307)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from long-term borrowings

–

4,474

749

4,474

3,735

Payments on debt obligations

(1,250)

(3,650)

–

(4,900)

(8,090)

Proceeds from (repayments of) commercial paper, net

–

–

(119)

–

3,861

Payments of dividends

(3,092)

(3,086)

(2,785)

(6,178)

(5,559)

Repurchases of common stock – repurchase program

(600)

(7,850)

(2,450)

(8,450)

(2,450)

Shares repurchased for tax withholdings on vesting of equity awards

–

–

(1,766)

–

(3,802)

Issuance of common stock

113

–

118

113

118

Other

(2)

(37)

(4)

(39)

(50)

Net cash used in financing activities

(4,831)

(10,149)

(6,257)

(14,980)

(12,237)

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

5,454

(2,004)

165

3,450

124

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

14,174

16,178

9,307

16,178

9,348

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

19,628

$

14,174

$

9,472

$

19,628

$

9,472

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

Cash paid for interest

$

695

$

619

$

700

$

1,314

$

1,371

Cash paid for income taxes

$

1,099

$

782

$

608

$

1,881

$

1,012

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/broadcom-inc-announces-second-quarter-fiscal-year-2026-financial-results-and-quarterly-dividend-302790698.html

SOURCE Broadcom Inc.

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U.S. News & World Report Reveals the 2027 Best Places to Retire

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Affordability is a top priority for attendees as Midland, Michigan, holds No. 1 spot.

Summary

Midland, Michigan, is the No. 1 Best Place to Retire for the second year in a row.Affordability is the most considered factor when choosing a place to retire in 2027.Florida and Texas dominate the top 250 Best Places to Retire, offering a number of affordable and retiree-tax friendly locations.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today revealed the 2027 Best Places to Retire in the United States.

Midland, Michigan, retained the No. 1 rank for the second year in a row. Midland scored high in affordability and retiree taxes, helping it to lock in the top spot.

“Retirees are seeking a place that gives them a sense of security and comfort as they live out their golden years,” said Megan Wood, assistant managing editor, home services and real estate. “Whether that comfort prioritizes scenic nature spots, access to multi-cultural experiences, or everyday affordability, places like Midland, Michigan, offer financial safety while still providing a good quality of life.”

Homosassa Springs, Florida, came in at No. 2 due to strong scores in affordability, 55+ population growth and retiree taxes. High performance for, quality of life, retiree taxes, affordability and quality of life resulted in Weirton, West Virginia, placing No. 3 on the list.

U.S. News adjusted its scoring weights for the 2027 rankings to mirror a growing concern for affordability in America. This resulted in multiple double-digit jumps in the top 25, including Paducah, Kentucky (No. 8), ascending into the top 10 for the first time.

“It’s no secret that affordability is top of mind for Americans this year, which is why U.S. News updated its weighting criteria to better align with what retirees prioritize,” Wood said. “The 2027 rankings reflect key metrics used to highlight the places that best suit retiree needs.”

U.S. News evaluated more than 850 U.S. cities – publishing the top 250 places – based on how well they meet American retirees’ expectations against measures including quality of life, affordability, healthcare, retiree taxes, job market, and population and migration for retirees aged 55 and older.

The six measures factored into this year’s rankings were weighted based on a public survey of individuals across the U.S. who are at or approaching retirement age (45 and older) to find out what matters most to people when they’re considering where to retire. Resources include federal, state and local data provided by Applied Geographic Solutions, which includes data sourced from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. News’ Best Hospitals rankings. To learn more about how the rankings are determined, read the Best Places to Retire methodology.

Best Places to Retire is part of U.S. News’ Real Estate section, which provides rankings and tools to help individuals navigate the housing market, including home value estimates to working with an agent.

2027 U.S. News Best Places to Retire – Top 10 
*See the full rankings here.

Midland, Michigan Homosassa Springs, Florida Weirton, West VirginiaThe Woodlands, TexasSpring, TexasRancho Rio, New Mexico Altoona, PennsylvaniaPaducah, KentuckyLynchburg, Virginia Palm Coast, Florida 

For more information on Best Places to Retire, explore Facebook, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, Instagram and X using #BestPlacesToRetire.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, insurance, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-news–world-report-reveals-the-2027-best-places-to-retire-302920068.html

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.

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IBM Introduces Identity and Control for AI Agents, Securing Frontier Intelligence for the Enterprise

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Enterprises are deploying agents faster than they can verify them. HashiCorp Vault uses Agent Identity to give each agent a governed identity Verified agents still need limits on access. Vault extends its established secrets management to AI agents, built to enforce least-privilege access and enable real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action Enterprises can’t scale agents they can’t see, test or account for. IBM watsonx Orchestrate is designed to unify discovery, containment, and evaluation across Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini 

ATLANTA, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At TechXchange 2026, IBM (NYSE: IBM) is announcing new capabilities to help developers, IT and security teams put AI agents to work across business systems with clear authority and accountability. IBM brings together agent discovery, verified identities, access controls and performance evaluation to help organizations understand who owns each agent, control what it can access, and trace its actions across existing applications and infrastructure.  

According to Gartner, by 2028 the average Fortune 500 enterprise will use over 150,000 AI agents. But only 13% of organizations believe that they have the right AI agent governance in place [1]. Persistent credentials, unclear ownership and disconnected controls make it harder to govern agents as they interact with other agents, invoke tools and act across teams, platforms and clouds. 

“The winners in enterprise AI are changing how their business runs, not simply adding more AI to it,” said Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, IBM Software. “For agents to take on real work across the systems a company depends on, it requires an AI operating model – one that connects agents to the business’s data, applications and infrastructure and runs them with the same discipline as its most critical systems. Build trust and control into that model, and agents stop being a technology and become a way of doing business.”  

Today’s announcements extend IBM’s portfolio to deliver an AI operating model of four essential systems working together: agents, data, automation and hybrid infrastructure. This starts with the trust and control every agent needs – a verified identity, only the access it needs, and one place to discover, secure and evaluate agents regardless of where they were built. 

Extending HashiCorp Vault to AI agents
HashiCorp Vault manages the secrets and credentials that applications and services use to access business systems. It provides that control through centrally managed secrets, automated rotation for supported credentials, and dynamically generated credentials that expire or can be revoked. These capabilities help reduce the time exposed credentials remain usable and limit access to the permissions configured for each role. 

HashiCorp Vault already secures non-human identities for organizations including ABN AMRO, Adobe, athenahealth, BBVA, BlackRock, Canva, Duke Energy, Expedia, London Stock Exchange, Starbucks, Swiss Federal Railways and Target, across systems that process billions of dollars in transactions [2]. HashiCorp will now extend those capabilities to AI agents, issuing secured, short-lived credentials that limit each agent to what it needs. 

Establishing agent identity and accountability
AI agents are a growing class of non-human identity, alongside applications and services. As they begin acting across business systems, enterprises need a clear record of who owns each agent and what authority it has been granted. HashiCorp is combining governed agent identity with credential controls to help organizations delegate work with defined authority and accountability. 

When used with HashiCorp Vault, Agent Identity establishes the authoritative record for each agent, such as who owns it, its lifecycle status and the authority it has been granted. Built to extend existing identity and security investments, it shares relevant identity and authorization context with Vault’s credential controls – ultimately enforcing least-privilege access and enabling real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action. 

Controlling agent credentials and access
Identifying an agent is only the start. Enterprises also need to control the credentials it uses to reach databases, applications and cloud services – and how long those credentials remain valid. As agents invoke tools and act across business systems, their credentials become a critical security boundary. An agent with a long-lived, overprivileged credential can put systems and data at risk if it’s compromised or acts outside its intended task. Enterprises need to establish what each agent’s job is, limit the access it receives and revoke that access when circumstances change. 

These controls extend beyond initial authentication. If an agent attempts to retrieve information or perform actions outside its approved permissions, the access can be denied and session revoked in real time to prevent unauthorized activity. Vault’s short-lived credentials and least-privilege controls can further restrict what an agent accesses and the duration of those permissions.  

Additional capabilities include: 

Vault 2.2 gives agents their own secured accounts, automatically renews their credentials and incorporates post-quantum encryption for quantum-era threats. Secure Hub (public preview) gives companies centralized visibility across their Vault environments to make it easier to understand operational health, usage and security resources. 

At TechXchange, client speakers will share how they use Vault to secure enterprise applications, workloads and AI agents 

athenahealth: Automating certificate management with Vault’s PKI engine. Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Applying IBM Verify and Vault to AI agent identity, just-in-time access, dynamic secrets and auditability. Optum: Using Vault Radar to detect exposed secrets and Boundary for just-in-time, identity-based access. Seven-Eleven Japan: Centralizing and encrypting secrets with Vault Enterprise and detecting hardcoded secrets with Vault Radar. Yum! Brands: Building an identity security platform with IBM Verify, with a look ahead to machine identities and secrets management. 

“AI presents extraordinary opportunities to accelerate biomedical research and discovery, but realizing its potential requires a foundation of security, trust, and responsible governance,” said Shailesh M. Shenoy, Assistant Dean for Information Technology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “In my experience, technologies such as IBM Verify and HashiCorp Vault can play an important role in helping organizations establish the identity, access, and security controls needed to innovate with confidence.”  

Managing agents across platforms
Identity tells organizations what an agent is. But they also need to see every agent they have, wherever it was built. IBM watsonx Orchestrate works across the AI ecosystem, not inside a single vendor’s platform, to give organizations one place to discover, secure and evaluate their agents. Capabilities include: 

Discover (tech preview): Organizations can’t govern agents they don’t know exist. Orchestrate connects to platforms such as Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini to find agents built in third-party environments, so teams can see and manage agents instead of adding them manually. This capability also extends to models and MCP servers. Contain (tech preview): One rogue agent can disrupt others and spread mistakes across the business. Orchestrate now runs agents in isolated sandboxes so a rogue agent can’t interfere with others. Teams also now have access to a kill switch to shut down any agent. Evaluate: Agents that aren’t tested and tracked can quietly drift off course and increase costs. Teams using Orchestrate can now test the quality, accuracy and compliance of agents, models and MCP servers before deployment, then monitor them in production. Built-in cost tracking shows each agent’s model and token use, so teams can spot what’s driving spend and fix it. 

Orchestrate also works with Vault’s credential controls and Agent Identity to establish what each agent’s job is, govern its authority and enforce least-privilege credential access. Together, these controls help organizations authorize and audit agent actions and rapidly revoke trust and credentials when risk changes. 

Connecting agents to the business
Once agents are authorized to use a company’s APIs and tools, they need to know what already exists, how systems connect, what can be reused safely and what their actions could affect. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub is built to provide that knowledge through its Unified Context Engine, so agents can fix problems like stuck messages or deploy an API using what’s already in place. Skills, approval policies and audit controls keep those actions in check. Instead of rebuilding for AI, organizations can put agents to work on the systems they already depend on. 

Scaling agents with NVIDIA
Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault integrate with NVIDIA OpenShell secure runtime software, the foundation of the NVIDIA OpenShell Architecture. Together, they pair a protected environment for agents to run in with a verified identity and short-lived credentials for every agent, so each action can be traced, limited and reviewed. 

“Businesses need enforceable control over how agents operate and what they can access,” said John Fanelli, vice president, enterprise software, NVIDIA. “Our work with IBM combines NVIDIA OpenShell’s policy-governed runtime with Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault to help enterprises scale AI agents with secure execution, verified identities and tightly scoped access to business systems.” 

Responding to Emerging Security Threats
When new vulnerabilities are discovered, enterprises must quickly identify affected systems, determine required changes and deploy fixes without disrupting critical operations. In complex environments, this process often involves multiple teams, tools and processes. 

IBM Concert integrates observability, optimization, incident management and security across applications, infrastructure and networks. With AI-powered insights and proof of exploitability, Concert helps teams to identify high-risk vulnerabilities, assess operational impact, and coordinate responses. These capabilities also help organizations address performance, manage costs and maintain resilience in hybrid environments. 

HashiCorp Terraform provides an infrastructure context and governed workflows for change implementation. New features now generally available and in public preview, including Terraform policy, Terraform Developer Portal and Terraform remote MCP server, enable developers and AI agents to access approved configurations and implement infrastructure changes through established controls. Terraform powered by Infragraph also helps teams understand infrastructure relationships and dependencies for more informed decisions. 

Together, these capabilities enable organizations to progress from identifying vulnerabilities to implementing and verifying remediation, while optimizing the visibility and governance essential for enterprise operations. 

A comprehensive system intelligence and change orchestration layer for IBM Z 
IBM Z Atlas maps a client’s entire z/OS stack across infrastructure, middleware, and applications, and then uses that intelligence to address the manual effort of tasks like patch management, regulatory response, and sharing system knowledge across teams, from systems programmers to application developers. Atlas addresses the leading cause of unplanned z/OS outages – changes that aren’t proven to be safe – by mapping how a change impacts the z/OS stack and testing and validating it. This design (in tech preview) accelerates clients’ modernization efforts by keeping experts in control and giving practitioners, in operations or development, the same shared Z system visibility to reduce risk. 

Availability
HashiCorp Vault 2.2, Agent Identity, watsonx Orchestrate evaluate capabilities, IBM Concert, and HashiCorp Terraform policy are generally available. Secure Hub, Terraform Developer Portal, Terraform remote MCP server, and IBM Z Atlas are in public preview. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub and watsonx Orchestrate discover and contain capabilities are in tech preview. 

Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only. 

Learn more
IBM TechXchange is IBM’s annual conference for developers and technology practitioners and brings together nearly 6,500 attendees from 85 countries. This year, the event incorporates HashiConf to bring together the HashiCorp community with practitioners from across IBM, Red Hat and Confluent. Attendees can choose from more than 1,000 sessions and experiences, including 180 hands-on labs, 260 client-led sessions and more than 50 certification exams. Speakers include American Airlines, Bradesco, Citi, CVS Health, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Hertz, and US Bancorp who will share how they are making AI enterprise ready. 

Session livestream and replays will be available here: ibm.biz/txc26-livestream.  

Supporting Materials

Strengthen security for agentic AI with new Vault, Verify, Boundary, and Secure Hub capabilities  IBM Agent Identity now generally available: Building Trust for the Agentic Era  Vault Enterprise 2.2 advances identity security, PKI, and cryptoagility  Announcing the public preview of Secure Hub: govern Vault at scale  IBM watsonx Orchestrate advances AI agent management with new capabilities  IBM Integration Intelligence Hub gives AI the context to act, not just access IBM Concert platform advances the path to cross-domain agentic IT operations  Terraform advances infrastructure lifecycle management for the agentic era Introducing IBM Z Atlas: Change Intelligence for IBM Z 

[1]: Gartner Identifies Six Steps to Manage AI Agent Sprawl
[2]: HashiCorp Vault client stories  

About IBM  
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information. 

Media contacts:

Sarah Benchaita
IBM
sarah.benchaita@ibm.com

Kate Lehman
IBM
Kate.Lehman@ibm.com 

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Three Blind Spots Leave Industrial Companies Exposed to Critical Mineral Shortages

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Boston Consulting Group Finds Industrial Companies Underestimate Their Critical Mineral Exposure, Which Also Limits Their Access to Public CapitalDemand for Key Minerals Is Projected at 120% to 250% of Forecast Supply Through 2040An Estimated $3.5 Trillion of Products Depend on Gallium, a “Mosquito Mineral” Traded in a Market Under $350 Million a YearSome Governments Have Deployed Less Than 10% of Their Critical Minerals Funds

BOSTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Industrial companies are underestimating their exposure to critical mineral shortages and missing a strategic opportunity as a result, according to new analysis from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Three blind spots in the metrics that companies rely on hide where the risk sits, including what BCG calls “mosquito minerals,” so small by traded value that they never reach a risk register.

These are among the findings of Why Critical Mineral Shortages Are a CEO Issue, a BCG report released today. BCG’s proprietary model projects demand for key inputs, including rare earths, graphite, copper and lithium, at roughly 120% to 250% of forecast supply through 2040.

“Most industrials track exposure through spend and direct supplier data, and the minerals that can stop a production line are often the ones they spend almost nothing on,” said Tycho Möncks, a BCG managing director and partner and a coauthor of the report. “The question for CEOs and boards is not whether their company is exposed. It is. The question is whether they intend to live with that exposure or turn it into an advantage.”

Small Markets Can Stall Large Industries

Companies often start their risk assessment with the bill of materials, which points them toward high-volume metals such as copper and lithium. Mosquito minerals fall outside that view. Their traded value is tiny, but the value chains that depend on them are not.

Rare earths. The rare earths used in a fighter jet are worth less than the paint that coats the plane.Gallium. The global market is worth under $350 million a year, with production of only about 900 tons, yet BCG estimates about $3.5 trillion of final products depend on it.Arsenic. The upstream market is about $50 million worldwide, yet a single producer supplies roughly 60% of the ultra-high-purity grade used in 5G and 6G infrastructure, data center optics, radar systems, and defense electronics.Byproduct supply. Gallium, germanium and arsenic are recovered as byproducts of other mining and industrial processes, so the host metal’s market sets their supply. Even a sharp price spike may not bring new production.

Exposure Hides Below Tier One Suppliers

A company that buys almost no critical minerals directly can still be acutely exposed because minerals arrive embedded in motors, magnets, power modules, lasers and sensors. They also sit in the tools and processes used to make those components, from crucibles and catalysts to dies and the capital equipment itself.

Turbine blades, engine blocks and structural aerospace components, for example, are machined with cutting tools made of tungsten carbide bonded with cobalt. A manufacturer that has never bought either metal directly can still see production stop if those tools run short, a dependency that appears on no bill of materials.

Companies also tend to map where critical minerals are mined, but for some minerals the bottleneck is processing, not production. A map of where assets sit and a map of who owns them can look very different, so a change of supplier that looks like diversification may leave a company’s exposure unchanged.

Public Capital Is Committed but Largely Unspent

The three blind spots also lead to a strategic miss. The International Energy Agency reports that public finance commitments to critical minerals in advanced economies reached around $65 billion in 2025, more than four times the 2023 level. BCG’s review of government-backed vehicles found the flagship instruments barely deployed, with some countries having spent less than 10% of their allocated capital and others nothing.

These vehicles are designed to draw in private capital, and offtake requirements are typically the main eligibility gate. BCG argues that companies without a clear view of their own exposure cannot make a credible commitment, and so cannot qualify. The funds are not free money: they carry conditions such as reporting obligations and localization requirements, and they represent only about one tenth of the capital needed through 2040. But for industrial companies, BCG says, they are a way to build a competitive advantage.

Several of the companies that have reframed their approach and tapped public capital are industrial companies and trading firms, not miners, and BCG found that in each case the CEO and executive team led the process of identifying and correcting their blind spots.

“These blind spots have a cost beyond risk. The money is there, but it comes with offtake requirements, and a company cannot make a credible commitment without knowing its own exposure,” said Karthik Valluru, a BCG managing director and senior partner who coauthored the report. “Mapping that exposure properly is where the opportunity starts.”

Download the publication here:

https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/critical-minerals-risk-blind-spots

Media Contact: 
Bruce Wraight
wraight.bruce@bcg.com 

About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group bridges the gap between ambition and outcomes for the world’s leading companies and organizations. We are built for this era of unprecedented change — bringing strategic clarity rooted in over 60 years of deep domain knowledge, combined with applied AI shaped by our practitioners. BCG works shoulder-to-shoulder with CEOs across industries and geographies to deliver transformative impact at scale: stronger returns, transferred capabilities, and change that sticks. For more information, visit bcg.com.

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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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