Student achievements, innovative research, and recognition. July 23, 2026 1:23 PM Morgan State University announced recently that student-athlete Tyrah Weems was named a 2026 Astronaut Scholar by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. With this prestigious undergraduate STEM award, Tyrah will participate in a year-long development program, including mentorship from a NASA astronaut. She is Morgan's fifth Astronaut Scholar since 2020, continuing the university's tradition of national STEM excellence. Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University announced a $600,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to establish a data science specialization within its graduate programs in agricultural and bio-environmental sciences. This initiative will prepare students for careers at the intersection of agriculture, environmental sciences, data science, and emerging technologies. Tuskegee University announced that high school students from across the country recently completed a week of immersive learning on campus, collaborating to solve engineering challenges and explore aviation and engineering career options. Sponsored by the United States Air Force, the Mentoring Introduction to Aviation Science program, led by Tuskegee's College of Engineering in partnership with the Tuskegee Airmen Museum at Moton Field and industry organizations, introduces rising high school juniors and seniors to opportunities in aviation, aerospace science, and engineering. Jackson State University's College of Science, Engineering, and Technology recently held the closing ceremony for its annual Mississippi Summer Transportation Institute. In partnership with the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the institute provided students with early exposure to engineering and encouraged them to consider future educational and career opportunities. FAMU-FSU College of Engineering announced that researchers, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation, are developing a resilient off-grid power solution for highway traffic cameras using flexible Copper Indium Gallium Selenide thin-film solar technology. Unlike traditional rigid panels, these bendable photovoltaic cells wrap around existing camera poles, reducing wind loads and withstanding hurricane-force conditions. The two-year, FDOT-funded project aims to keep critical transportation infrastructure operational during extended power outages, enhancing emergency response and situational awareness after severe weather events. Denmark Technical College shared that, as demand for skilled energy professionals grows, its Center of Energy was recently featured in a magazine for creating pathways to high-demand careers. The article highlights three students who secured apprenticeships: electrical linework transmission with Dominion Energy, distribution linework at Gregory Electric, and a lineman trainee position at Black River Electric Cooperative. Exelon has announced that it was recognized by U.S. News & World Report on the 2026 "Best Companies to Work For" list and by TIME on the inaugural "America's Best Companies of 2026" list. Exelon stated on social media that these honors reflect its ongoing commitment to supporting employees while serving nearly 11 million customers daily. Hampton University's marching band performed in the FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremonies as part of Brooklyn United. Students described the FIFA World Cup Final Closing Ceremony as phenomenal. They were glad to represent Hampton University, Brooklyn United, and the Gamma Epsilon Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Last Sunday's collaborative ensemble represented 10 HBCUs with performers from across the marching arts community.

Entergy highlights women leading the future of the utility industry. At the Global Black Economic Forum Business Summit during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture(TM), Entergy convened industry leaders to discuss innovation, resilience, and why women are helping shape the future of the utility industry. Sponsored By Economic forum It has been said that nothing happens without electricity. From industry to small mom-and-pop businesses, to households across America, the utility industry provides the power people need to live their lives, enjoy their pastimes and make things happen. And in July, the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans provided the backdrop for yet another great conversation on the pivotal role of women in shaping the future of the utility industry. The setting was the Global Black Economic Forum Business Summit and the panel, moderated by John Hudson, Entergy's chief external affairs officer, offered a thoughtful conversation with two nationally recognized utility industry leaders: Colette Honorable, Chief Legal Officer, Compliance and Corporate Secretary at Exelon, and Nicole Daggs, Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Services at NextEra. Hudson kicked off the session with a warm welcome to the Gulf South region, which is quickly becoming the home to much of the transformation underway in the utility industry, and he helped set the stage for a conversation about the forces reshaping the U.S. energy landscape. From grid modernization and the clean energy transition, to evolving customer expectations and the growing urgency for resilient operations, he underscored the complexity of the moment. Amid this rapid transformation, he emphasized one priority that must remain front and center: preparing the next generation of energy professionals, including elevating women's leadership to help guide the industry's future. "I had the privilege of moderating a powerful conversation on women leading the future of the utility industry. Grateful to join Exelon's Colette Honorable and NextEra's Nicole Daggs - two exceptional leaders whose insights on leadership and preparing the next generation were truly inspiring," said Hudson. "I left encouraged by the momentum and the growing community of women driving our industry forward." Where Black Culture, community and consciousness meet. The discussion opened with a candid look at the landscape utilities are navigating today. Panelists talked about everything from how utilities are proactively addressing rising affordability pressures and aging infrastructure to proactive regulatory engagement and fast-moving technology shifts. They also underscored the current opportunities to modernize the grid, roll out smarter digital tools, and use data to stay ahead of what customers need. Hudson and the panelists agreed that as they push forward, they're equally focused on supporting the customers who potentially feel any cost increase the most - ensuring modernization doesn't leave anyone behind. Entergy's own Fair Share Plus pledge was noted as a model for how utilities are addressing the growth opportunity from data centers locating in their service territory in a responsible way that protects all customers and ensures economic and community benefits in the areas where they are locating. Honorable and Daggs shared candid reflections on navigating transformation at scale. They discussed making tough decisions in moments when leadership and clarity were critical, and spotlighted technologies - like AI, automation and grid intelligence - that are already redefining how utilities operate. Both emphasized that modernization must never compromise reliability, and that thoughtful leadership is essential as utilities transition to more sustainable and efficient systems. "AI is not something we should be fearful of, what we have seen at our company is just the opposite - we give our employees the opportunity to experiment, to pilot and use AI as their superpower," said Daggs. "Whether it's to look for a job, to think about an opportunity, to come up with a business idea our community needs to embrace it because we can really use it to elevate ourselves." Resilience emerged as a multidimensional priority - spanning operations, workforce readiness, and community trust. The panelists spoke about the responsibility utilities have to support vulnerable customers, deepen engagement, and communicate transparently. Investments in community partnerships, targeted programs, and employee development were highlighted as essential to strengthening resilience over the long term. The conversation then turned to the future workforce, especially the vast opportunities for women entering the energy sector. If you think of any discipline that exists in business, from engineers, customer service and accounting, to finance, legal and even public relations, it exists within the utility industry. Despite the role or discipline, Daggs and Honorable identified the skills that will define tomorrow's leaders, including adaptability, digital fluency, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to lead through uncertainty. They shared personal career moments that shaped their journeys and spoke candidly about the importance of seeking mentors and sponsors, cultivating influence, and building confidence in male dominated spaces, as well as taking ownership of career growth. "There have been several moments in my career when I thought, I'm just going to take a leap of faith and try something new and different," said Honorable. "And now, here I am, leading at the highest level of a corporation - something I never imagined for myself. Along the way, I've learned that our industry isn't just about power lines and plants; it's about people. It's about building resilient communities, making energy more affordable, and investing wisely so families and businesses can thrive. I share that because I want other women to know: take that leap. Believe in the possibility of your own success, even before you can see it - and know that your voice and leadership can help shape the future of energy." Throughout the panel, Daggs and Honorable reinforced themes of courage, curiosity and embracing opportunities during their careers even before feeling fully ready. Hudson wrapped up the discussion encouraging emerging female leaders across the industry to step forward with confidence. He called on all attendees to foster mentorship, practice allyship, and help shape a more inclusive and resilient energy workforce.

Exelon Corporation $EXC shares purchased by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. July 17, 2026 Key points. * Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its Exelon stake by 35.9% in the first quarter, buying 84,397 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 319,407 shares worth about $15.7 million. * Exelon's latest quarterly results beat expectations, with earnings of $0.91 per share versus the $0.88 estimate and revenue of $7.24 billion topping forecasts. The company also reaffirmed FY 2026 guidance of 2.810-2.910 EPS. * Exelon paid a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, or $1.68 annually, for a yield of about 3.6%. Meanwhile, analysts remain cautious overall, with the stock carrying a consensus Hold rating and average price target of $50.33. * MarketBeat previews top five stocks to own in August. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ:EXC - Free Report) by 35.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 319,407 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 84,397 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund's holdings in Exelon were worth $15,657,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of EXC. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Exelon by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 131,118,541 shares of the company's stock worth $5,715,457,000 after purchasing an additional 595,555 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Exelon by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 66,623,103 shares of the company's stock worth $2,904,101,000 after buying an additional 2,550,786 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Exelon by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 23,130,053 shares of the company's stock worth $1,008,239,000 after buying an additional 683,950 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG increased its position in Exelon by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 20,964,736 shares of the company's stock worth $913,853,000 after buying an additional 595,655 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Exelon by 2.2% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,663,481 shares of the company's stock worth $840,043,000 after buying an additional 393,917 shares during the period. 80.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Analyst ratings changes. A number of research firms have issued reports on EXC. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Exelon from $51.00 to $48.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Barclays cut shares of Exelon from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $50.00 to $49.00 in a report on Friday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Exelon from $56.00 to $55.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Exelon from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Mizuho set a $48.00 target price on shares of Exelon and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Exelon presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $50.33. Discover more Company Earnings Stock portfolio tracker Stock market insights Exelon price performance. Shares of Exelon stock opened at $46.79 on Friday. Exelon Corporation has a 52 week low of $42.58 and a 52 week high of $50.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. The stock has a market cap of $47.88 billion, a PE ratio of 17.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.31. The company's 50-day moving average price is $45.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.38. Exelon (NASDAQ:EXC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $7.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. Exelon had a net margin of 11.21% and a return on equity of 9.83%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.92 EPS. Exelon has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.810-2.910 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Exelon Corporation will post 2.86 EPS for the current fiscal year. Exelon announces dividend. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 4th. Exelon's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.54%. Exelon profile. Exelon Corporation NASDAQ: EXC is a Chicago-based energy company that operates primarily as a regulated electric and natural gas utility holding company. The company's businesses focus on the delivery of electricity and related services to residential, commercial and industrial customers, as well as investments in grid modernization, customer energy solutions and demand-side programs. Exelon's operations emphasize reliable service delivery, infrastructure maintenance and regulatory compliance across its utility footprint. Formed in 2000 through the merger of Unicom and PECO Energy, Exelon historically combined generation and regulated utility businesses. Further reading. Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EXC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ:EXC - Free Report). This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. Before you consider Exelon, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Exelon wasn't on the list. While Exelon currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys. Learn the basics of options trading and how to use them to boost returns and manage risk with this free report from MarketBeat. Click the link below to get your free copy.