The third quarter of 2024 has been rewarding for equity investors, as the S&P 500 increased another 5% and has gained almost 20% year to date. Surprise, surprise, though, as value was the segment leader in the quarter. The S&P 500 Value Index advanced approximately 7% in the period, while the S&P 500 Growth Index edged only 3% higher. Leading sectors included Real Estate, Utilities, Financial, Healthcare and Industrials, while lagging sectors for the past three months included Information Technology and Energy. The average stock in the Argus Universe of Coverage rose almost 8% during the quarter, while the median stock increased 9%. The average BUY-rated stock rose 8.3%, while the average HOLD-rated stock gained 6.7%. Here are the top-10 and bottom-five performers from the Argus Universe in 3Q24.

Fortune Brands Innovations is a leading home and security products company that has three reportable segments. The company’s $2.6 billion water segment, led by the Moen brand, sells faucets, showers, and other plumbing fixtures; the $1.3 billion outdoors segment primarily sells entry doors under the Therma-Tru brand name and Fiberon-branded patio decking; and the $723 million security segment sells locks and other security devices under the Master Lock, SentrySafe, Yale, and August brand names.

Fortune Brands Innovations, based in Deerfield, Illinois, became an independent public company on October 3, 2011, when it separated from its former parent Fortune Brands and became Fortune Brands Home and Security. The company took on its current structure, as Fortune Brands Innovations, with the separation of the MasterBrand cabinets business on December 14, 2022. FBIN generated $4.6 billion in 2023 sales, with 55% coming from the Water Innovations division, 29% from Outdoors, and 16% from Security. Approximately 67% of North American sales came from the repair and remodeling market in 2022, 23% from the single family new construction, and 10% from multifamily new construction. We will update these numbers after we review the annual report for 2023. The current business generates approximately 77% of sales from the U.S., 11% from China, 8% from Canada, 2% from the United Kingdom and the European Union, and 2% from the rest of the world. The company's fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest but not subsequent to December 31.

Monday Tee Up: Here Comes Walmart The focus this week flips back to inflation and the state of the consumer. Key inflation data will come out as will perhaps the most-telling earnings report related to the consumer -- Walmart. Wall Street is wondering if the Fed has been right on interest rates and can still achieve a soft landing and avoid recession. Last week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down 0.6%, the S&P 500 lost 0.4%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.2%. Year to date, the Dow is higher by 5%, the S&P is up 12%, and the Nasdaq is higher by 12%. On the economic calendar, the big day is Wednesday, when inflation data comes out in the form of CPI. In June, CPI posted at 3.0%. Core CPI was 3.1%. We see July matching those rates. On Tuesday, wholesale inflation will grab the headlines when PPI is updated. On Thursday, Retail Sales, Industrial Production, and Capacity Utilization all will be released, and on Friday, Consumer Sentiment and Housing Starts come out. The earnings calendar is winding down but some big releases are due in this week. On Tuesday, Home Depot and On Holding report. On Wednesday, Cisco and UBS Group. And on Thursday, Walmart, Applied Materials, Alibaba, and Deere. Earnings are coming in 12.4% higher this quarter than a year ago (this after some 91% of S&P 500 companies have reported). Expectations were for 8%-12% earnings growth for 2Q. This follows 8% growth in 1Q and 10% in 4Q23. Last week, mortgage rates fell a big 26 basis points (bps) to 6.47% for the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. Gas prices fell four cents to $3.45 per gallon for the average price of regular gas. The Atlanta Fed GDPNow indicator is forecasting for 3Q and calls for expansion of 2.9%. The Cleveland Fed CPINow indicator forecasts 2.74% for August CPI. Looking ahead, the next Fed rate decision is on September 18, with odds at 100% for a rate cut. Of that, 51% expect a 25-bps cut and 49% expect a 50-bps cut. That data is according to the CME FedWatch Tool. There are then two more Fed rate meetings this year, on November 7, two days after the U.S. presidential election, and December 18.