The last trading week of August started with a mixed bag. On Monday (8/26/2024), the Nasdaq and the Nasdaq 100 were dragged down from the start due to a tough day for semiconductors. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) fell 2.5% and was sitting on short-term support from its 10- and 21-day exponential moving averages. The SOXX has had a big recovery since the August 5 intraday low, so it's not surprising that some anxiety was building. Discretionary also fell due to weakness in Tesla. Energy led the 11 S&P 500 sectors, as crude oil (WTI) bounced for a third day. Crude was back up to $77/barrel from a low last week of $71.46. The oil chart is a mess, with prices chopping around from the low $60s to the mid-$90s since the summer of 2022. Other sector strength was seen from the defensive Staples and Utilities groups, with minor gains in Materials, Financials, and Communication Services. A fair amount of people in the financial world have said that the S&P 500's almost full recovery from the pullback in the second half of July into early August has been too fast. But quick recoveries and 'V' bottoms generally are quite bullish and often lead to additional all-time highs. On the weekly charts, we had quick recoveries in the latter part of 2023 and in April/May of this year. And let's not forget the recovery from the pandemic, the recovery in early 2019, the recovery in 2014, and the several recoveries in 2012.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

At midday Thursday, the major benchmarks are flat and trading feels tentative. Individual stocks are where the drama is. Micron Technology (MU) is lower after reporting earnings and saying it sees lower profits ahead than expected. International Paper (IP) is down as it is no longer an acquisition candidate of Brazilian paper company Suzano. Wall Street is waiting to see what happens with the first U.S. Presidential debate tonight. This is bringing up chatter on how the candidates stack up on inflation, rates, jobs, and other economic issues, and who might be better for driving stocks up. The Labor Department reported that jobless claims rose to nearly 1.84 million for the week ended June 22. Also, key inflation indicator, PCE, is due tomorrow morning.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

In this edition, P&C insurers overvalued despite tailwind; prospects and caveats for P&C insurers; breaking down the Live Nation breakup sought by DOJ; and VF, Evotec SE ADR, and Stericycle.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Stocks were mixed on Tuesday morning as investors digested new economic data. New orders for durable goods fell 6.1% in January, according to today's U.S. Census Bureau data, with a 16.2% drop in transportation equipment orders leading the decline. Excluding defense, orders fell 7.3% and excluding transportation new orders slipped 0.3%. The Confidence Board said that its consumer confidence index fell to 106.7, which was lower than the downwardly revised 110.9 in January. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index reported a 5.5% annual gain in December, up from a 5.0% rise in the previous month. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city house price index rose 0.2% in December compared to the previous month. Home prices in the 20 major U.S. metro markets were up 6.1%. The S&P 500 was down less than 0.1%, the Dow fell 0.4% and the Nasdaq was up 0.1%. Crude oil traded above $78 per barrel and gold was up $5 to $2044 per ounce.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

The Russell 2000 (IWM) offers a fascinating and challenging-to-read chart (long-term neutral). IWM peaked near the $160 level in September 2018 and in early 2020. Then, after the pandemic, small-caps ripped higher, with IWM peaking just below $240 in November of 2021. The index then crashed into mid-2022, right at the prior highs from 2018 and 2020 near $160. After a rally to near a prior breakout level around $200, IWM fell right back to its prior peak at $160 in October 2022. Another trip to the top of the range near $200 failed, as did an attempt to break out of the range in July 2023, which led to another successful test of the bottom of the range near $160 in October 2023.

In this edition, recycling's renaissance may take time; VF's fears and fortunes; changes at ChargePoint; and APM Human Services, Hanesbrands, and Infineon Technologies.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

Stock rose on Thursday on optimism that rate hikes may be over. The Commerce Department said that in September, new orders for U.S. manufactured goods rose 2.8% to $601.5 billion following a 1.0% increase in August. On Friday morning, investors will be looking at the jobs report for October. On the earnings front, Apple reported after the bell. Although the company beat consensus it issued a cautious outlook. The S&P 500 rose 1.9%, the Dow 1.7% and the Nasdaq was up 1.8%. Crude oil rose nearly 1% to $82 per barrel, while gold traded near $1991 per ounce.

Since October 17, the stock market has been hammered with selling. Over seven trading sessions, the S&P 500 (SPX) has given up 5.4%, while the Nasdaq, Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), S&P MidCap 400 (MDY), and Russell 2000 (IWM) are all off between 6% and 7%. The S&P 500 has clearly broken below its key 200-day and 50-week moving averages for the first time since March. The 38.2% retracement of the rally since October 2022 at 4,178 has given way and the cluster of support near 4,200 has been lost. A 50% retracement of the rally since October 2022 sits at 4,049 and a 61.8% giveback targets 3,918. Looking out into early December, long-term trendline support off the lows in 2011, 2018, and 2022, comes in at 4,040.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

The stock market sometimes gives a warning after a large move higher, gets everyone believing that a pullback has finally arrived, and then regroups for a couple of days before the rug is pulled out yet again. On July 27, we saw a pretty ugly reversal in the major indices that looked like the start of a much-anticipated reset. That was not to be, however, with stocks broadly higher on July 28.

Stocks rose on Tuesday morning as investors weighed new housing market and capital goods data, along with disappointing earnings from Walgreens. The Commerce Department said that U.S. new home sales jumped 12.2% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 763,000 units. The reading was the highest since February 2022 and well above the Reuters consensus forecast of 675,000. Meanwhile, orders for core capital goods excluding aircraft rose 0.7% last month, up from a revised 0.6% increase in April and better than the consensus forecast calling for flat orders. The Dow rose 0.5%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 1.0%. Crude oil traded near $68.50 per barrel, while gold fell $10 to $1924 per ounce.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

Stocks were mostly lower on Wednesday morning following new employment and service sector data. Payroll provider ADP said that U.S. companies added 145,000 jobs in March, down from a revised 261,000 in February and below the Reuters consensus of 200,000. Services data was weaker than expected. The Institute for Supply Management said that its nonmanufacturing PMI fell to 51.2 in March, down from 55.1 in February and below the consensus forecast of 54.5. The Dow was flat, the S&P fell 0.6%, and the Nasdaq fell 1.4%. Crude oil traded near $80 per barrel, while gold fell $6 to $2033 per ounce.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

Stocks finished mixed on Thursday as investors weighed earnings reports from a range of major companies, including Caterpillar, Merck, and McDonald's, along with new GDP and employment data. The Commerce Department said that the U.S. economy expanded at a 2.6% rate in the third quarter, a reversal after two quarters of declines, helped by stronger-than-expected net exports. On the employment front, first-time claims for state unemployment benefits rose by 3,000 to 217,000 for the week ended October 22, but were below the Reuters consensus estimate of 223,000. Continuing claims rose to 1.438 million, up from 1.383 million a week earlier and above the consensus forecast. The Dow rose 0.61%, the S&P fell 0.61%, and the Nasdaq fell 1.63%. Crude oil rose 1% to $89 per barrel, while gold fell $3 to $1666 per ounce.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

In this edition, Utilities Control the Path to Decarbonization, REIT Sector's relationship With Inflation and Interest Rates, Contract Research Organizations Are Poised for Healthy Growth, and Sony/Nintendo, VF Company, and Burberry

In this edition, Record Wind Installations Loom, Reinitiating Coverage of EDP, Inflation Reduction Act and its Impact on the U.S. Branded Drug Market, and Costco, Accenture, and DTE Energy

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Monday Tee-Up: No Summer Doldrums on Wall Street

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

Stocks continued to fall on Friday morning after giving up early gains. The selloff was led by the Consumer Discretionary and Industrial Sectors, though all sectors were down. The S&P 500 remained on track for its seventh straight weekly loss. On the earnings front, Deere shares fell more than 11% despite the company's better-than-expected fiscal 2Q earnings and higher full-year guidance. The Dow fell 0.7%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 0.9%. Crude oil rose slightly to $113 per barrel, while gold traded near $1844 per ounce.

Stocks were mixed in volatile trading on Monday morning amid continued concerns about the Ukraine conflict and the impact of Fed interest rate hikes. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard reiterated his call for a 100-basis-point rate hike by June in order to combat inflation. The CME Group's FedWatch tool now projects a 67% chance of a 50-basis-point rate hike in March. The Dow fell 0.5%, the S&P fell 0.2%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.7%. Crude oil rose to $94 per barrel, while gold traded near $1866 per ounce.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

The stock market moved higher last week as earnings season picked up steam. Tech stocks outperformed blue chips, though the margin of outperformance was slim owing to disappointing earnings from some tech names. During Friday's session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 74 points, or 0.21%. The S&P 500 was down 0.11%, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.82%. For the week, the DJIA was up 382 points, or 1.08%, the S&P 500 was up 1.64%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 1.29%. Year-to-date, the DJIA is up 16.57%, the S&P 500 is up 21.00%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 17.08%.