Stocks are up following yesterday's PCE inflation reading. Shares of Dell Technologies (DELL) popped after the company's latest quarter came in ahead of expectations, boosted by AI-server demand that is currently exceeding supply. Spirit Aerosystems (SPR) is up on news that Boeing (BA) is in talks to acquire SPR. The S&P 500 is up 0.5%, the Nasdaq rose 0.7% and the Dow is us less than 0.1%. Crude oil is trading above $80 per barrel and gold is up $32 to $2087 per ounce.

The largest stock on earth, Apple, fell 3.6% on the first trading day of 2024, dragging the S&P 500 (SPX), NASDAQ, and NASDAQ 100 (QQQ) lower. While it looked ugly until about 3:00, stocks rallied in the final hour, cutting into their intraday losses. The SPX ended 0.6% lower and the seven-day Santa Claus rally (ends January 3 close) is suddenly in jeopardy, but by only a few points.

The U.S Dollar Index (USD) has traced out a small double top, closing at $106.72 on October 3 and November 1. USD broke down on November 3 for one day, rebounded back to its 21-day exponential average, and then saw nice downside follow-through in the middle of the month. USD fell slightly below its 200-day average on Monday, near $103.30, and bounced Tuesday to back above this key average. Based on the size of the top, we have seen a completed measured move for the greenback. Both sentiment and the COT data are neutral, despite the recent decline.

Over the past few weeks, trading generally has been bad for stocks and good for gold and Bitcoin. For the S&P 500, the 38.2% retracement of the rally since October 2022 was busted and support near 4,200 was lost. Breadth was weak in a manner typically seen in bear markets -- but at times also seen during corrective phases of a bull market.

This is a big week for the stock market, with the FOMC rate decision on Wednesday (no change expected), as well as rate decisions from the Bank of Japan and Bank of England. On Wednesday, the Treasury Department announces its anticipated borrowing needs for the coming three months. In addition, more than 160 S&P 500 companies report results this week, including Apple. This is the busiest five-day stretch of the EPS season.

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: Will CPI Have a Two- or a Three-Handle?

Stocks fell again on Thursday amid pressures on regional banks and debt ceiling concerns as investors awaited the April employment report on Friday morning. On the earnings front, e-commerce software provider Shopify surged 24% after posting better-than-expected 1Q results, while Paramount Global plunged 28% after reporting disappointing sales and earnings and cutting its dividend. On the employment front, the Labor Department said that first-time claims for state unemployment benefits rose by 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 242,000 for the week ended April 29, slightly above the Reuters consensus of 240,000. Continuing claims, reported with a one-week lag, fell by 38,000 to 1.805 million. The Dow fell 0.86%, the S&P 0.72%, and the Nasdaq 0.49%. Crude oil traded near $68.50 per barrel, while gold rose $21 to $2058 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 has pretty much been dancing to the bond market's tune in 2023. Bond yields decline, and stocks rise as they did in January. Bond yields rise, and stocks fall as they have done in February. Investors may be 'getting used to' higher rates, because stocks have held a portion of their January gains even with the return of interest rates to the beginning-of-year-levels.

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.

October, as it has been many times in the past, was a wild month -- and at least a short-term bear killer. The month started out great and then the major indices fell off a small cliff and declined to new bear-market lows. But stocks had an amazing bullish reversal on October 13 and have been grinding nicely higher ever since. While it's a start, we are a long way from putting the bear fully into hibernation, despite the calendar's turn toward colder weather.

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.

On Friday morning, investors will be focused on the Labor Department's July employment report. The current Reuters consensus calls for the addition of 250,000 payroll jobs, down from 372,000 in June, and a steady unemployment rate of 3.6%. Stocks were mixed on Thursday ahead of the report, as investors weighed slightly higher weekly unemployment claims and a narrower trade deficit, helped by strong growth in exports. The Dow fell 0.26%, the S&P fell 0.08%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.41%. Crude oil fell more than 2% to $88 per barrel, while gold jumped $33 to $1810 per ounce.

Literally everything seems to be going against the stock market. Rising yields across the curve, a strong dollar (which no one seems to be talking about), surging crude oil prices along with gasoline and heating oil, and a Fed that must start taking liquidity out of the system. Oh, and let's not forget about the war, continued supply issues, and stubborn inflation. Did we miss anything? Ah, yes. A breakdown in mega-growth stocks, an absolute collapse in hyper-growth stocks, a massive drawdown in cryptos, and broad economic worries.

Stocks fell on Thursday morning after giving up early gains as investors continued to watch developments in Ukraine. Service sector data was weaker than expected. The Institute for Supply Management said that its U.S. services index fell to 56.5 in February, down from 59.9 in January. The above-50 reading still indicated expansion, but was below the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 61.1. The Dow fell 0.4%, the S&P 0.6%, and the Nasdaq 1.1%. Crude oil traded near $110 per barrel, while gold rose $7 to $1929 per ounce.

Stocks rallied on Friday morning following a strong October employment report. The Labor Department said that the U.S. economy added 531,000 payroll jobs last month, up from a revised 312,000 in September and above the Reuters consensus forecast of 450,000. The official unemployment rate fell to 4.6% from 4.8% in September. The Dow rose 0.9%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 0.6%. Crude oil traded near $79.50 per barrel, while gold rose $8 to $1802 per ounce.

The stock market moved lower last week as inflation concerns spread from Wall Street to Main Street. Blue chips relatively outperformed as earnings season kicked off. During Friday's session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 299 points, or 0.86%. The S&P 500 was down 0.75%, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.80%. For the week, the DJIA was down 182 points, or 0.52%, the S&P 500 was down 0.97%, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 1.87%. Year-to-date, the DJIA is up 13.33%, the S&P 500 is up 15.20%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 11.94%.

This edition features defense primes, property/casualty insurance, biopharma's sustainability risk, and new coverage of three companies: Aena, Aeroports de Paris, and Liberty Oilfield Services.

Insider-sentiment barometers tracked by Vickers Stock Research continue to their volatile ways. Insider sentiment was relatively weak for multiple months starting in late 2020, with particular weakness in Technology stocks trading on the Nasdaq. More recently, sentiment started to improve, though Technology remained at the back of the pack. Last week, overall sentiment fell once again -- including an out-and-out 'tech wreck' that saw a Nasdaq sell/buy ratio of 11.26 (with anything over 2.50 deemed to be bearish). With that in mind, results this week are better.

Blue Chips finished the 2/26/2021 week with more selling, although the hardest-hit part of the market (Nasdaq growth stocks) staged a feeble rebound on Friday. The market is not in freefall, but the S&P 500 is down 3.2% from its all-time high of 3,935 reached on 2/12/21. Pullbacks and corrections are commonplace, but this one feels different because of the trend in long rates. Still, investors always say 'this one feels different' until it's forgotten in the next pullback.

Stocks pared early losses and traded near breakeven on Friday morning, as Joe Biden moved closer to winning the presidency, with narrow leads in key swing states. October employment data was stronger than expected. The Labor Department said that the U.S. economy added 638,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in October, above the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 580,000 though down from a revised 672,000 in September. The official unemployment rate also fell to 6.9% from 7.9% and was lower than the consensus forecast. The Dow and the S&P were flat, and the Nasdaq was down 0.2%. Crude oil fell more than 3% to $37.50 per barrel, while gold rose $6 to $1953 per ounce.

The S&P 500 opened the second full trading week of August with a slight push higher to the 3,355 range. That left the index less than one percentage point below its all-time closing high of 3.386.15, set on 2/19/20. At that time, COVID-19 was a worsening concern, not the overwhelming global catastrophe that it has become.

The S&P 500 opened the second full trading week of August with a slight push higher to the 3,355 range. That left the index less than one percentage point below its all-time closing high of 3.386.15, set on 2/19/20. At that time, COVID-19 was a worsening concern, not the overwhelming global catastrophe that it has become.

The stock market went back and forth last week, as investors were alternately concerned about the rising tide of daily coronavirus infections and surprised by the strength of economic data (retail sales, housing starts, industrial production, etc.). This week, over 80 S&P 500 companies will be reporting earnings, with more than 60 Argus-covered stocks releasing results. A robust week of earnings reports used to mean quite a bit, before there was a pandemic. By the end of the week, investors will know if last quarter's EPS and this quarter's (limited) guidance still mean something.

The stock market went back and forth last week, as investors were alternately concerned about the rising tide of daily coronavirus infections and surprised by the strength of economic data (retail sales, housing starts, industrial production, etc.). This week, over 80 S&P 500 companies will be reporting earnings, with more than 60 Argus-covered stocks releasing results. A robust week of earnings reports used to mean quite a bit, before there was a pandemic. By the end of the week, investors will know if last quarter's EPS and this quarter's (limited) guidance still mean something.

We have published our latest version of the Argus Millennial Generation portfolio. This new generation of consumers - the Millennials - has recently become the largest demographic cohort in the country, and this group, with new lifestyle preferences and different career goals, is demanding a new menu of sustainable products and services. The intersection of important Millennial trends - sustainability, healthier living, an entrepreneurial spirit - has resulted in the emergence and growth of numerous companies well suited to the new generation. Many of these companies are expected to be future industry leaders and are included in the dynamic Argus Universe of Coverage. A diversified portfolio, of course, is more than just a list of companies linked to themes. To build the Argus Millennial Generation Portfolio, we applied financial concepts such as industry diversification, income generation, risk reduction and growth at a reasonable price.

Stocks fell on Thursday morning amid more dismal employment numbers and increased trade tensions with China, after the Senate passed a bill that could restrict the ability of Chinese firms to list on U.S. stock exchanges. First-time jobless claims totaled 2.438 million for the week ended May 16, down from a revised 2.687 million a week earlier but above the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 2.4 million. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P 0.6%, and the Nasdaq 0.7%. Crude oil rose slightly to $33.50 per barrel, while gold fell $30 to $1722 per ounce.

Stocks fell on Thursday morning amid more dismal employment numbers and increased trade tensions with China, after the Senate passed a bill that could restrict the ability of Chinese firms to list on U.S. stock exchanges. First-time jobless claims totaled 2.438 million for the week ended May 16, down from a revised 2.687 million a week earlier but above the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 2.4 million. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P 0.6%, and the Nasdaq 0.7%. Crude oil rose slightly to $33.50 per barrel, while gold fell $30 to $1722 per ounce.

Progressive underwrites private and commercial auto insurance and specialty lines; it has roughly 20 million policies in force and is the fourth-largest auto insurer in the United States. Progressive markets its policies through independent insurance agencies in the U.S. and Canada and directly via the Internet and telephone. Its premiums are split roughly equally between the agent and the direct channel. The company entered homeowners insurance through an acquisition in 2015.

Stocks fell on Friday morning amid continued coronavirus concerns, including a spike in new cases in South Korea, and weak purchasing managers' data. IHS Markit said that its composite purchasing managers' index fell 3.7 points to 49.6 in February, the lowest level since October 2013. On the earnings front, Deere shares rose more than 8% after the farm equipment maker posted strong fiscal first-quarter earnings and reaffirmed its full-year guidance. The S&P fell 0.8%, the Dow 0.6%, and the Nasdaq 1.2%. Crude oil fell more than 1% to $53 per barrel, while gold jumped $22 to $1642 per ounce.