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.

As stocks keep trending higher, insiders continue to exercise restraint. While their defensive posture has stabilized (and indeed lessened a tad) over the past few weeks, it seems that corporate executives, directors and beneficial owners view overall stock valuations as likely extended. That attitude appears to be mirrored in the broader market. Investors are clearly willing to push share prices higher, but the selling days (when they do occur) tend to involve noticeable drops -- suggesting a readiness to withdraw quickly if (if) any bad news has legs. So far, though, that just hasn't been the case, with big down days turning out to be one-day wonders.

Stocks rose on Wednesday morning as investors weighed new durable goods and employment data, along with earnings reports from Nvidia, Autodesk, and Deere. The Commerce Department said that capital goods orders fell 5.4% in October, down from a revised 4.0% increase in September, reflecting a sharp decline in aircraft orders. The Reuters consensus estimate had called for a decline of 3.1%. Core capital goods orders, excluding aircraft, fell 0.1% last month after a 0.2% decline in September. On the employment front, the Labor Department said that first-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell by 24,000 to a seasonally adjusted 209,000 for the week ended November 18, below the consensus forecast of 226,000. The Dow rose 0.4%, the S&P 0.4%, and the Nasdaq 0.5%. Crude oil fell sharply to $75 per barrel, while gold traded near $1995 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.

Stocks were mostly higher on Friday morning following cooler-than-expected inflation data, though they gave up some of their strong early gains. The core personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE), excluding food and energy prices, rose 0.1% in August, down from a 0.2% increase in July and below the Reuters consensus forecast, which also called for a gain of 0.2%. The Dow fell 0.1%, the S&P rose 0.2%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.7%. Crude oil traded near $91 per barrel, while gold fell $9 to $1869 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.

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.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning following more congressional testimony from Fed Chair Powell and new employment data. Mr. Powell said that the Fed had not yet decided on the size of its next rate increase, and that it would wait to see additional data ahead of the March 21-22 FOMC meeting. Employment data again pointed to a strong job market. Payroll provider ADP said that U.S. companies added 242,000 jobs in February, up from 119,000 in January and above the Reuters consensus forecast of 200,000. The Dow fell 0.2%, the S&P rose 0.2%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.4%. Crude oil traded near $77 per barrel, while gold rose $3 to $1823 per ounce.

Each December, Argus surveys its team of analysts, seeking their best ideas for the upcoming year. The Argus Research team draws on its experience (the average analyst has 18 years of Wall Street experience and 10 year at Argus), as well as the company's proprietary six-point research framework and earnings and valuation models to make the calls. Argus analysts cover the waterfront (every sector from Energy to Healthcare to Consumer to Technology), so each sector is represented. This year's list includes some long-time favorites, as well as some recent upgrades and new initiations. The list includes mostly large-caps and mid-caps, and both growth and value stocks. We will be going over the list in more detail during our January webinar and detailing why each stock has been selected by the covering analyst. In the interim, more information on each of these BUY-rated stocks is available on our website.

Sector Map 2022: New Normal, or a One-Off?

Monday Tee-Up: Housing, Consumers, Manufacturing

onday Tee-Up: Housing, Consumers, Manufacturing

Stocks fell sharply on Tuesday morning, reversing Monday's gains as the S&P 500 again moved closer to bear market territory. Snap shares dropped 40% after the social media company warned of a deteriorating macroeconomic environment and cut its second-quarter revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance. On the housing front, new single-family home sales fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 591,000 in April, down from a revised 709,000 in March and well below the consensus forecast of 750,000. The Dow fell 0.8%, the S&P 1.7%, and the Nasdaq 2.8%. Crude oil traded near $110 per barrel, while gold rose $20 to $1868 per ounce.

Last week, as markets reacted to developments in Ukraine and the S&P 500 fell briefly to levels last seen in May 2021, many corporate insiders were in a bullish mood, scooping up shares at seemingly discounted prices. The overall Insider Index from Vickers Stock Research (which looks at six months of trading activity) has improved to -14.76, its best reading since November 2020. The index is drawing ever closer to -14.00, which marks the move from bearish to neutral sentiment for this long-term barometer. Bullish sentiment kicks in over +5.00.

This edition features Broadridge's potential, trends in utility companies, new coverage of Datadog, and Eastman, Atlassian, and Comcast.

Stocks reversed their decline on Tuesday morning as investors weighed testimony by Fed Chair Powell before the Senate. According to Mr. Powell, the Fed will raise rates to curb prices if it needs to. The 10-year Treasury yields held stable at 1.76%. The Dow rose 0.2%, the S&P rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq was up 1.3%. Crude oil traded near $81 per barrel, while gold rose $17 to $1816 per ounce.

Stocks rose on Tuesday morning as investors weighed earnings reports from Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble, and new housing market data. Johnson & Johnson shares rose more than 2% following mixed 3Q results and higher full-year earnings guidance. P&G shares fell after the company topped fiscal 1Q consensus estimates but maintained its full-year guidance to reflect the impact of rising costs. Housing starts fell a greater-than-expected 1.6% in September to an annualized 1.555 million units. Building permits dropped a sharper 7.7%, compared to the consensus call for a 2.4% decline. The Dow rose 0.4%, the S&P 0.5%, and the Nasdaq 0.5%. Crude oil traded near $82.50 per barrel, while gold rose $7 to $1772 per ounce.

Stocks edged higher on Monday morning amid a new round of earnings reports and housing market data. Investors also looked ahead to the Federal Reserve's meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Commerce Department said that U.S. new home sales fell 6.6% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000 units, below the Reuters consensus forecast of 800,000. The Dow rose 0.1%, the S&P 0.2%, and the Nasdaq 0.1%. Crude oil traded near $72 per barrel, while gold fell $3 to $1799 per ounce.

Stocks kept the momentum going in April, and are now up almost 12%, including dividends, in the year-to-date. Our analysts have been progressing through earnings season, and have come across many stocks in coverage that have approached target prices. We set target prices through our valuation framework, which includes analysis of historical multiples, peer multiples, future dividends, and cash flows. After adjusting the models for the latest earnings and dividend information -- most of which has been good -- here are some of the stocks on which we have raised target prices over the past month. All stocks are rated BUY at Argus.

The stock market was flat to down last week. Tech stocks and blue chips performed similarly, with tech narrowly outperforming. During Friday's session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 186 points, or 0.54%. The S&P 500 was down 0.72%, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.85%. For the week, the DJIA was down 169 points, or 0.50%, the S&P 500 was up 0.02%, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.39%. Year-to-date, the DJIA is up 10.68%, the S&P 500 is up 11.32%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 8.34%.

Stocks rose again on Monday morning, continuing their recent rally, amid optimism about federal stimulus spending, the ongoing vaccine rollout, and the decline in new U.S. coronavirus cases. Prior to the open, 59% of S&P 500 companies had reported 4Q earnings, according to FactSet, and 81% of these companies had topped expectations. The Dow rose 0.4%, the S&P 0.3%, and the Nasdaq 0.4%. Crude oil traded near $58 per barrel, while gold rose $26 to $1839 per ounce.