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 fell on Thursday on hotter-than-expected inflation readings. In February, headline PPI rose 0.6%, up from 0.2% in January and ahead of the expected 0.3% increase -- with nearly two-thirds of the increase attributed to a rise in prices for final-demand goods. A 4.4% rise in energy prices during the month was the main factor in the increase in final-demand goods, contributing over one-third of the increase. PPI rose 0.4% in February, down from 0.6% last month but ahead of the expected 0.2% increase. U.S. retail sales in February were up 0.6%, following the 0.8% decline in January. The Dow fell 0.2%, the S&P 500 was down 0.3%, and the Nasdaq lost 0.1%. Crude oil traded above $81 per barrel, while gold fell $18 to $2162 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.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

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.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

Stocks declined on Wednesday morning on rising oil prices as fears that persistent inflation will keep the rates higher. The ISM non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 54.5, compared with expectations of 52.5. In other news, Apple fell after a report that China has banned government officials from using iPhones for work. The S&P 500 fell 0.8%, the Dow 0.6% and the Nasdaq was down 1%. Crude oil traded near $87 per barrel and gold fell $11 to $1941.

Stocks declined on Wednesday morning on rising oil prices as fears that persistent inflation will keep the rates higher. The ISM non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 54.5, compared with expectations of 52.5. In other news, Apple fell after a report that China has banned government officials from using iPhones for work. The S&P 500 fell 0.8%, the Dow 0.6% and the Nasdaq was down 1%. Crude oil traded near $87 per barrel and gold fell $11 to $1941.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

Stocks rose modestly on Friday morning, led by the Technology and Consumer Discretionary sectors. Tesla and GM shares rose on news that GM would adopt Tesla's charging standard for electric vehicles; drivers of GM vehicles will also have access to the Tesla Supercharger Network beginning in 2024. Ford and Tesla have already announced a similar partnership. The Dow was flat, the S&P rose 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.3%. Crude oil traded near $71 per barrel, while gold fell slightly to $1978 per ounce.

Stocks fell on Friday morning following the first round of earnings reports from major banks and new retail sales data. JPMorgan shares rose 7% after the company posted a 52% year-over-year increase in first-quarter earnings, helped by strong net interest income. Citigroup also rose following better-than-expected results, while Wells Fargo shares were flat. The Commerce Department reported that U.S. retail sales fell 1.0% in March after a 0.2% decline in February. The Reuters consensus forecast had called for a smaller decline of 0.4%. The Dow fell 0.5%, the S&P 0.3%, and the Nasdaq 0.4%. Crude oil rose to $83 per barrel, while gold dropped $42 to $2013 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 fell on Thursday morning following more hot inflation data. The Labor Department said that its producer price index for final demand rose 0.7% in January after a 0.2% decline in December. The increase was the largest since last June and topped the Reuters consensus forecast of 0.4% growth. Year-over-year growth in the PPI slowed to 6.0% from 6.5% in December, but exceeded the consensus forecast of 5.4%. Housing market data was weak, as January housing starts fell 4.5% from the prior month and missed the consensus forecast. The Dow fell 0.7%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 0.6%. Crude oil fell slightly to $78 per barrel, while gold fell $3 to $1843 per ounce.

Stocks rallied on Friday morning as investors looked past weak 3Q results and disappointing guidance from Amazon. Energy shares rose, as both Exxon and Chevron reported much stronger-than-expected earnings. On the housing front, the National Association of Realtors said that its pending home sales index fell 10.2% to 79.5 in September. The Reuters consensus forecast had called for a smaller decline of 5.0%. The Dow rose 1.6%, the S&P 1.3%, and the Nasdaq 1.4%. Crude oil fell 1% to $88 per barrel, while gold traded near $1645 per ounce.

Monday Tee-Up: Housing, Consumers, Manufacturing

onday Tee-Up: Housing, Consumers, Manufacturing

While the major stock indices were mixed to a bit lower on Wednesday, we think it was a win for the bulls following a very hot June CPI print of 9.1%. Today, stocks will again be tested with the June PPI report at 8:30 am ET. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 fell to a low of 3,759 early on, down 1.6% -- but cooler heads prevailed, and the index finished with a 0.5% decline. The Nasdaq and the Nasdaq 100 fell only 0.2%.

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 fell on Wednesday morning ahead of the Federal Reserve's afternoon policy statement and comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. On the employment front, payroll provider ADP said that U.S. companies added 247,000 payroll jobs in April, down from 479,000 in March and below the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 383,000. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P 0.6%, and the Nasdaq 1.5%. Crude oil rose more than 3% to $106 per barrel, while gold dropped $3 to $1868 per ounce.

During the current rally, we have seen improvement in market breadth indicators -- although some remain bearish while others are only neutral. In the S&P 500, 62% of stocks are above their 50-day average (all breadth data as of the 3/25 close) from a February low of 24%, while 53% are above their 200-day, up from a recent low of 36% (which was the weakest level since June 2020). Generally, large market declines happen when this measure falls and stays below 45%, so we would like to see more improvement for the average stock in the S&P 500.

Stocks fell on Tuesday morning as Russia escalated the crisis in Ukraine by sending troops into two Eastern breakaway regions. Meanwhile, consumer confidence data fell to a five-month low. The Conference Board said that its consumer confidence index fell to 110.5 in February from 111.1 in January, though the reading was slightly above the Reuters consensus forecast. The Dow fell 1.0%, the S&P 0.8%, and the Nasdaq 1.3%. Crude oil rose to nearly $93 per barrel, while gold traded near $1900 per ounce.

What is it about Thursdays? The S&P 500 has lost ground eight Thursdays in a row going back to December 30. Moving on from this meaningless but interesting data point, the market took another shot to the midsection -- with the "500" slumping 2.1%, the Nasdaq cratering 2.9%, and the Nasdaq 100 surrendering 3%. Considering the size of the index losses, the NYSE advance decline line could have been worse than the final reading of -1,736 (although that isn't so good).

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) closed at $87.15/barrel on Thursday after hitting $88.54 intraday, the highest level since October 2014. The next Fibonacci extension based on the ABC reversal that crude traced out in December targets $91. WTI has cycled into mildly overbought territory on a daily basis and the move since late December has been pretty steep -- so this action appear to be getting a little long in the tooth.

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 Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning as investors awaited the details of the Fed's tapering plan. Employment data was stronger than expected. Payroll provider ADP said that U.S. private employers added 571,000 payroll jobs in October, up from 523,000 in September and above the Reuters consensus forecast of 400,000. The Dow fell 0.2%, the S&P fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.2%. Crude oil traded near $81.50 per barrel, while gold fell $20 to $1770 per ounce.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

Stocks fell on Monday morning amid geopolitical concerns and weaker-than-expected Chinese economic data. The Chinese National Bureau of Statistics said that industrial production expanded at a 6.4% rate in July, down from 8.3% in June and below the Reuters consensus forecast of 7.8% growth. Retail sales growth of 8.5% was also down from 12.1% in June and below the consensus estimate. The Dow fell 0.2%, the S&P 0.4%, and the Nasdaq 0.9%. Crude oil fell nearly 3% to $66.50 per barrel, while gold traded near $1788 per ounce.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

The April nonfarm payrolls report badly missed consensus expectations and signaled that the economic recovery is far from automatic, or even assured. Stocks rose, suggesting that the fundamental event of a major data report can have far-reaching technical impact in the market.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

Stocks edged higher on Tuesday morning amid continued optimism about the Biden administration's stimulus plan and further declines in new coronavirus cases. On the earnings front, CVS Health topped the 4Q consensus EPS forecast, though earnings fell sharply from the prior year. The Dow rose 0.2%, the S&P 0.1%, and the Nasdaq 0.1%. Crude oil traded near $60 per barrel, while gold fell $10 to $1813 per ounce.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

This edition features senior housing; autonomous vehicle suppliers; our Berkshire Hathaway outlook; and notes from Kraft Heinz, Asbury Automotive Group, and new coverage Warner Music Group.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.

Stocks rose strongly on Wednesday morning despite the still uncertain outcome of a much closer-than-expected presidential election. Still, by mid-morning, Joe Biden had opened narrow leads in the swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin and stood to benefit from as yet uncounted mail-in ballots in these and other key states. Wall Street also focused on the Senate, where Republicans were likely to remain in control with a narrow majority. The Dow rose 2.1%, the S&P 2.6%, and the Nasdaq 3.7%. Crude oil traded near $39 per barrel, while gold fell $8 to $1903 per ounce.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Large Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. Stocks of large-cap companies where neither growth nor value characteristics predominate. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap.