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: A Busy, Busy Week

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 major indices bolted higher on Monday, January 8, after last week's scare. The S&P 500 rose 1.4%, the Nasdaq and Nasdaq 100 both popped a bit over 2%, the S&P 400 added 1.3%, and the Russell 2000 jumped 1.8%. But market breadth did not match the strength of the indices, with NYSE advances-declines at 1,576, NYSE advancing issues/total issues at 74%, and NYSE up volume/total volume at only 64%. There were a number of smaller stocks on the NYSE that fell on huge volume (40-50 million shares), so the volume stats may have been skewed by issues that simply don't matter to the broader 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 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.

U.S. equities recovered most of their decline on Thursday to finish nearly flat. Weekly employment data pointed to a still tight labor market. First-time jobless claims rose by 2,000 to 207,000 for the week ended September 30, but were slightly below the Reuters consensus forecast of 210,000. Job cuts also declined on a month-to-month basis in September. The 10-year Treasury yield was slightly lower than Wednesday's 16-year high. The S&P 500 fell 0.1%, the Dow 0.03% and the Nasdaq was down $0.1%. Crude oil closed at $82.56 per barrel and gold fell $0.50 to $1834.30 per ounce.

Vickers Stock Research, a subsidiary of Argus Research Group, tracks and analyzes insider trading and institutional stock ownership trends. Institutions must file a Form 13F to report their holdings, and it is due 45 days after the end of calendar quarters. So these forms have now come in from 2Q23. We like to review the 13Fs of major activist investors, including Carl Icahn, Trian Fund Management, Jana Partners, and ValueAct Holdings, among others, in order to determine their core holdings and new purchases. Activist investing has evolved in recent years and is now less about generating a short-term return on an underpriced stock and more about achieving long-term returns through an active management/investor partnership. Activists have made progress in the past year with high-profile investments into companies such as Fedex and Union Pacific. According to Vickers, here are some recent new purchases and key holdings of activist investors, as well as other high-profile money managers such as Warren Buffet of Berkshire Hathaway and Ken Griffin of Citadel Advisors LLC.

Can the major indices rally when the largest stock (Apple, AAPL) declines? AAPL was smacked by 4.8% on Friday and pulled the major indices lower. Yesterday, AAPL fell another 1.7%, but the major indices posted decent gains. By the way, AAPL is 7.5% of the S&P 500 and 11% of the Nasdaq 100. AAPL lost its 50-day average on Friday, the first time the stock has been below that average since January. It's been quite a run, from $125 early this year to $196 at the end of August; since March, the stock has been in a steady advance, getting support from its 10-day and 21-day exponential moving averages (EMA) the entire time.

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.

Sentiment has done a complete flip-flop since October 2022 and February 2023. The smart-money sentiment indicators are very bearish toward stocks while the dumb-money indicators are very bullish. We saw this in the first half of 2021, when the market did very well, as it continued to rebound from the pandemic. The last two times this occurred were in 11/2021, near the top of the bull market, and in 2/2023, which was followed by a decent pullback.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning as investors awaited the minutes of the latest FOMC meeting, which should provide additional insight into the Fed's thinking about a potential rate hike later this month. Factory order data was weaker than expected. The Commerce Department said that orders rose 0.3% in May. The result matched the 0.3% increase in April but missed the Reuters consensus forecast of 0.8% growth. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.1%. Crude oil rose more than 2% to $71.50 per barrel, while gold fell slightly to $1928 per ounce.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning as investors awaited the minutes of the latest FOMC meeting, which should provide additional insight into the Fed's thinking about a potential rate hike later this month. Factory order data was weaker than expected. The Commerce Department said that orders rose 0.3% in May. The result matched the 0.3% increase in April but missed the Reuters consensus forecast of 0.8% growth. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.1%. Crude oil rose more than 2% to $71.50 per barrel, while gold fell slightly to $1928 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.

If you want to talk about a split stock market, May was the perfect example! Technology dominated -- and that's an understatement. Meanwhile, most of the other S&P 500 sectors served up woeful performances. But because Technology has a heavy weighting in the broad-based indices, those indices were able to log minor gains for the month (which is quite an accomplishment).

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.

Our list this week identifies companies that received an Argus target-price increase in April. As the stock prices of these companies approached their target prices, Argus analysts saw those prices going even higher. We are in the thick of earnings season and our analysts are scouring quarterly reports to evaluate how the companies they follow are doing. With economists busy analyzing economic data to determine whether the economy might slip into recession, companies have been attending to their businesses. Some are weathering current economic conditions better than others. The economic pressures are real - including rising interest rates, inflation, the strong dollar, and wavering consumer spending patterns. These stressors are on top of normal competitive pressures, as companies fight to sell their products and services, outmaneuver peers, and make profits. Looking back at April, our analysts found companies where the business outlook is solid - and went through the mechanics of our valuation framework to adjust target prices upwards. Our framework includes analysis of historical multiples, peer multiples, and future dividends and cash flows. Here are the stocks on which we raised target prices in April. All are rated BUY at Argus.

Monday Tee Up: CPI and Earnings Season

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.

In this edition, global oil inventories face future; feeling the internet's backbone; and initiating coverage of Qualys; and Lithium Americas, Bausch & Lomb and Macy's.

In this edition, railroads may be in for a bumpy ride; ESG has some opportunities; biotechs innovate; and Constellation Brands, Autodesk, and Tencent.

In this edition, railroads may be in for a bumpy ride; ESG has some opportunities; biotechs innovate; and Constellation Brands, Autodesk, and Tencent.

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.

In this edition, Manulife Financial Gets a Second Life, Happy New Year for MSC, Tesla's FVE Trimmed, and Constellation Brands, Ambev, and Simon Property Group

Stocks fell sharply on Thursday as stronger-than-expected labor market data pointed to continued tight monetary policy from the Federal Reserve. Payroll provider ADP said that U.S. companies added 235,000 jobs in December, up from 182,000 a month earlier and well above the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 150,000. Meanwhile, the Labor Department said that first-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell by 19,000 to 204,000 for the week ended December 31, below the consensus of 225,000. The data came ahead of the government's December employment report on Friday morning. The consensus calls for the addition of 200,000 new payroll jobs, down from 263,000 in November. The Dow fell 1.02%, the S&P 1.16%, and the Nasdaq 1.47%. Crude oil traded near $74 per barrel, while gold fell to $1838 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.

Monday Tee Up: Jobs, Inflation, and GDP

Stocks were mostly lower Thursday morning following further hawkish remarks from Fed officials. Weekly jobless claims were higher than expected at 219,000 claims following the prior week's downwardly revised reading of 190,000 claims. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P 0.2%, while the Nasdaq was up 0.1%. Crude oil traded above $88 per barrel, while gold fell $1 to $1719 per ounce.

The latest Consumer Price Index report again showed broad-based inflation pressures in the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 9.1% increase in overall inflation (year-over-year) in June, up from 8.6% in May and driven by energy prices that were 42% higher, new car prices that were 11% higher, food prices that were 10% higher, and transportation prices that popped by 9%. The only category that has not soared out of control this year has been Medical Care Commodities and Services, where prices are increasing at a still-rapid but more-normal 4.8% rate. Outside of Energy, rates of change moderated last month for a handful of categories. Indeed, the core all-items less food and energy index has risen at a 5.9% pace over the past year, down from the 6.0% pace reported for the past month. Crude oil prices have fallen 20% from early-year highs and we expect energy prices to decline in the weeks and months ahead. Even so, the Fed meets later this month and still has a lot of work in front of it to bring core inflation down to its target of 2.0%. We look for another 75-basis-point rate hike by the central bank in July, and further hikes at future meetings as the Fed tries to bring inflation under control.

Stocks fell again on Friday morning, extending recent losses amid continued concerns about inflation, rate hikes, and a potential recession. Manufacturing data was weaker than expected. The Institute for Supply Management said that its national factory index fell to 53.0 in June, down from 56.1 in May and below the Reuters consensus forecast of 54.9. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P 0.2%, and the Nasdaq 0.2%. Crude oil rose more than 1% to $107.50 per barrel, while gold traded near $1802 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 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.

Stocks finished higher on Thursday after recovering from sharp midday losses. Investors continued to assess the Fed's plans for interest rate hikes and balance sheet reduction, along with the impact of the war in Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia. On the employment front, first-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell to 166,000 for the week ended April 2, down from 171,000 a week earlier and below the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 200,000. However, continuing claims rose to 1.523 million from 1.506 million a week earlier and were well above consensus. The Dow rose 0.25%, the S&P 0.43%, and the Nasdaq 0.06%. Crude oil traded near $97 per barrel, while gold rose $12 to $1935 per ounce.

Stocks fell again on Thursday amid continued concerns about a more rapid increase in interest rates following the release of the Fed's meeting minutes on Wednesday. On the employment front, first-time jobless claims rose to 207,000, up from the prior week and above the consensus forecast. Continuing claims rose to 1.754 million, also up from the prior week and above consensus. The data came ahead of the government's December employment report on Friday morning. The Reuters consensus calls for the addition of 400,000 new payroll jobs after an increase of 210,000 in November, and a slight decrease in the unemployment rate to 4.1%. The Dow fell 0.47%, the S&P 0.10%, and the Nasdaq 0.13%. Crude oil rose 2% to $79.50 per barrel, while gold fell $38 to $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.

Stocks were mixed on Friday morning as investors digested the disappointing jobs report. The Labor Department reported that September nonfarm payrolls rose by 194,000, far below the consensus estimate of 475,00 and down from August's revised 366,000. However, the unemployment rate improved to 4.8% while the average hourly earnings rose 0.6% month-over month. The Dow rose 0.1%, the Nasdaq 0.2%, and the S&P 500 remained flat. Crude oil rose above $79 per barrel, while gold traded near $1760 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.

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 Thursday morning following new weekly employment data. The Labor Department said that first-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell to 364,000 for the week ended June 26, down from 415,000 a week earlier and below the Bloomberg consensus of 388,000. On the earnings front, Walgreen shares fell despite stronger-than-expected fiscal 3Q results and an increase in management's full-year earnings forecast. The Dow rose 0.2%, the S&P rose 0.3%, and the Nasdaq was flat. Crude oil rose more than 2% to $75 per barrel, while gold traded near $1777 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 were mixed on Friday morning, with gains in the Financial and Healthcare sectors and declines in Communication Services and Energy. The Labor Department reported that its producer price index rose 1.0% in March, up from 0.5% growth in February and above the consensus forecast of 0.5%. The PPI also rose 4.2% from the prior year, up from 2.8% growth in February and the strongest year-over-year increase since September 2011. The Dow rose 0.3%, the S&P rose 0.2%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.1%. Crude oil traded near $59.50 per barrel, while gold fell $14 to $1744 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.