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 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.

In this edition, we say viva Veeva; the China housing market is building up to something positive; computer software has a great future; and Sensata, Sunny Optical, and Onsemi.

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 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.

Economy, Earnings Shaping up as Tailwinds for Early 2024

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.

Dividend income is often overlooked amid gyrations in the stock market. But dividends are an important element of return. Dividend income accounted for 42% of the total return of the S&P 500 between 1930 and 2012, according to Hartford Funds. And that's just the average. In some of those decades, dividends accounted for more than 50% of total returns and even 100% of returns. More recently, dividends have accounted for a smaller portion of returns, at around 15%-20%. Not all dividends are created equal, though, and it is important to understand the difference between the two main categories: high-yield stocks and dividend-growth stocks. High-yield stocks typically have dividends that pay out in the 5%-8% range. Though the income appears attractive, the share prices of high-yield stocks may be at risk. Dividend-growth stocks typically have lower yields, often in the 1.0%-2.5% range. But the lower-yielding dividends are not likely to be a huge component of cash flow, leaving management teams with other value-additive options for deploying cash. Further, while the yields are not as high, management teams may be more likely to boost the payouts over time, as earnings grow.

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.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction -- and at the moment, that is exactly what is happening with insider sentiment. Major stock indices continue to rise and insider-sentiment indicators from Vickers Stock Research continue to fall. That said, the current action is well within historical norms; it tells us that insiders likely don't see much low-hanging fruit and that the recent run higher in stocks may be getting a bit frothy. But it doesn't suggest it is time to run for the exits. Vickers' broadest sentiment reading, the Total Eight-Week Sell/Buy Ratio, is currently 2.45 and still within the neutral territory between 2.00 and 2.50. Since early October, the ratio has floated in the neutral zone and, like now, has flirted several time with a break into bearish territory above 2.50. But so far, it has not. On an exchange basis, the NYSE eight-week remains neutral at 2.37, while the Nasdaq eight-week has pushed into bearish territory with a reading of 2.61. But considering the Nasdaq's significant outperformance compared to the S&P 500, we aren't shocked that insiders on the exchange are taking some money off the table.

Sustainable Impact Investing, or ESG investing, is gaining traction not only with Argus Research clients but also with the global investment community. BlackRock CEO Lawrence Fink, who oversees approximately $9 trillion in assets, announced in January 2020 that his firm would be investing in companies that are making progress on sustainability. He doubled down in his January 2021 letter, calling on company managements to disclose their plans for making their businesses "compatible with a net-zero economy" by 2050. As assets have flowed in over the past 40 years, Sustainable Impact Investing has evolved. The discipline, originally known as Socially Responsible Investing, focused at first on excluding companies that conducted business in South Africa, or participated in industries such as tobacco, alcohol, and firearms. Performance of these initial strategies lagged, and the approach has been modified. Now, instead of merely identifying industries to avoid, the discipline promotes "sustainable" business practices across all industries that can have an "impact" on global issues such as climate, hunger, poverty, disease, shelter, and workers' rights.

Sustainable Impact Investing, or ESG investing, is gaining traction not only with Argus Research clients but also with the global investment community. BlackRock CEO Lawrence Fink, who oversees approximately $9 trillion in assets, announced in January 2020 that his firm would be investing in companies that are making progress on sustainability. He doubled down in his January 2021 letter, calling on company managements to disclose their plans for making their businesses "compatible with a net-zero economy" by 2050. As assets have flowed in over the past 40 years, Sustainable Impact Investing has evolved. The discipline, originally known as Socially Responsible Investing, focused at first on excluding companies that conducted business in South Africa, or participated in industries such as tobacco, alcohol, and firearms. Performance of these initial strategies lagged, and the approach has been modified. Now, instead of merely identifying industries to avoid, the discipline promotes "sustainable" business practices across all industries that can have an "impact" on global issues such as climate, hunger, poverty, disease, shelter, and workers' rights.

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, 3M's moat narrows; cybersecurity firms shine; P&C insurers' outlooks differ; and Hanesbrands, Grab Holdings, and Evergy.

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.

Investing in the Cloud is not for the faint of heart -- but we see upside. Alphabet lost a steep 10% in one day last week after investors expressed their disappointment over growth in its cloud business. That same day, Microsoft surged after reporting better-than-expected growth in its Azure OpenAI cloud service. The race is on, and some will win and some will lose along the way. But the potential pie is big. In the internet era, in which digital commerce complements or has supplanted physical commerce, the information technology needs of all enterprises have grown. The traditional on-premises approach has been rendered inefficient, given that a user's IT needs may fluctuate at any time. Into this void, the Cloud has arrived. In Cloud services models, an enterprise's IT needs can be matched and scaled in real time. Through the Cloud, enterprises consume only as much computing, storage, and networking bandwidth as they need. For a major event, this allows massive scaling of IT resources beyond the restraints of on-premises implementation. For periods in which operations are steady, the Cloud services model allows for a needs-only application. The leading providers of Cloud services tend to be large Technology and Communication Services companies that provide many goods and services distinct from or adjacent to their Cloud businesses. Growth has been impressive for this group. Collectively, participants in the Cloud eco-system grew revenue at a 19% compound annual growth rate from 2016 to 2022. Still, the line isn't straight up. While Cloud services grew at a 23% growth rate from 2020 to 2021, the average growth rate slowed to 15.3% for 2022. This slowdown in revenue growth reflected impediments to normal business activity from the supply-chain crisis, inflation, and rising interest rates. Even so, demand for Cloud services has held up relatively well, given that Cloud transition is a long-tailed process and that Cloud transformation has become an imperative. Here is a list of U.S.-based companies followed by Argus and that we think are in position to take advantage of this secular trend.

Stocks fell on Thursday, extending Wednesday's selloff, as investors weighed a wide range of earnings reports, a tentative labor agreement between Ford and the UAW, and stronger-than-expected GDP data. Shares of Meta fell 3.7%, along with Apple (down 2.5%) and Microsoft (down 3.8%). The 10-year yield pulled back to 4.84%. The Dow fell 0.8%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 1.8%. Crude oil fell settled at $83.63 per barrel, while gold closed near $1993 per ounce.

Stocks fell on Wednesday morning amid rising geopolitical tensions and mixed earnings reports from major companies. Investors also weighed new housing market data. The Commerce Department said that overall housing starts rose 7% to an annualized 1.358 million in September, helped by strong growth in multifamily housing. Housing starts for single-family homes rose a lesser 3.2%. In China, GDP data was stronger than expected. The National Statistics Bureau said that the Chinese economy expanded at a 4.9% rate in the third quarter, above the Reuters consensus forecast of 4.4% though down from 6.3% growth in 2Q23. On a quarter-over-quarter basis, GDP rose 1.3%, up from 0.5% growth in 2Q. On the earnings front, Procter & Gamble posted strong 3Q results, while Morgan Stanley reported a 9% year-over-year decline in third-quarter earnings, hurt by weakness in its investment banking business. The Dow fell 0.6%, the S&P 0.8%, and the Nasdaq 1.0%. Crude oil rose 1% to $88 per barrel, while gold jumped $32 to $1968 per ounce.

In this edition, analyzing new bank regulatory proposals; PFA may shake up atrial fibrillation ablation market; CEO change at Dollar General may make sense to frustrated investors; and Microsoft, Wells Fargo, and Anta Sports Products.

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 growth prospects for the artificial intelligence (AI) universe are impressive, yet hard to determine. Argus has derived a model of the size and scope of the global AI industry, based on our coverage of the major publicly-traded players and most of the mid-tier players, along with our industry analysts' knowledge of private players. We estimate the global AI industry amounted to about $90-$100 billion in 2021, and expect it to grow at a 40% CAGR through 2030, when it is expected to reach $1.8 trillion in annual revenue. We expect annual growth to decelerate from the low- to mid-40% range in immediate years to the mid-30% range for years toward the end of the survey period. But determining a realistic estimate for the size of the industry is a challenge. Even for an industry that promises to redefine measuring tools, there is no measurable unit of AI output comparable to barrels of oil or tons of steel. As well, much of AI development occurs within labs and at universities, and the output is measured in tangible progress against objectives, not dollars or units of output. In the corporate world, nearly all the AI pure-play companies service micro-niches, have little measurable revenue, and are deeply unprofitable. For our list this week, we take a big picture view of three areas where AI applications are developing. In Big Tech, we believe much of the revenue and most of the profitability from AI is attributable to several giant U.S. and a few international companies that operate primarily in growth sectors such as Technology, Communication Services, and Consumer Discretionary. Next, we note that China is also a hub of AI development, with companies like Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent (though Argus follows only Alibaba). Finally, Niche Tech has significant AI activity among companies pursuing advances in IoT, vehicle electrification, autonomous driving, automation and connectivity solutions for manufacturing, warehousing, construction, and other areas. Here are featured companies followed by Argus in those three categories.

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 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.

Argus Research believes that ESG investing is a smart option to consider. Companies committed to ESG values typically reflect positive traits from management which often translate into better business. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing has come a long way and continues to grow. According to the Global Sustainable Investment Association, global assets under management in ESG strategies were $40 trillion in 2020, up from $23 trillion in 2016 and on track for $50 trillion by 2025. The discipline, originally known as Socially Responsible Investing, focused at first on excluding companies that conducted business in South Africa, or participated in industries such as tobacco, alcohol, and firearms. In time, the list of industries to avoid increased to include soft drinks, fast food, and oil and gas, among numerous others. But performance of these initial strategies lagged. Now, instead of merely identifying industries to avoid, the discipline promotes "sustainable" business practices across industries that have an "impact" on global issues such as climate, hunger, poverty, disease, shelter, and workers' rights. At Argus Research, we track ESG progress at specific companies as part of our Management analysis -- one of the six points in our proprietary Six-Point System for fundamental research. In addition to reviewing and measuring the ESG proclamations from companies under coverage, we partner with an ESG research firm, JUST Capital, and leverage its analysis and insights. JUST Capital's mission is to drive measurable corporate change to create a stakeholder-centric form of capitalism that reflects the priorities of the American public. JUST utilizes a combination of data-driven research and strategic engagement in an attempt to shift norms and practices in corporate America and the financial markets. JUST ESG Custom Ratings rank stocks in the Russell 1000 on criteria using a scale of 1-100. Drawing on the JUST Capital rankings, we have compiled focused lists of companies followed by Argus Research that are in position to have a "sustainable impact" on the environment, workplace, community, and marketplace. These firms have exemplary records of delivering on the bottom line, and also in improving the environment, contributing to community relations, and showing respect for their employees. We also have a theme model portfolio based in part on ESG criteria. To build the Argus U.S. ESG Theme Model Portfolio, we apply financial concepts such as industry diversification, income generation, risk reduction, and growth at a reasonable price to our various lists. In addition, all stocks must be on the Argus BUY list. For more on JUST Capital's criteria, please visit the JUST Capital website, www.justcapital.com. For more information on the Argus companies, please see our Analyst Reports at www.argusresearch.com. Here are some of the stocks that are currently in the Argus U.S. ESG Theme Model Portfolio.

Monday Tee Up: Labor (The Fed's Other Job)

Stocks were mixed on Tuesday morning following earnings from Bank of America and Morgan Stanley and new retail sales data. Bank of America shares rose 4% after the company reported strong 2Q earnings, helped by growth in net interest income. Morgan Stanley shares also rose, despite lower second-quarter earnings, after management projected generally stronger results in the second half of the year and in 2024. Retail sales were weaker than expected. The Commerce Department said that U.S. retail sales rose 0.2% in June, down from a revised 0.5% in May and below the Reuters consensus forecast of 0.5% growth. The Dow rose 0.8%, the S&P rose 0.2%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.2%. Crude oil traded near $75 per barrel, while gold jumped $28 to $1984 per ounce.

At the end of June, we talked about the important intermarket relationship between stocks and commodities vs. the U.S. Dollar Index (USD) and Treasury yields. Both the 5-year and 10-year Treasury yields have broken out of downward channels that have been in place since October 2022. These breakouts were fierce, reminiscent of that sweet sound a baseball bat makes hitting a — no doubt about it — home run. You know it's gone just by the sound!

Dividend income is often overlooked amid gyrations in the stock market. Thus far in 2023, market bulls are boasting about first-half S&P 500 returns that may top 15%. No one is very focused on the broad market index's 1.6% current yield. But dividends are an important element of return. Dividend income accounted for 42% of the total return of the S&P 500 between 1930 and 2012, according to Hartford Funds. And that's just the average. In some of those decades, dividends accounted for more than 50% of total returns and even 100% of returns. More recently, dividends have accounted for a smaller portion of returns, at around 15%-20%. In 2018, dividend payments softened the blow when most market indices declined as the Fed hiked rates. The pattern was repeated in 2022. Not all dividends are created equal, though, and it is important to understand the difference between the two main categories: high-yield stocks and dividend-growth stocks.

Sustainable Impact Investing, or ESG investing, is gaining traction not only with Argus Research clients but also with the global investment community. BlackRock CEO Lawrence Fink, who oversees approximately $9 trillion in assets, announced in January 2020 that his firm would be investing in companies that are making progress on sustainability. He doubled down in his January 2021 letter, calling on company managements to disclose their plans for making their businesses "compatible with a net-zero economy" by 2050. As assets have flowed in over the past 40 years, Sustainable Impact Investing has evolved. The discipline, originally known as Socially Responsible Investing, focused at first on excluding companies that conducted business in South Africa, or participated in industries such as tobacco, alcohol, and firearms. Performance of these initial strategies lagged, and the approach has been modified. Now, instead of merely identifying industries to avoid, the discipline promotes "sustainable" business practices across all industries that can have an "impact" on global issues such as climate, hunger, poverty, disease, shelter, and workers' rights.

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.

Even though the Federal Reserve continues to push the fed funds target rate higher, it looks like the whole yield curve, from the two-year to the 30-year, wants to break down yet again. We have seen this story before, as the entire curve remains sticky. Just like inflation.

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.

Earnings Season: A Little Better than Expected, But...

We recently raised our rating on the Technology sector to Over-Weight from Market-Weight. As interest rates start to fall, IT demand in enterprise and data center markets is holding up. And mounting interest in ChatGPT could herald the age of AI, which could be a huge industry driver. Over the long term, we expect the Technology sector to benefit from pervasive digitization across the economy, greater acceptance of transformative technologies, and the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). Healthy company and sector fundamentals are also positive. For individual companies, these include high cash levels, low debt, and broad international business exposure. The sector is outperforming the market thus far in 2023, with a gain of 12.4%. Tech underperformed the market in 2022, with a loss of 28.9%, and outperformed in 2021, with a gain of 33.4%. The P/E ratio on projected 2023 earnings is 23, above the market multiple. Earnings are expected to grow 14.5% in 2023 after having fallen 3.3% in 2022. Earnings rose 37.9% in 2021 and 7.7% in 2020. The sector's debt ratios are below the market average, as is the average dividend yield of 0.5%. Here is how we use our analysts' Technology sector ideas in our Focus List and Model Portfolios.

While we maintain our long-term neutral technical assessment, there are some positive developments from certain momentum indicators. These are weekly or monthly indicators and can take a long time to change from bullish to bearish and back again. As well, they don't whipsaws the way shorter-term measures can, which is a good thing. The one fault, if it is a fault, is that long-term momentum measures will never get you in at the bottom of an intermediate- to longer-term trend and will never get you out near the top of a rising trend. But this doesn't really concern us, as the most consistent money is made during the heart of a trend and not by trying to time tops and bottoms, which is a treacherous and very difficult undertaking.

Yesterday featured additional volatile price action, as a late-day buying spree by the bulls turned an ugly intraday reversal into very nice gains. On Monday, we talked about initial resistance that is between 3,940 and 3,950. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 (SPX) ran up to 3,937 before lunch, gave most of it back, and then rallied 45 points in the last 45 minutes of the trading session. The SPX gained 1.7%, the Nasdaq jumped 2.1%, and the Nasdaq 100 popped 2.3%. The short-term downtrend off the early February highs is still intact for the three indices, but it wouldn't take much to break the slide.

We are raising our intermediate-term technical outlook back to bullish from neutral. After breaking out of a bullish cup formation on February 1, and above chart resistance from the prior highs at 4,100, the S&P 500 (SPX) pulled right back to that level on Monday and again on an intraday basis on Tuesday. The index also fell right to short-term trendline support off the lows since January 20. The result was a picture-perfect bullish backtest of support and a very strong bounce.

In this edition, Malibu's shares look titanic, how to navigate the ESG landscape in 2023, pizza, restaurant margins under pressure, and Microsoft, Charter Communications and Roper Technologies.

Is the Fed Using the Right Playbook?

Fourth-Quarter 2022 Review and Outlook for 2023

The Portfolio Selector features the Argus Focus List, a group of 30 "best idea" stocks generated and regularly updated by Argus' analysts and investment policy committee. It also includes the director of research’s monthly investment strategy column, stock recommendations and sector picks, economic forecasts, and an asset allocation model. This month, the Focus List additions are American Express Co. (AXP); Skechers U S A, Inc. (SKX); Seagate Tech Hldgs Pl (STX); Netflix Inc (NFLX) and the Focus List deletions are JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM); Home Depot, Inc. (HD); Microsoft Corporation (MSFT); T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS).

A Hard 2022, an Uncertain 2023: Our Monthly Survey of the Economy, Interest Rates, and Stocks

Dividend income, an important element of total return, is often overlooked amid gyrations in the stock market. Between 1930 and 2012, dividend income accounted for 42% of the total return of the S&P 500, according to Hartford Funds. And that's just the average. In some decades, dividends accounted for more than 50% of total returns and even 100% of returns. More recently, dividends have accounted for 15%-20% of returns. Still, in 2018, dividend payments softened the blow when most market indices declined as the Federal Reserve hiked rates. The pattern was repeated in 2022 as well. Not all dividends are created equal, though, and it is important to understand the difference between the two main categories: high-yield stocks and dividend-growth stocks.

Stocks extended their losses on Friday morning after Thursday's sharp selloff. Purchasing managers' data was weaker than expected. S&P said that its flash U.S. Composite PMI, measuring both manufacturing and services, fell to 44.6 in December, down from a final reading of 46.4 in November and below the Reuters consensus forecast of 47.0. On the earnings front, Adobe shares rose 5% after the company reported better-than-expected fiscal 4Q earnings, helped by growth in annual recurring revenue. The Dow fell 1.0%, the S&P 1.0%, and the Nasdaq 0.6%. Crude oil traded near $74 per barrel, while gold rose $15 to $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.

Sustainable Impact Investing, or ESG investing, is gaining traction not only with Argus Research clients but also with the global investment community. BlackRock CEO Lawrence Fink, who oversees approximately $9 trillion in assets, announced in January 2020 that his firm would be investing in companies that are making progress on sustainability. He doubled down in his January 2021 letter, calling on company managements to disclose their plans for making their businesses "compatible with a net-zero economy" by 2050. As assets have flowed in over the past 40 years, Sustainable Impact Investing has evolved. The discipline, originally known as Socially Responsible Investing, focused at first on excluding companies that conducted business in South Africa, or participated in industries such as tobacco, alcohol, and firearms. Performance of these initial strategies lagged, and the approach has been modified. Now, instead of merely identifying industries to avoid, the discipline promotes "sustainable" business practices across all industries that can have an "impact" on global issues such as climate, hunger, poverty, disease, shelter, and workers' rights.

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. The retailers are out in force, with a massive marketing push to win consumer dollars during this key holiday shopping season. One dubious gift from 2022 is much lower stock prices. Just like retail merchandise, stocks seemingly are at a big discount right now. But investors must shop with care, focusing, in our opinion, on quality companies with solid finances, proven track records, and strong management teams. This week, we used the Argus Screening Tool to find a list of companies that appear to be low risk, have strong balance sheets, and seemingly represent undervalued opportunities. Specifically, we screened the Argus Universe of Coverage for companies with a BUY rating, a market cap over $8 billion, and with a HIGH financial strength rating from Argus. Then we sorted for those furthest away from their Argus 12-month target price (suggesting a deep discount). The following list is weighted towards Technology -- which is not surprising after the beating the sector has taken so far this year.

Both the potential onset of recession (if the economy is not in one already) and the sharp move higher in interest rates have pulled the foundation out from under the equity market in 2022. Few sectors have been spared, with only the Energy industry in the green on a year-to-date basis. The broad retrenchment has dragged down small-caps, mid-caps, large-caps, and even the mega-caps that had previously pushed stocks to new heights as the economy recovered from the pandemic. In our opinion, some of these world-class companies have been oversold. For our list this week, we have identified 11 BUY-rated large- or mega-cap companies across numerous industries that are selling at attractive valuations and are more than 20% below their 52-week highs.

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.

The only thing falling faster than stocks prices of late may be the sell/buy ratios from Vickers Stock Research. When stocks head south, it is, of course, a bad thing. But when the ratios from Vickers drop, good things often follow. Insiders typically sell shares 2.0- to 2.5-times more often than they buy shares. As such, the neutral range for the sell/buy ratios is 2.00 to 2.50; above 2.50 is bearish territory; and below 2.00 is bullish land. Ratios below 1.00 represent rarified territory, as they occur only when insiders are buying shares more often than they are selling. And that is where things are headed this 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 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 U.S. 10-year note has been on the rise since last week's more-hawkish comments from Fed Chairman Powell and other Fed governors. It is currently yielding 3.11%, near the midpoint of the recent trading range. After the Federal Reserve's 75-basis-point rate hike in June, the 10-year rose to a 52-week high of 3.48%, and trended lower until bottoming at 2.60% on August 1 (from mounting fears of recession and stalling economic growth).

Last week was the busiest of the quarter for earnings, with many sharp stock-price moves following above- or below-consensus results or changes in guidance. Through July 26, Refinitiv noted that 133 S&P 500 companies had reported earnings, with 76% beating expectations, above the long-term average of 66%. The blended (actual for those reporting and consensus for those still to report) growth rate is 6.2%, near the 5.6% expectation and indicating the "beats" have not been robust. But the sour mood coming into the quarter is being greeted with relief that profit shortfalls and lowered guidance are not rampant. Our analysts always look for companies that boost outlooks during earnings season. Raising guidance can be a catalyst for strong returns in the quarters ahead. Here is an initial list of BUY-rated companies in Argus coverage with raised guidance or increased outlooks during the 2Q22 EPS reporting season.

Earnings season continues today, with reports from Exxon, Procter & Gamble, and Abbvie. On Thursday, Apple and Amazon reported better-than-expected results after the bell. The major indices rose strongly despite weaker-than-expected GDP data, as the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy contracted at a 0.9% pace in 2Q. On the employment front, first-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell to 256,000 for the week ended July 23, down from 261,000 a week earlier. The Dow rose 1.03%, the S&P 1.21%, and the Nasdaq 1.08%. Crude oil rose slightly to $97 per barrel, while gold rose 2% to $1773 per ounce.

Rapidly rising inflation in 2022 has knocked the stock market into a bear market. While growth strategies have suffered the most, value strategies also have declined. Even bond prices are lower year-to-date. Volatility, which has dropped from the highs of 2020, still has not returned to pre-COVID levels. Is it time for investors to cash in their chips? Perhaps not yet. We note that investors exit the stock market at their own peril, as long-term returns from equities consistently have outpaced long-term returns from other asset classes, such as fixed income and cash. As well, those returns are from eras when the 10-year Treasury bond yield was much higher than the current 3.0% level. So what's a potential equity strategy for investors amid all the uncertainty? Argus believes that Min-Vol is an all-weather strategy that is timely in any investing climate. Academic literature and, more to the point, returns history indicate that Min-Vol can deliver market-matching returns on an absolute basis and superior returns on a risk-adjusted basis over various time periods. We have designed a portfolio of companies followed by Argus Research analysts that are BUY-rated and have impressive Min-Vol characteristics of low beta, high yield, high market cap, strong balance sheets, and low risk profiles. Some of the stocks featured in the portfolio are listed below.

Stocks fell sharply on Monday morning as investors awaited the start of earnings season later this week. Twitter shares fell 8% after Elon Musk said that he would back out of his deal to acquire the company. For its part, the Twitter board said that it was committed to completing the transaction, setting the stage for a long legal fight. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P 1.0%, and the Nasdaq 1.9%. Crude oil fell more than 2% to $102 per barrel, while gold traded near $1737 per ounce.

Dividend income, an important element of total return, is often overlooked amid gyrations in the stock market. Between 1930 and 2012, dividend income accounted for 42% of the total return of the S&P 500, according to Hartford Funds. And that's just the average. In some decades, dividends accounted for more than 50% of total returns and even 100% of returns. More recently, dividends have accounted for 15%-20% of returns. Still, in 2018, dividend payments softened the blow when most market indices declined as the Federal Reserve hiked rates. The pattern is being repeated in 2022 as well. Not all dividends are created equal, though, and it is important to understand the difference between the two main categories: high-yield stocks and dividend-growth stocks.

This is among our most important themes for 2022, and stretches across industries. We think companies that consistently raise their dividends at a double-digit rate are sending off three important signals amid the recent market volatility: 1) the company's balance sheet is strong enough to pay a dividend; 2) management is focused on providing shareholder returns; and 3) management is confident enough in the near-term outlook to raise the payout aggressively. The third factor is especially important as the pandemic upended the nation's recent record of long-term economic growth. Here are 19 stocks that meet our double-digit dividend test and are on the Argus BUY List. They are also holdings in our Dividend Growth Separately Managed Account and in the Dividend Growers Total Return Trust, sponsored by SmartTrust.