U.S. equities inched higher on Thursday despite regional bank woes and ahead of the CPI revisions that will be released this morning. After hitting 5000 for the first time ever, the S&P 500 closed just below 5000. The Dow also closed at an all-time high. Big stock gainers include Arm Holdings PLC (ARM), up 48% and Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL), up 25%. The S&P 500 closed up less than 0.1%, the Dow was up 0.1% and the Nasdaq gained 0.2%. Crude oil rose above $76 per barrel and gold was up $1 to $2049 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 continued to fall last week, as any positive earnings-related news was overwhelmed by issues that include offsetting disappointing earnings, interest rates, Treasury yields, and volatile geopolitical developments. Turning our attention to insider-sentiment data from Vickers Stock Research, transaction volume remains historically low (and therefore less meaningful) as insiders are broadly sidelined by trading restrictions currently in place. Add it all up, and it is easy to assume there is nothing of interest in Vickers' data 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.

Stocks rallied on Friday morning following new signs of moderating inflation. The Commerce Department said that its personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE) rose 3.0% on an annualized basis in June, down from 3.8% in May and the smallest increase since March 2021. Excluding food and energy costs, the core PCE rose 4.1% from the prior year, down from 4.6% growth in May and slightly below the Reuters consensus forecast of 4.2%. Growth in labor costs also slowed. The Labor Department said that its employment cost index rose 4.5% on an annualized basis in 2Q, down from 4.8% growth in the first quarter. The Dow rose 0.5%, the S&P 0.8%, and the Nasdaq 1.5%. Crude oil fell slightly to $80 per barrel, while gold traded near $1959 per ounce.

Stocks rallied on Friday morning following new signs of moderating inflation. The Commerce Department said that its personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE) rose 3.0% on an annualized basis in June, down from 3.8% in May and the smallest increase since March 2021. Excluding food and energy costs, the core PCE rose 4.1% from the prior year, down from 4.6% growth in May and slightly below the Reuters consensus forecast of 4.2%. Growth in labor costs also slowed. The Labor Department said that its employment cost index rose 4.5% on an annualized basis in 2Q, down from 4.8% growth in the first quarter. The Dow rose 0.5%, the S&P 0.8%, and the Nasdaq 1.5%. Crude oil fell slightly to $80 per barrel, while gold traded near $1959 per ounce.

April Finishes Strong: Our Monthly Survey of the Economy, Interest Rates, and Stocks

April Finishes Strong: Our Monthly Survey of the Economy, Interest Rates, and Stocks

Stocks wavered on Friday morning following new inflation data and earnings reports from Intel and American Express, but have turned positive as of this writing. The Commerce Department said that its personal consumption expenditures price index - the Fed's preferred measure of inflation - rose 5.0% from the prior year in December, slowing from 5.5% growth in November and continuing a recent downward trend. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, the core PCE rose 4.4% from the prior year, down from 4.7% in November and in line with the consensus estimate. Intel shares fell about 8% after the chipmaker posted disappointing 4Q results and offered weak guidance for the current first quarter. American Express jumped 12% despite below-consensus earnings, as investors focused on management's strong full-year guidance.

In the eight weeks before the start of earnings season, insider-sentiment data from Vickers Stock Research was consistently positive. On a scale where any reading below 2.00 is bullish, Vickers' Total One-Week Sell/Buy Ratio never got higher than 1.99 and was as low as 1.06. That resulted in a peak bullish Total Eight-Week Sell/Buy Ratio of 1.71 on October 15, just as the earnings onslaught began.

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.

The stock market opens Monday looking for a fresh start in May and any crumbs of positive news. The big event of the week is on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve announces its next monetary policy move. Most economists see that move as a 50-basis-point rate hike. Over the weekend, Berkshire Hathaway reported earnings and hosted its annual meeting with famed CEO Warren Buffett. More big earnings and economic reports are coming this week, including the jobs report for April. More than 1,600 public companies will report on their last quarter. The range and number of companies will give more data points on how different sectors are weathering the many external factors out there pressuring valuations, including - the war in Ukraine, inflation, and rising interest rates. The stock market carnage in April was swift, decisive, and severe. The Nasdaq now has lost all gains since 2008. The Dow and S&P are at their lowest levels since March 2020. In April, the Dow Jones Industrial average dropped -4.9%, the S&P 500 fell -8.8%, with the Nasdaq Composite again hit hardest losing -13%. Year-to-date the Dow is down -9.3%, the S&P 500 is further in correction territory, off -13.3%, and the Nasdaq is in bear territory, down -21.2%. Breaking down the sectors, only two of the eleven broad S&P categories are in the green for 2022. Here are the results so far year-to-date: Basic Materials -6%, Energy +35%, Healthcare -8%, Industrials -10%, Consumer Staples +0.7%, Utilities -0.5%, Financials -12%, Communication Services -26%, Information Technology -19%, Real Estate -10%, Consumer Discretionary -21%. It's been a rough start to 2022.

Stocks were mostly higher on Monday morning, though the S&P remained on track for its worst month since the pandemic selloff in March 2020. Meanwhile, investors continued to weigh prospects for aggressive interest rate hikes as the Fed works to tamp down inflation. Goldman Sachs said that it expected five hikes in 2022, up from its prior forecast of four, and Bank of America said that it expected seven rate hikes. The Dow was flat, the S&P rose 0.7%, and the Nasdaq rose 2.0%. Crude oil rose slightly to $87 per barrel, while gold traded near $1796 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.

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.

Stocks fell on Friday morning amid earnings from a range of major companies and new consumer spending data. The Commerce Department said that U.S. consumer spending rose 1.0% in June, up from a 0.1% decline in May and above the Reuters consensus forecast calling for 0.7% growth. The core personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE) rose 3.5% from the prior year in June, up from 3.4% in May but below the consensus forecast of 3.7%. Amazon shares fell more than 7%, despite strong earnings, on weaker-than-expected 2Q revenue and disappointing sales guidance for the current third quarter. The Dow fell 0.4%, the S&P 0.6%, and the Nasdaq 0.8%. Crude oil traded near $74 per barrel, while gold fell $11 to $1825 per ounce.

Stocks fell on Friday morning following a new round of first-quarter earnings reports from major companies along with March consumer spending data. The Commerce Department said that U.S. consumer spending rose a strong 4.2% last month after a decline of 1.0% in February. The reading came in slightly ahead of the Reuters consensus forecast of 4.1%. The Dow fell 0.6%, the S&P 0.5%, and the Nasdaq 0.2%. Crude oil traded near $64 per barrel, while gold fell slightly to $1769 per ounce.

Stocks rose on Friday morning following a slightly weaker-than-expected January employment report and a preliminary Senate vote supporting President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package. The Labor Department said that the U.S. added 49,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in January, just shy of the Reuters consensus forecast of 50,000 but up from a revised loss of 227,000 in December. The Dow, the S&P, and the Nasdaq were all up about 0.4%. Crude oil traded near $57 per barrel, while gold rose $20 to $1811 per ounce.

Stocks fell sharply on Friday morning, led by selloffs in the Technology and Consumer Discretionary sectors. Apple shares fell 5%, despite above-consensus earnings, on concerns about weak iPhone sales and declining revenue in China. The company also declined to provide guidance for the current fiscal first quarter. Amazon also posted strong 3Q results but provided disappointing 4Q earnings guidance, sending the shares down about 4%. The Dow fell 1.5%, the S&P 1.8%, and the Nasdaq 2.7%. Crude oil fell to $35.50 per barrel, while gold rose $12 to $1880 per ounce.

Stocks rose on Wednesday morning amid positive earnings reports and strong housing market data, as investors awaited the Fed's policy statement and press conference this afternoon. The National Association of Realtors said that its pending home sales index rose by 16.6% to 116.1 in June, above the Reuters consensus forecast. The Dow rose 0.2%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 1.0%. Crude oil traded near $41 per barrel, while gold rose $5 to $1949 per ounce.

Stocks rose on Wednesday morning amid positive earnings reports and strong housing market data, as investors awaited the Fed's policy statement and press conference this afternoon. The National Association of Realtors said that its pending home sales index rose by 16.6% to 116.1 in June, above the Reuters consensus forecast. The Dow rose 0.2%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 1.0%. Crude oil traded near $41 per barrel, while gold rose $5 to $1949 per ounce.

Stocks fell sharply on Friday, hurt by sizeable declines for Amazon, which posted less-than-expected earnings and noted a need for investments that would limit future profits, and for mega-cap technology companies after a strong performance recently. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 2.6%, the Nasdaq Composite fell 3.2% and the S&P 500 lost 2.8%. But gains earlier in the week, helped by progress on health care treatments in fighting the coronavirus, minimized the weekly declines to 0.2% for both the Dow and S&P 500 and 0.3% for the Nasdaq. Year-to-date losses are now 16.9% for the Dow, 4.1% for the Nasdaq and 12.4% for the S&P 500.