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.

U.S. stocks were lower on Wednesday morning ahead of the Fed's rate decision later this afternoon. ADP's latest employment report shows 107,000 jobs were added in January, down from 164,000 in December and lower than expected. Shares of Paramount Global are up on news that billionaire Byron Allen has made a $14.3 billion takeover offer for Paramount Global. Meanwhile, Microsoft, Advanced Micro Devices and Alphabet are all trending lower after reporting fourth-quarter results. The S&P 500 is down 0.9%, the Dow 0.1%, the Nasdaq lost 1.5% and the Russell 2000 fell 0.5%. Crude oil was down 2%, while gold rose $17.50 to $2068 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.

Vickers Stock Research, a subsidiary of Argus Research Group, analyzes insider trading and institutional stock ownership. Form 13-Fs, which institutions must file to report their holdings, are due 45 days after the end of calendar quarters and have come in for 3Q23. We review 13Fs of major activists to determine core holdings and new purchases. Activist investing is now less about generating a short-term return and more about achieving long-term returns through an active management/investor partnership. Activists recently made progress with investments into companies such as FedEx and Union Pacific. Based on Vickers data, here are some recent new purchases and key holdings of activist investors, as well as other high-profile money managers.

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 gave up early gains on Wednesday morning as investors continued to weigh comments from Fed officials along with a new round of earnings reports. Warner Bros. Discovery plunged more than 15% after the company reported a wider-than-expected 3Q loss amid weak network advertising revenue. Disney will report fiscal 4Q results after the close. The Dow fell 0.1%, the S&P 0.1%, and the Nasdaq 0.2%. Crude oil fell to $76 per barrel, while gold traded near $1963 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.

Hot July: Our Monthly Survey of the Economy, Interest Rates, and Stocks

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 little changed on Wednesday morning as investors awaited the Fed's interest rate announcement and follow-up comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Employment data was strong. Payroll provider ADP said that U.S. companies added 296,000 jobs in April, up from 142,000 in March and above the Reuters consensus forecast of 148,000. The Dow fell 0.2%, the S&P was flat, and the Nasdaq fell 0.3%. Crude oil traded near $69 per barrel, while gold rose $7 to $2031 per ounce.

Monday Tee Up: Heavy on Earnings, Light on the Economy

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 awaited the results of the midterm elections, with late polls pointing to a Republican victory in the House and a tight race in the Senate. On the earnings front, Lyft shares fell more than 20% after the ride-hailing firm posted weaker-than-expected 3Q revenue and earnings. The Dow rose 1.3%, the S&P 1.1%, and the Nasdaq 1.3%. Crude oil fell slightly to $91.50 per barrel, while gold rose $36 to $1717 per ounce.

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) has been a disaster since peaking in February 2021. The ETF fell to $37.50 on Monday, down from $56.70 early last year -- a total decline of 34%. During that time, EEM has underperformed the S&P 500 on a consistent basis. The U.S. Dollar Index has been in a consistent uptrend since June 2021, and we attribute the EEM weakness to the strong greenback (as the two assets have a high negative correlation). Year-to-date, Poland (EPOL) has crashed 40%, China is off 23%, and the Philippines is down 19%.

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, Food Service Firms Make Strong Recovery, a New Dawn For Solar Manufacturing, 3M Shareholders and Neogen Stock, and Intron, Starbucks, and Veeva

Stocks fell on Thursday morning, led by declines in the Energy and Consumer Staples sectors. First-time unemployment claims rose by 6,000 to 260,000 for the week ended July 30 and were slightly above the consensus forecast. Continuing claims also rose by 48,000 to 1.416 million. On the earnings front, Conoco posted better-than expected second-quarter results and said that it would substantially boost returns to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P 0.2%, and the Nasdaq 0.3%. Crude oil fell more than 2% to $88.50 per barrel, while gold jumped $27 to $1804 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 again on Friday morning, adding to Thursday's massive losses, amid growing concerns about the Fed's ability to control inflation, along with the uncertain impact of the war in Ukraine and economic weakness in China. On the employment front, the Labor Department said that the U.S. economy added 428,000 payroll jobs in April, in line with the revised reading for March and above the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 380,000. The unemployment rate held steady at 3.6%, just above the consensus forecast of 3.5%. The Dow fell 0.7%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 0.9%. Crude oil rose to $110.50 per barrel, while gold traded near $1891 per ounce.

This edition features Gap's continued makeover, how packaged food firms can protect themselves from margin pressure, FedEx keeping on trucking, and Pendal Group, Starbucks, and Reckitt Benckiser.

This edition features a roundup of analyst research on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and Campbell, JD.com, and Guidewire.

Stocks fell on Thursday morning, ending several days of recovery after a weak earnings report from Facebook owner Meta Platforms. FB shares dropped 25% after the company reported lower-than-expected 4Q earnings and issued disappointing first-quarter guidance. Other Communication Services stocks also fell sharply, sending the sector down nearly 5%. The Dow fell 0.8%, the S&P 1.4%, and the Nasdaq 2.2%. Crude oil rose to $89 per barrel, while gold fell $3 to $1807 per ounce.

Back with a Vengeance: Our Monthly Survey of the Economy, Interest Rates, and Markets

Back with a Vengeance: Our Monthly Survey of the Economy, Interest Rates, and Markets

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 edition features electrical suppliers and the fight against greenhouse gases; more talk of tapering; Amazon's earnings; and notes from Tesla, Starbucks, and Pinterest.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning as investors weighed earnings reports from Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft, and awaited the Fed's policy statement and comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell this afternoon. Investors will be closely scrutinizing Mr. Powell's comments regarding the state of the economy, the impact of the Delta variant, and the timing of any reduction in the central bank's bond buying program. The Dow fell 0.1%, the S&P rose 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.7%. Crude oil traded near $72 per barrel, while gold fell $3 to $1797 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.

Often overlooked amid gyrations in the stock market is dividend income, which is an important element of total return. Between 1930 and 2012, dividend income accounted for 42% of 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. 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 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 largely flat on Wednesday morning as investors weighed mixed earnings reports and awaited the Federal Reserve's policy announcement this afternoon. Boeing shares fell following a wider-than-expected first-quarter loss, though the company also reported a strong increase in aircraft deliveries. Microsoft shares also fell despite better-than-expected sales and earnings. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P rose 0.1%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.2%. Crude oil traded near $64 per barrel, while gold fell $6 to $1773 per ounce.

For the past two weeks, we've discussed sentiment improvement among corporate executives, directors and beneficial owners (albeit on low transaction volume that is typical during earnings season). Prior to that, the weekly data from Vickers Stock Research showed insiders were generally cautious for the past few months, and insiders at Technology sector firms were particularly cautious. But that all started to fade lately, as sentiment among sectors moved back towards alignment and overall sentiment improved. But this week, everything old is new again.

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.