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 edged higher on Thursday as investors weighed a new round of earnings reports along with employment and housing market data. AT&T posted better-than-expected 2Q results, reflecting strong growth in wireless subscribers, and raised its full-year guidance. Texas Instruments also topped consensus estimates, though the shares fell 5% on a lower-than-expected 3Q sales forecast. On the housing front, the National Association of Realtors said that sales of existing homes rose 1.4% to an annualized 5.86 million units in June, slightly below the consensus forecast. First-time jobless claims rose to 419,000, up from the prior week and above consensus. Continuing claims fell by 29,000 to 3.236 million. The Dow rose 0.07%, the S&P 0.20%, and the Nasdaq 0.36%. Crude oil rose 2% to $71.50 per barrel, while gold rose $4 to $1808 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 Stumble as the Economy Moves Ahead

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 latest run higher in West Texas Intermediate (WTI) recently reached our target in the upper $70s/barrel, as WTI hit an intraday high of $77 on July 6. This was followed by a sharp reversal, with WTI closing that day at $73.37. The next day, oil fell intraday to $71. After a bit of recovery, crude was hit again yesterday, but held the $72 area. So no technical damage, yet. Gasoline futures fell to $2.17/gallon last Tuesday, but have recovered to $2.29.

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.

Since May and June, we have seen and commented on a marked improvement in the relative strength of the Nasdaq, the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), and many Tech ETFs (like the XLK, IGV-iShares N.A. Tech-Software, $NYFANG-NYSE Fang Plus Index, and the SKYY or First Trust Cloud Computing.

The U.S. economy added 850,000 jobs in June, up from the tepid prior two-month average of 426,000 jobs. The unemployment rate ticked higher to 5.9%. The re-opening trend was prominent, as jobs gains were led by sectors such as leisure and hospitality (+343k) and local government education (155k). Industries including professional and business services, and retail, also added jobs. Manufacturing and construction were little changed. The labor market continues to reflect the impact of the pandemic, as the shape and character of the workforce is changing as the economy recovers. The current number of jobs is approximately 6.7 million lower than the pre-COVID February 2020 level, according to Automatic Data Processing. The labor force participation rate remains a low 61.6%, compared to the historical average of 65%. Last month, 14% of employed persons teleworked because of the pandemic. Pre-pandemic, that reading was 3.0%. On Thursday, the Labor Department reported that 364,000 people filed initial unemployment claims, down from 385,000 a month ago. Though trending in the right direction, the data indicates that the employment environment is still under stress. We expect the unemployment rate will remain high above 5.0% -- and thus the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates low -- into 2022.

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 Thursday morning to new records. The initial jobless claims for the week ended June 19 totaled 411,000, down from 418,000 a week ago. New orders for durable goods in May rose 2.3% to $253.3 billion. The S&P was up $0.6, the Nasdaq was up 0.9% and the Dow was down 0.8%. Crude oil traded near $73 per barrel, while gold fell $5 to $1779 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.

Recent economic data illustrates that conditions are improving, though serious risks remain. The primary driver of GDP over the next few quarters is likely to be the country's physical health, as the nation recovers from COVID-19. Elsewhere, the employment environment is in better shape than it was a year ago (though still far from strong) and consumer confidence is improving. We expect that rising confidence will lead to continued growth in consumer spending. Auto sales have recovered, and the housing market remains strong, even as interest rates tick higher. Businesses are again expanding. Our GDP model now calls for a 2.1% increase in absolute GDP in 2Q21 from 1Q21, which translates to an annualized gain of 8.9%, up from our prior forecast of 8.8%. We expect further improvement into 2H21. On an annual basis, we look for overall GDP growth of approximately 5.7% in 2021 and 3.7% in 2022. Our estimates are consistent with consensus forecasts and the outlook from the Federal Reserve, which call for growth of 4%-6% in 2021. The GDPNow forecast from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is 10.3% for 2Q21.

As we approach the midpoint of 2021, and as we have pointed out many times this year and at the end of last year, index and sector outperformance has flipped 180 degrees. Year-to-date (YTD), the S&P 500 has tacked on 11.6%, the Dow Jones Industrials and the NYSE Composite have added almost 15%, the Nasdaq has gained 5.6%, and the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) is up 5%. Meanwhile, the S&P Mid-Cap 400 has jumped 18%, the Russell 2000 (IWM) has leapt 15.7%, and the S&P Small-Cap 600 (SML) has catapulted 23%.

The stock market moved higher last week, with technology stocks outperforming blue chips. During Friday's session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 65 points, or 0.19%. The S&P 500 was up 0.08%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.09%. For the week, the DJIA was up 322 points, or 0.94%, the S&P 500 was up 1.16%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 2.06%. Year-to-date, the DJIA is up 12.82%, the S&P 500 is up 11.93%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 6.68%.

Stocks finished mostly higher on Thursday, but gave up most of their early gains in afternoon trading. On the employment front, first-time jobless claims fell to a new pandemic era low of 406,000, down from the prior week and below consensus. Continuing claims also fell to 3.642 million, down from 3.738 million a week earlier and below the consensus forecast of 3.68 million. Housing data disappointed. The National Association of Realtors said that its pending home sales index fell 4.4% in April to 106.2. The reading reflected the low inventory of homes available for sale and came in below the Reuters consensus forecast, which called for growth of 0.8%. The Dow rose 0.41%, the S&P rose 0.12%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.01%. Crude oil fell nearly 1% to $67 per barrel, while gold fell $3 to $1901 per ounce.

Stocks gave up early gains on Tuesday morning as investors weighed new housing market and consumer confidence data. The Commerce Department said that U.S. new home sales fell 5.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 863,000 in April, well below the Reuters consensus forecast of 970,000. The Conference Board reported a still strong May consumer confidence reading of 117.2, little changed from 117.5 in April but below the consensus of 119.2. The Dow fell 0.1%, the S&P fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.1%. Crude oil traded near $66 per barrel, while gold rose $8 to $1892 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 S&P 500 hit four areas of support on Wednesday and bounced. They include chart support from the recent low; the 50-day average; trendline support off the lows since October; and trendline support (former resistance) off the peaks since February. The 21-week EMA is down at 3,973, while lateral chart support lies near 3,980. A 38.2% retracement of the rally since March targets 4,040, while a 50% giveback is near 3,980.

We try to stick to technical analysis in this space. But we do have some pretty solid fundamental and economic knowledge on which we can draw. And right now, we'll address the core subject of supply and demand, which is not that hard to understand even without much financial background.

Stocks rebounded on Thursday morning after three days of losses, led by the Technology and Consumer Discretionary sectors. The Colonial pipeline resumed operations after last week's cyberattack, and was gradually restoring fuel supply to areas affected by the shutdown. On the employment front, the Labor Department said that first-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell to 473,000 for the week ended May 8, down from a revised 507,000 a week earlier and below the Bloomberg consensus of 490,000. The Dow rose 1.4%, the S&P 1.5%, and the Nasdaq 1.5%. Crude oil fell more than 2% to $65 per barrel, while gold traded near $1820 per ounce.

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.