Stocks were mixed on Thursday morning, with modest gains in Technology and Communication Services and losses in other sectors. On the employment front, first-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell to 709,000 for the week ended November 7, down from 757,000 a week earlier and below the consensus forecast of 731,000. Inflation data was muted. The Labor Department said that U.S. consumer prices were unchanged in October following growth of 0.2% in September. The Reuters consensus forecast called for growth of 0.1%. The Dow fell 0.5%, the S&P fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.3%. Crude oil rose more than 1% to $42 per barrel, while gold rose $16 to $1878 per ounce.

This pick list highlights constituents of the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index that we believe offer investors the best risk-adjusted return prospects. The market capitalization range for U.S. mid-caps typically falls between $1 billion and $8 billion and represents 20% of the total capitalization of the U.S. equity market.

After three consecutive weeks of surprisingly bearish results, insider sentiment has returned to benign levels. Let's review the data.