Many investors are beginning to focus their investment funds on companies that follow sustainable business practices and/or are addressing global impact issues. At Argus, we are a portfolio advisor to a Unit Investment Trust that is built around ESG criteria. We also have launched a separately managed account based on ESG and Impact investing principles. Two times a year, we screen our Universe of Coverage to highlight the stocks that score highest on ESG criteria. We note that Impact Investing addresses issues such as climate change, hunger, poverty, shelter, and clean water. Clean water is not only a personal issue; many industries, including oil, gas, semiconductors, chemicals, electric utilities, food products, beverages and metals and mining, are heavily reliant on clean water. According to the 2030 Water Resources Group, by 2030 "demand for water will be 40 percent higher than it is today, and more than 50 percent higher in the most rapidly developing countries. Historic rates of supply expansion and efficiency improvement will close only a fraction of this gap. Unless local, national and global communities come together and dramatically improve the way we envision and manage water, there will be many more hungry villages and degraded environments-and economic development itself will be put at risk in many countries." The companies in our list this week are working on systems and providing products to reduce global and domestic water risks.

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 stock market was mixed last week, as blue chips moved lower and tech stocks rallied. During Friday's session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was roughly flat, increasing 13 points, or 0.04%. The S&P 500 was up 0.19%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.35%. For the week, the DJIA was down 227 points, or 0.80%, the S&P 500 was up 0.41%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 1.85%. Year-to-date, the DJIA is up 12.65%, the S&P 500 is up 13.08%, and the Nasdaq Composite is up 9.16%.

Stocks edged higher on Wednesday morning as the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell below 1.5%, signaling reduced inflation concerns. On the earnings front, Campbell Soup shares fell nearly 6% after the company reported below-consensus fiscal 3Q results and lowered its full-year guidance. The Dow rose 0.1%, the S&P 0.2%, and the Nasdaq 0.2%. Crude oil traded near $70 per barrel, while gold fell $2 to $1893 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.

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.

The April nonfarm payrolls report badly missed consensus expectations and signaled that the economic recovery is far from automatic, or even assured. Stocks rose, suggesting that the fundamental event of a major data report can have far-reaching technical impact in the market.

Stocks were mixed on Monday morning, with strong gains in the Consumer Staples, Industrial, and Utility sectors and losses in Technology and Communication Services. Marriott shares fell 3% after the company posted lower-than-expected 1Q earnings, reflecting weak bookings in its core U.S. market. Tyson shares also fell, despite better-than-expected fiscal 2Q results, after management warned that rising costs would weigh on margins in the second half of the year. The Dow rose 0.8%, the S&P was flat, and the Nasdaq fell 1.4%. Crude oil traded near $64.50 per barrel, while gold rose $9 to $1839 per ounce.

The 1Q21 EPS season is mostly in the books, with retailers the last group to report over the next two weeks. The results were impressive -- but came against an easy comparison with last year's 1Q, when the world started to shut down to fight COVID-19. Through early May, Refinitiv reported that S&P 500 earnings rose 50.4% year over year -- the best quarter since 1Q2010. Some 87% of companies have come in ahead of expectations, up from the prior four-quarter average of 76%, according to Refinitiv. Where is the growth? Consumer Discretionary remains atop the list with a 170% earnings increase. Financials is second at 130%. Only Industrials is expected to remain negative -- with a 2% decline. Even the Energy sector, expected to have an earnings decrease at the start of the quarter, is now poised for 8% growth. Our analysts are always on the lookout for companies that raise their outlooks during earnings season. Management's ability to "raise guidance" can often be a catalyst for strong returns in the quarters ahead. Here are 20 BUY-rated companies in Argus coverage at which management has raised guidance or increased its outlook during the 1Q21 EPS reporting season.