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.

The Federal Open Market Committee meets today and will release their interest-rate decision on Wednesday. That will be followed by Fed Chairman Powell's press conference, always a "can't miss" event for everyone involved in the financial markets. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the highest probability (subject to massive change) for the first 25-basis-point fed funds cut is at the June 12 meeting -- but that is not a slam-dunk event. By the last meeting of 2024 on December 18, the most-likely scenario for the fed funds rate currently is sitting at three 25-basis-point cuts.

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 the past week, we have had little economic and EPS data, but we have had some interesting price action across the stock, bond, commodity, and currency markets. That caught us, as well as others, by surprise. But it is a big world out there and we try to avoid missing the forest for the trees!

U.S. markets pulled back on Thursday on hotter-than-expected inflation data. In February, headline PPI rose 0.6%, up from 0.2% in January and ahead of the expected 0.3% increase -- with nearly two-thirds of the increase attributed to a rise in prices for final-demand goods. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that sales in January were down 1.3%. Leading the decline were merchant wholesalers (-1.7%), while retailer sales slipped 1.1%, and manufacturer sales declined 1.0%. Inventories were essentially flat, as a 0.4% rise in retail inventories was offset by a 0.3% drop in merchant wholesaler and 0.1% decline in manufacturer inventories. Initial jobless claims for the week were 209,000, down 1,000 from the previous-week's revised level. The Dow fell 0.4%, the S&P 500 was down 0.3%, and the Nasdaq lost 0.3%. Crude oil traded above $81 per barrel, while gold fell $13 to $2167 per ounce.

Stocks fell on Thursday on hotter-than-expected inflation readings. In February, headline PPI rose 0.6%, up from 0.2% in January and ahead of the expected 0.3% increase -- with nearly two-thirds of the increase attributed to a rise in prices for final-demand goods. A 4.4% rise in energy prices during the month was the main factor in the increase in final-demand goods, contributing over one-third of the increase. PPI rose 0.4% in February, down from 0.6% last month but ahead of the expected 0.2% increase. U.S. retail sales in February were up 0.6%, following the 0.8% decline in January. The Dow fell 0.2%, the S&P 500 was down 0.3%, and the Nasdaq lost 0.1%. Crude oil traded above $81 per barrel, while gold fell $18 to $2162 per ounce.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil closed at $79.60/barrel on Wednesday, as attempts to break to new rally highs above the $79/$80 region continue to be thwarted. However, the price action has been very tight over the past couple of weeks and crude looks like it is percolating under the surface. Oil is still working on a few higher highs and higher lows, but the rally since December 12 has been labored and, to our eye, does not look like an impulsive rally (which would imply a large move higher). This is the same type of action WTI saw back in May and June of 2023 before it took off, rallying from below $70 in early July to $95 by late September. To be confident in a big rally, any move over $80 should be somewhat steep and not just a slow crawl higher.

'Green Shoots' from the Fed

U.S. stocks were higher on Tuesday morning following the release of hotter-than-expected inflation data In February, headline CPI-U rose 0.4%, matching expectations and up from 0.3% last month. This brings the annual inflation rate to 3.2%, up from 3.1% last month. Core CPI rose 0.4%, matching the prior month but ahead of expectations for the second straight month, bringing annual core-CPI to 3.8%, down from 3.9% last month. Over 60% of the monthly increase for headline CPI was from the shelter and energy components. Investors still expect the first rate cut will be in June. The Dow rose 0.7%, the S&P 500 was up 1.0%, and the Nasdaq gained 1.4%. Crude oil traded above $78 per barrel, while gold fell $22 to $2167 per ounce.

In this edition, we explore strength of the refining market; transferring coverage of Motorola; and initiating coverage of BYD Electronic; and OrbusNeich, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and Prudential Financial.

U.S. stocks were mixed intraday on Friday as investors digested new economic data. In February, total nonfarm payrolls rose 275,000 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report. This was higher than the expected 198,000, and higher than last month's 229,000 (revised down from 353,000). While a hotter-than-expected jobs reading initially sparked a sell-off, the rise in unemployment on the next line of the report led stocks to bounce back. The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.9% in February, rising 0.2% from the month prior. In February, total nonfarm payrolls rose 275,000 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report. This was higher than the expected 198,000, and higher than last month's 229,000 (revised down from 353,000). The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.9% in February, rising 0.2% from the month prior.

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.