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.

Despite “catastrophic” (not our words) breadth, crazy (our word) sentiment readings, and bearish seasonals (everyone is saying that), the Nasdaq and the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) made all-time highs on Monday, while the S&P 500 made an intraday high. Last week's dip for the “500” and the QQQs did not even reach the 50-day average, while the Nasdaq fell below on an intraday basis on August 19. On Monday, the “500” rose 0.9%, the Nasdaq 1.6%, the QQQs 1.5%, the S&P 400 MidCap 0.9%, and the Russell 2000 1.9% (the big daily winner).

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning as investors weighed new consumer price data. The Labor Department said that its consumer price index rose 0.5% in July, down from 0.9% in June and in line with the Reuters consensus forecast. Consumer prices also rose 5.4% from the prior year, slightly above the consensus forecast of 5.3%. The Dow rose 0.5%, the S&P was flat, and the Nasdaq fell 0.6%. Crude oil traded near $67.50 per barrel, while gold rose $20 to $1752 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.

Year-to-date sector leadership remains with the rotation favorites of early 2021. With the long bond spiking from 0.9% at year-end 2020 to 1.75% by the end of the first quarter, growth favorites retreated. But investors wanted to remain invested in equities in a reopening economy, and rotational favorites filled the void.