Both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 hit new highs on inflation data that came in as expected. Other economic data released today included initial jobless claims, which came to 215,000, up from last week's revised 212,000 and ahead of expectations. Ongoing unemployment rose to 1,905,000 from the previous week's revised 1,860,000; that raised the insured unemployment rate by 0.1% to 1.3%. The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, the Nasdaq gained 0.9%, while the Dow fell 0.1%.

Stocks edged higher on Tuesday morning amid an upturn in consumer confidence and reports of strong Cyber Monday sales. Investors also looked ahead to new GDP and inflation data later in the week. The Conference Board said that its consumer confidence index rose to 102.0 in November, up from 99.1 in October and above the Reuters consensus forecast of 101.0. The reading was the first increase after three straight monthly declines. Adobe Analytics reported that consumers spent $12.4 billion online on Cyber Monday, up 9.6% from the prior year. The Dow rose 0.4%, the S&P 0.2%, and the Nasdaq 0.3%. Crude oil rose to $77 per barrel, while gold jumped $24 to trade near $2036 per ounce.

Stocks declined on Wednesday morning on rising oil prices as fears that persistent inflation will keep the rates higher. The ISM non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 54.5, compared with expectations of 52.5. In other news, Apple fell after a report that China has banned government officials from using iPhones for work. The S&P 500 fell 0.8%, the Dow 0.6% and the Nasdaq was down 1%. Crude oil traded near $87 per barrel and gold fell $11 to $1941.

Stocks declined on Wednesday morning on rising oil prices as fears that persistent inflation will keep the rates higher. The ISM non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 54.5, compared with expectations of 52.5. In other news, Apple fell after a report that China has banned government officials from using iPhones for work. The S&P 500 fell 0.8%, the Dow 0.6% and the Nasdaq was down 1%. Crude oil traded near $87 per barrel and gold fell $11 to $1941.

Stocks fell on Wednesday morning as investors awaited a House vote on the debt ceiling deal later in the day. Meanwhile, employment data pointed to a still strong labor market. In its monthly JOLTS survey, the Labor Department said that job openings rose by 358,000 to 10.1 million on the last day of April, well above the Reuters consensus forecast of 9.375 million. The Dow fell 0.8%, the S&P 0.9%, and the Nasdaq 0.7%. Crude oil traded near $69 per barrel, while gold rose $11 to $1988 per ounce.

We recently raised our rating on the Technology sector to Over-Weight from Market-Weight. As interest rates start to fall, IT demand in enterprise and data center markets is holding up. And mounting interest in ChatGPT could herald the age of AI, which could be a huge industry driver. Over the long term, we expect the Technology sector to benefit from pervasive digitization across the economy, greater acceptance of transformative technologies, and the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). Healthy company and sector fundamentals are also positive. For individual companies, these include high cash levels, low debt, and broad international business exposure. The sector is outperforming the market thus far in 2023, with a gain of 12.4%. Tech underperformed the market in 2022, with a loss of 28.9%, and outperformed in 2021, with a gain of 33.4%. The P/E ratio on projected 2023 earnings is 23, above the market multiple. Earnings are expected to grow 14.5% in 2023 after having fallen 3.3% in 2022. Earnings rose 37.9% in 2021 and 7.7% in 2020. The sector's debt ratios are below the market average, as is the average dividend yield of 0.5%. Here is how we use our analysts' Technology sector ideas in our Focus List and Model Portfolios.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning amid new manufacturing data and hawkish comments from Fed officials that pointed to an extended rate hike campaign. The Institute for Supply Management said that its manufacturing PMI rose to 47.7 in February, up slightly from 47.4 in January but below the Reuters consensus forecast of 48.0. Readings below 50 indicate contraction in manufacturing. The Dow rose 0.2%, the S&P fell 0.2%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.3%. Crude oil traded near $77 per barrel, while gold rose $12 to $1848 per ounce.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning amid new manufacturing data and hawkish comments from Fed officials that pointed to an extended rate hike campaign. The Institute for Supply Management said that its manufacturing PMI rose to 47.7 in February, up slightly from 47.4 in January but below the Reuters consensus forecast of 48.0. Readings below 50 indicate contraction in manufacturing. The Dow rose 0.2%, the S&P fell 0.2%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.3%. Crude oil traded near $77 per barrel, while gold rose $12 to $1848 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 rose on Wednesday morning as investors weighed new employment and manufacturing data, and awaited the release of the Fed's latest meeting minutes this afternoon. The Labor Department said that first-time claims for state unemployment benefits rose by 17,000 to 240,000 for the week ended November 19, above the Reuters consensus forecast of 225,000. Capital goods orders were stronger than expected. The Commerce Department said that orders for core capital goods excluding aircraft rose 0.7% in October after a 0.8% decline in September. The consensus forecast had called for flat orders last month. The Dow rose 0.1%, the S&P 0.3%, and the Nasdaq 0.7%. Crude oil fell sharply to $78 per barrel, while gold traded near $1744 per ounce.

Straight-Shooting Fed Provides No False Hopes for Market

Dividend income, an important element of total return, is often overlooked amid gyrations in the stock market. Between 1930 and 2012, dividend income accounted for 42% of the 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. The pattern is being repeated in 2022 as well. 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.

This is among our most important themes for 2022, and stretches across industries. We think companies that consistently raise their dividends at a double-digit rate are sending off three important signals amid the recent market volatility: 1) the company's balance sheet is strong enough to pay a dividend; 2) management is focused on providing shareholder returns; and 3) management is confident enough in the near-term outlook to raise the payout aggressively. The third factor is especially important as the pandemic upended the nation's recent record of long-term economic growth. Here are 19 stocks that meet our double-digit dividend test and are on the Argus BUY List. They are also holdings in our Dividend Growth Separately Managed Account and in the Dividend Growers Total Return Trust, sponsored by SmartTrust.

Stocks fell on Wednesday morning after giving up early gains. Manufacturing data was better than expected. The Institute for Supply Management said that its manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 56.1 in May, up from 55.4 in April and above the Reuters consensus forecast of 54.5. On the employment front, the Labor Department's monthly JOLTS survey showed 11.4 million job openings at the end of April, down from 11.86 million a month earlier. The Dow fell 0.8%, the S&P 0.8%, and the Nasdaq 0.9%. Crude oil rose 1.5% to $116 per barrel, while gold fell $2 to $1846 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 rose on Tuesday morning amid signs of progress in peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, with Russia reportedly offering to scale back military operations near Kyiv and elsewhere in northern Ukraine as a confidence-building measure. For its part, Ukraine has agreed to maintain neutral status but with appropriate international security guarantees. In the U.S., consumer confidence data was positive. The Conference Board said that its consumer confidence index rose to 107.2 in March, up from 105.7 in February and above the consensus forecast. The Dow rose 0.6%, the S&P 0.7%, and the Nasdaq 1.1%. Crude oil traded near $103 per barrel, while gold dropped $31 to $1909 per ounce.

Stocks fell again on Tuesday morning amid continued war concerns, as Russian forces moved closer to Kyiv and launched rocket attacks on civilian targets in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. U.S. manufacturing data was positive. The Institute for Supply Management said that its national factory index rose to 58.6 in February, up from 57.6 in January and above the Reuters consensus forecast of 58.0. The Dow fell 1.7%, the S&P 1.3%, and the Nasdaq 1.2%. Crude oil jumped to more than $103 per barrel, while gold traded near $1928 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.

We noted last week that long-term measures of market breadth remain supportive of higher stock prices, while intermediate-term breadth has improved and is neutral/mildly bullish. And then along came the new coronavirus variant to knock the market off its pins.

As the market headed into the Thanksgiving-shortened trading week, the volume of insider transactions had risen to the highest level since November 2006, with almost 2,800 insider trades last week that met the criteria for inclusion in the Weekly Insider report from Vickers' Stock Research.

The Technology sector started slowly in 2021 as investors focused on value stocks. But the sector has come on strong in recent months (up 22% year-to-date) and now is outperforming the market (up 20.7%) as well as value sectors such as Consumer Staples (+8%), Utilities (+10%), Materials (+17%), and Industrials (+18%). The sector is the largest in the U.S. market and now accounts for more than 28% of the S&P 500. Over the long term, we expect the sector to benefit from pervasive digitization across the economy, greater acceptance of transformative technologies, and the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). Healthy company and sector fundamentals are also positive. For individual companies, these include high cash levels, low debt, and broad international business exposure. We have an Over-Weight ranking on the Tech sector and think investors should look to allocate up to 30% of their diversified portfolios to the group. Here is how we use our analysts' Tech sector ideas in our Focus List and Model Portfolios.

Stocks rose on Friday morning after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that the central bank would move cautiously as it prepared to taper its bond buying program, and steered clear of announcing a specific timeline. Mr. Powell also reiterated his view that current high inflation would prove temporary. Meanwhile, new data showed slower growth in consumer spending. The Commerce Department said that U.S. consumer spending rose 0.3% last month, in line with the Reuters consensus forecast but down from 1.1% growth in June. The Dow rose 0.6%, the S&P 0.8%, and the Nasdaq 1.1%. Crude oil traded near $68.50 per barrel, while gold rose $14 to $1809 per ounce.

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 continued their overall strong trend in a week that saw the launch of the biggest crypto exchange (Coinbase) and finished with modest but across-the-board gains. Also notable in the stock week just ended was the resurgence in growth sectors that had previously taken a back seat to cyclical and defensive areas of the market.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning following the first 1Q earnings reports from major banks. JPMorgan Chase posted solid earnings as strong capital markets activity, along with reserve releases, more than offset weakness in its lending business. Wells Fargo also reported much stronger-than-expected results with help from reserve releases. The Dow rose 0.6%, the S&P rose 0.1%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.2%. Crude oil traded near $63 per barrel, while gold fell $11 to $1736 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.

When the investing environment is potentially undergoing a major trend change, investors find themselves deciding if good news is good or bad, and if bad news is bad or good. The current major trend change encompassing the investing environment is the rise in interest rates; and the good news/bad news event was the February nonfarm payrolls report.

Stocks fluctuated on Friday morning amid continued inflation concerns, a day after Thursday's sharp selloff. The Commerce Department reported that consumer spending rose 2.4% in January after declining in December, helped by government pandemic relief checks and a reduction in new coronavirus cases. The Dow fell 1.0%, the S&P fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.6%. Crude oil traded near $62 per barrel, while gold fell $44 to $1731 per ounce.

Stocks rallied through the final nine months of 2020 despite the raging pandemic, a summer of unprecedented wildfires, and an increasingly partisan political climate. Stocks have done so, at least partly, because the worst economic effects of the pandemic have hit those living toward the lower end of the economic scale, while leaving others largely unscathed.

The Technology sector has led the market recovery from the COVID-19 depths of March 2020. Through November 20, the sector was up 31% for the year, compared to a 10% gain for the S&P 500. The Tech sector is the largest in the U.S. market and now accounts for more than 27% of the S&P 500. Over the long term, we expect the Tech sector to benefit from pervasive digitization across the economy, greater acceptance of transformative technologies, and the development of the Internet of Things (IoT): Healthy company and sector fundamentals are also positive. For individual companies, these include high cash levels, low debt, and broad international business exposure. We have an Over-Weight ranking on the Tech sector and think investors should look to allocate up to 30% of their diversified portfolios to the group. Here is how we use our Tech sector ideas from our analysts in our Focus List and Model Portfolios.

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday morning after reaching record levels on Tuesday. On the employment front, first-time claims for state unemployment benefits rose to 778,000 for the week ended November 21, up from 748,000 a week earlier and above the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 730,000. Core capital goods orders excluding aircraft rose 0.7% in October, down from 1.9% in September but above the consensus forecast of 0.5% growth. The Dow fell 0.6%, the S&P fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.1%. Crude oil traded near $45 per barrel, while gold rose $5 to $1809 per ounce.

Stocks rose on Friday, finishing off a strong week that saw major indexes climb higher. Riskier equities outperformed blue chips, a trend that was commonplace during the early weeks of the recovery. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 162 points, or 0.6%. The S&P 500 was up 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.6%. For the full week, the Dow was up 2.6%, the S&P 500 was up 3.3% and the Nasdaq gained 3.4%. Year-to-date, the DJIA crossed into positive territory this week, and is up 0.4%, the S&P is up 8.6%, and the Nasdaq is up 30.4%. Over the past 52 weeks, the Dow is up 8.5%, the S&P 500 is up 19.9%, and the Nasdaq is up 46.9%.

Stocks rose on Friday, finishing off a strong week that saw major indexes climb higher. Riskier equities outperformed blue chips, a trend that was commonplace during the early weeks of the recovery. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 162 points, or 0.6%. The S&P 500 was up 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.6%. For the full week, the Dow was up 2.6%, the S&P 500 was up 3.3% and the Nasdaq gained 3.4%. Year-to-date, the DJIA crossed into positive territory this week, and is up 0.4%, the S&P is up 8.6%, and the Nasdaq is up 30.4%. Over the past 52 weeks, the Dow is up 8.5%, the S&P 500 is up 19.9%, and the Nasdaq is up 46.9%.

Last week, after reviewing insider-trading data from Vickers Stock Research, we noted a surprisingly bullish bounce from corporate executives, directors and beneficial owners. With earnings season winding down, we expected a neutral tone from insiders based on the trend in place heading into earnings season. But that was not to be, as insiders proved to be buying shares as often as they were selling shares (with the historical norm being that they sell 2.0- to 2.5-time more often than they buy). We cautioned, however, that one week does not make a trend -- and that has proven to be true.

Last week, after reviewing insider-trading data from Vickers Stock Research, we noted a surprisingly bullish bounce from corporate executives, directors and beneficial owners. With earnings season winding down, we expected a neutral tone from insiders based on the trend in place heading into earnings season. But that was not to be, as insiders proved to be buying shares as often as they were selling shares (with the historical norm being that they sell 2.0- to 2.5-time more often than they buy). We cautioned, however, that one week does not make a trend -- and that has proven to be true.

In this time of unprecedented events, the term 'relatively' has been used often. Indeed, a stock that is down 12% these days is doing 'relatively' better than one that is down a lot more than that. Neither shareholder is thrilled, but one is, nonetheless, doing relatively better than the other. That brings us to our weekly review of insider sentiment data from Vickers Stock Research.

In this time of unprecedented events, the term 'relatively' has been used often. Indeed, a stock that is down 12% these days is doing 'relatively' better than one that is down a lot more than that. Neither shareholder is thrilled, but one is, nonetheless, doing relatively better than the other. That brings us to our weekly review of insider sentiment data from Vickers Stock Research.