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This was a good week for Explorer stocks, and as we head into the end of the year, Sea Limited (SE) is so far up 190%, IBM (IBM) is up 48% and Dutch Bros (BROS) was up 62% in November alone.

Tariffs are topic one in Washington and the financial media. Markets don’t know how everything will work out. Mexico is America’s largest trading partner, followed by Canada and then China. America still imports 4 million barrels of crude oil a day from Canada, which is also a key partner on the critical minerals front. More than half of America’s imports of fruits and vegetables come from Mexico. Automakers, which have built factories in Mexico to produce vehicles for the American market, are at risk and their stocks are falling at the wrong time.

But there’s one huge (non-Tesla) exception, which we will add to the Explorer portfolio today.

Last Tuesday’s hot inflation report, along with Thursday evening’s earnings warning from FedEx, led to a terrible week for stocks, which keeps the negative top-down evidence in place: Both the intermediate- and longer-term trends of the market, as well as most stocks and sectors, remains pointed south. On the positive side, we still see many stocks doing a solid job of holding their own, and sentiment is firmly on the bearish side of the fence, and both of those represent dry tinder—if something goes right in the world (what a concept!), we think there’s a chance of a really solid rally. But bear markets are all about patience; we’ll leave our Market Monitor at a level 4.


This week’s list has another batch of resilient stocks, and our Top Pick has been bottoming out for months, and a decisive push higher should be buyable.

Two of the past three weeks have had odd mid-week holidays, which combined with the time of year, has led to some pretty slow trading since the tail end of June. We’re now seeing more tightness and legitimate setups out there, so if the buying pressures spread we think there could be a surprising number of names that provide solid entry points. While there are some signs that could be starting, earnings season is set to ramp, and as always, that will likely tell the intermediate-term story. For now, given that the market’s decent-but-tricky evidence hasn’t changed much, our advice isn’t changing, either. Our Market Monitor remains at a level 7.

This week’s list has another batch of intriguing setups that could go if the market cooperates. Our Top Pick has always had a good story and great numbers, and now the stock seems to be ready to move as its sector comes back to life.

The Middle East uncertainties came to the forefront just over a week ago, and that uncertainty flared up further this weekend with the U.S. joining the fray on Saturday night. Even so, stocks have remained resilient, with all of the indexes remaining in intermediate-term uptrends and not far from their recent highs, and there’s been very little abnormal action among individual stocks even after their big runs in May. That’s all to the good—but, at the same time, nothing has changed for the better, as very few stocks are reaching new high ground and there hasn’t been much net progress for the past month, even in many leaders. We’ll leave our Market Monitor at a level 7.

This week’s list has names from every nook and cranny in the market, which is a good sign. Our Top Pick is a real leader but has rested a bit during the past couple of weeks as the 25-day line has caught up. We’re OK entering here or (preferably) on dips.

Buying and selling stocks is not simple, but if you hire a coach, you can simplify the process.

The market has continued its volatility since mid-August, rising above 34,000 on the DJIA, then contracting, just to bolt upward again at the end of last week. Economic uncertainty and fears of a recession, although recently economists have been decreasing their likelihood for a 2022 recession, effectively pushing that into 2023.

The unemployment rate for August unexpectedly rose to 3.7%, but unemployment claims in the past week were less than forecast. It’s still a great market for folks looking for jobs.



We’ll have new housing stats next week, but anecdotally, I can tell you that prices are still being reduced in my region, but sales activity has increased, after about a six-week lull.

The market had a nice run in October, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 14% for the month.

The economy continues to look pretty good, with manufacturing steady, construction spending up, and employment still healthy, despite a 200-basis point increase in the unemployment rate, now 3.7%.

The Federal Reserve once again boosted the Fed Funds rate by 0.75% this month, which the markets had already built in. Right now, it looks like Fed Chair Jerome Powell may target rates even higher than the 4.5-4.75% initially projected, but the rate increases might come in smaller doses.

The markets reacted strongly—and bullishly—to the results of the presidential election and also found favor after the Federal Reserve’s quarter-point rate reduction.

As of today, they’ve pulled back a bit, awaiting the latest inflation report.

However, the economy continues rolling along. Unemployment remains steady, and consumer sentiment is positive. And while the housing market continues to be challenged by low inventory and rising prices, on the local level, I’m seeing improvement in both categories.

Other stocks are picking up the slack while technology is wobbling. The grossly lopsided performance that dominated this market for so long couldn’t last. And there’s more to the story than just sector rotation. Earnings are catching up.

I’m still bullish on the portfolio AI stocks. But other sectors of the market are overdue for stronger relative performance. These stocks are taking over and likely to post much better relative performance over the course of the year.

Healthcare is perhaps the best of all sectors that aren’t technology. It’s an all-weather industry that offers a very seldom-found combination of safety and growth. Plus, these stocks are poised ahead of the megatrend of the rapidly aging population. Healthcare demand is skyrocketing. And the best stocks should get a great ride.

In this issue, I highlight four healthcare stocks currently in the portfolio. Despite the lopsided bull market returns so far, a couple of these stocks have been among the very best performers. And now they should be poised for a strong run in 2025.

Tariffs are back.

Of course, stocks could continue to move higher. The optimists have been right so far. But the indexes are near all-time highs, while uncertainty abounds. It might not be the best strategy to pay a premium for a stock in a precarious market.

Fortunately, while the overall market is near the high, there are stocks that are still cheap. The amazing market recovery from the April low has been led by technology, which accounts for about one-third of the S&P index. That sector has soared over 40% in the last three months. But many great stocks are still priced far from their 52-week highs.

In this issue, I highlight a financial industry powerhouse with a long track record of outperforming the market. The stock is well below the 52-week high and selling near its cheapest valuations in years. While the market could go either way in the weeks ahead, this stock is well-positioned to boom when the environment normalizes. Meanwhile the current uncertainty is keeping it cheap.

It may seem like stock prices have run away in the impressive recovery from the April low. But there is a stock where it’s still April.

Crista writes about four patterns she is looking at in the market.

Last week’s economic reports delivered good news, presuming that you are rooting for a stable or strong U.S. economy. June retail sales rose 0.4% vs. May, when economists expected an 0.2% increase; and retail sales also rose 3.4% vs. a year ago.

We’re clearing one underperforming stock from the portfolio today, and putting one dividend stalwart back on Buy. In today’s issue, you’ll also find a very high-yielding new addition, a recap of our sell strategy and updates on all our stocks.

In September’s Issue of Cabot Early Opportunities we continue our search for companies that have some of that special sauce that can take them from good to great. We serve up a mix of software, consumer and MedTech names, as well as a Top Pick that’s growing like a weed despite participating in a seemingly stodgy industry. Enjoy!

The new bull market encountered its first real hiccup last week, as second-quarter earnings season hasn’t been kind to growth stocks in particular – even ones that blow estimates out of the water. So, a few of our stocks retreated after earnings, only one of which was enough to warrant selling. I view most of the earnings-induced pullbacks as buying opportunities. And today, we add a stock that has something for everyone – it’s a big-cap technology company with an artificial intelligence tilt, plenty of momentum and it pays a dividend. It’s a longtime holding of Cabot Dividend Investor Chief Analyst Tom Hutchinson.

What a difference two months make!

On April 8, the Nasdaq had plummeted to bear market territory after touching all-time highs just six weeks earlier, and the S&P 500 was on the cusp of joining it. Small caps were faring even worse. Volatility had spiked to multi-year highs. And everyone was certain a recession or high inflation – or both – were imminent.

The reason was tariffs. “Liberation Day,” a week earlier, on which President Donald Trump had imposed sky-high tariffs on more than 100 U.S. trading partners from all over the world, had sent stocks plummeting as economists clutched their pearls and warned of imminent collapse.

It’s been another productive year for the market, with the S&P 500 up more than 17% with a few trading days to spare. Growth stocks continue to carry the day despite recent weakness, advancing more than 22% this year. Value stocks have held their own, up more than 13% and picking up the slack of late as momentum in the growth space has waned. But ultimately, it was yet another year of growth outpacing value.

Warren Buffett isn’t concerned about the market’s slow start this year. “What’s happened in the last 30, 45 days is really nothing,” the Oracle of Omaha said at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting last weekend. In the grand scheme of market history, he’s right.

There have been plenty of market meltdowns over the years. Few have matched what’s happened since last Wednesday evening – so-called “Liberation Day” – when President Trump announced plans to place high tariffs on … the rest of the world. In the week that followed, stocks nose-dived by 13%, with both the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 swinging to a bear market last Thursday and Friday and the S&P 500 nearly following suit.

Until yesterday.