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The market had another rough go of it last week, as the major indexes finished down more than 4%, though they remain safely above their late-January lows. Overall, the trends of the market and most stocks remain firmly down, and thus the market monitor above remains on the bearish side – and that means you should continue to play defense and buy only small amounts. On a positive note, OptiMo (our stock screening system) is uncovering more stocks meeting with buying pressures – this week’s list contains a few more good stories, and we’re beginning to see signs of group leadership. Gold, coal, metals and now energy stocks (especially energy producers) are sporting more than a few strong stocks, as big investors bet on continued commodity inflation. Our favorite this week is Range Resources (RRC), a mid-sized natural gas explorer that’s hitting new highs. Try to buy on weakness.

Stock Name	Price	Buy Range	Loss Limit
ACI (ACI)	0.00	48-52	-
BVN (BVN)	0.00	63-69	-
CLF (CLF)	0.00	98-108	-
CMO (CMO)	0.00	14-16	-
KGC (KGC)	0.00	20-22	-
OI (OI)	0.00	49-51	-
PRGO (PRGO)	0.00	34-36	-
RRC (RRC)	0.00	52-56	-
SWN (SWN)	0.00	58-62	-
URBN (URBN)	0.00	29-31	-

This month we’re jumping into a software company that’s developed an innovative product for the emerging gig economy. But it’s not another Airbnb, Lyft or Uber. No apartments for rent or cars for hire here.
Rather, just like eBay and Etsy have created online marketplaces for buyers and sellers of physical goods, this company has created a marketplace that matches buyers and sellers of digital services—things like graphic design, writing and web development.


As the gig economy explodes this company is poised to enjoy rapid growth. And while no company is inoculated from the coronavirus, this one has some protection since it’s part of the digital, not physical, economy.

This week, seven companies reported earnings, including Capital One Financial (COF), General Electric (GE), Mattel (MAT), M/I Homes (MHO), Newell Brands (NWL), Polaris (PII) and Xerox Holdings (XRX). Newell reported this morning, so our comments are brief.

This week, we comment on earnings from Elanco Animal Health (ELAN), Gannett (GCI), Kaman Corporation (KAMN) and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD).

We also include the Catalyst Report and a summary of the March edition of the Cabot Turnaround Letter, which was published on Wednesday.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s continued warnings of future rate hikes weighed on markets as did the Biden Administration’s suggestion that there should be new restrictions on selling advanced chips to China. Despite this, chip stocks such as Nvidia (NDVA) and the PHLX Semiconductor index were down by less than 1%.

Artificial intelligence (AI) calculations largely take place in data centers full of servers with graphics processing units (GPU)s from Nvidia and its competitors. It is estimated that 20% to 25% of the company’s revenue from Nvidia’s AI chips have been coming from China. To avoid further upsetting Beijing, no action is expected until after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s visit to China in July. Washington is also preparing legislation to screen China-bound investments by U.S. companies. AI, quantum computing, biotechnology and large-capacity batteries are at the top of the list.

It has been a fabulous rally that has proven naysayers wrong. The S&P 500 is up about 15% YTD just before the midpoint. Stocks have also rallied more than 20% from the October low into a new bull market.

How much gas is left in the tank?

Inflation is falling and the Fed is almost done hiking rates. It is also looking less likely that there will be a recession this year. Investors are optimistic that we can get to the other side of this hiking cycle without too much pain.

As I mentioned in the last update, last week was a big week for the market. Important earnings, the Fed meeting, and the jobs report all had implications for the near-term direction of the market. The market survived and came away about even for the week. Now what?

Earnings were generally positive. The Fed did what was expected by raising 0.25%, and the statements afterward were ambiguous. The employment report was solid as many more jobs were created. Also, the last two months of jobs figures were lowered. The readjustment quelled inflation fears while the current jobs report indicated no recession in sight.

The market is up for the year. That’s promising after last year’s debacle. But stocks have been going sideways since the beginning of April and can’t seem to decide on the next decisive direction.


On the one hand, the market has shown inspiring resilience amid the troubling headlines. On the other hand, there is a strong chance that the next significant move is lower after stocks have rallied 20% from the October low.

In today’s note, we discuss pertinent developments for some of the stocks in the portfolio, including Alcoa (AA), Janus Henderson Group (JHG), Paramount Global (PARA), Starbucks (SBUX) and Teladoc Health (TDOC).

Note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the Cabot Turnaround Letter weekly update won’t be published on Friday. Instead, the next update and the Catalyst Report will be sent out on December 5.

Given the obvious risks of the current macroeconomic environment (inflation, geopolitical volatility, etc.), it’s my contention that sector selectivity has never been more important. That is, when evaluating stocks for potential purchase, it’s imperative that we consider the potential impact the macro climate might have on said investment going forward.

In today’s note, we discuss pertinent developments for some of the stocks in the portfolio, including Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM), GE Aerospace (GE), Paramount Global (PARA), Sirius XM (SIRI), Teladoc Health (TDOC) and UiPath (PATH).

Gold and silver continue to benefit from safe-haven buying, boosting our holding of Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM).

Trump’s tariffs are directly, or indirectly, roiling some of holdings, including Sirius XM (SIRI) and UiPath (PATH). The favorable long-term outlooks for both stocks remain unchanged, however.

Before we get to an update on my journey through Asia, let me offer a few thoughts regarding recent market weakness and volatility, driven by rising economic and political uncertainty. Sea Limited (SE) bucked the trend with another strong quarter while American Superconductor (AMSC) shares had another tough week after a great run, down 15.8%.

The tariff on-and-off news is creating some turbulence as are the pivotal Congressional spending and tax negotiations.

In today’s note, we discuss pertinent developments for some of the stocks in the portfolio, including GE Aerospace (GE), Paramount Global (PARA), SLB Ltd. (SLB), Starbucks (SBUX) and UiPath (PATH).

This month’s catalyst report features a mixed bag of longer-term attractive turnaround candidates in industries ranging from car rentals to dental equipment to semiconductors.

Note: Due to a technical issue, publication of your Cabot Cannabis Investor update has been delayed by one day. We apologize for any inconvenience; future updates and issues will be delivered per the normal publishing schedule.

If you have been steadily averaging down in cannabis stocks during the sector’s dark days all year, well done.

You are finally being rewarded.