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Financials are flourishing after Donald Trump’s surprise election, and there’s one undervalued stock in the banking sector that’s looking quite attractive.

Theodore Sturgeon used to go to a lot of conventions and writers’ events where he answered questions, both in panels and in conversations in the lobby. He got tired of defending science fiction against charges of low quality, so he created Sturgeon’s Law* to explain. The Law says, “Ninety percent of everything is crap.” And when you think about it, you’ll have to admit that there aren’t that many genuinely excellent entries in any category.

England has been changing, and rapidly. In recent decades, it’s absorbed hundreds of thousands of immigrants from India, Poland, Pakistan and China (to name the top four). It’s now the third most crowded nation in Europe, after the Netherlands and Belgium.

Biotech stocks have been in a downward spiral this week after comments from Hillary Clinton. She also created a buying opportunity.

Columnist Peter Brimelow comments on top-performing Cabot Market Letter’s bullish market view.

Stocks showing strength and breadth like we haven’t seen in a long time, particularly with the broad market at a record high. Despite flattish returns from the formerly high-flying mega-cap tech stocks, the broad stock market is no longer grinding higher, it is surging higher, lifting the S&P 500 index to a month-to-date gain of 8.8% through Monday.

There have been so many changes in 2020, it pains me to heap another change onto your laps, and yet it is time for me to do so. I’ve implemented the next phase of my longtime career plan by establishing a U.S. equity hedge fund for which I am the portfolio manager.

Through most of the summer, investors had become increasingly confident about the strength and direction of the economic recovery, the likelihood of the arrival of several promising Covid vaccines, another round of federal economic stimulus and other favorable indicators.

The stock market had a decent week, gaining about 5% since our last letter. While market commentators have ascribed a range of reasons for the strength, including new hope for a federal stimulus package, a growing consensus about the outcome of the presidential election, and perhaps some modestly increased optimism in what had become a sense that the economic recovery was faltering.

The stock market continues to exhibit a willingness to rise in the near term. I’m seeing constructive price chart patterns on both the S&P 500 index and on many individual stocks.

In keeping with last week’s comments, the stock market continues to show a willingness to rise in the near term. More than any other industry, oil refining stocks offer strong upside, including two within our portfolios.

The S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average began new run-ups yesterday, while the NASDAQ Composite Index continues its uptrend. I’m glad that investors are continuing to make money during this market rebound.

The recent (and ongoing?) tech momentum reversal appears to be due to a variety of concerns ranging from doubt about valuations, worries about the pace of the economy’s recovery, the lack of another stimulus package and slowing growth in the Federal Reserve’s asset purchases.

While the market action has been somewhat exciting this week (though in the wrong direction), it was fairly dull for Cabot Undervalued Stocks Advisor recommended stocks in terms of news. This news drought will fade as five companies report later this week, with six more the following week.

The title of this note might be, “What to expect when you’re expecting … earnings.” As companies in the Cabot Undervalued Stocks Advisor portfolio start reporting earnings this week, let’s look into what is behind the results and estimates.

Election season is now in full swing. In less than seven weeks, or only 49 days, the country will select its next president, representatives from all 435 House congressional districts, 35 senators and 12 state governors.

As value investors in a remarkably robust (exuberant) stock market, full valuation impels us to want to sell a stock. Such is the case with General Motors. On most conventional metrics, the stock is fairly priced. Through the courtesy of several friends, we’ve seen some of the math that Wall Street analysts use to justify prices well over $100/share and find them laughable, at best. As GM shares burst again through our price target, we were on the razor’s edge of selling.

By far the worst performing sector in recent years has been the energy sector. From its peak in mid-year 2014 when oil prices reached over $100/barrel to its current state of complete disarray, the S&P Energy Sector index has collapsed 63%. For comparison, the broad S&P 500 index has gained 65% and even the often-maligned Materials Sector index has risen by 25%.

Most stocks on the Cabot Undervalued Stocks Advisor recommended list had strong performance this past week. Part of the strength was perhaps due to money managers’ general optimism that seems to brighten with turn of the calendar. With last year’s bonuses firmly in the bag, professional investors often view January as the start of a new clock. This translates into a higher tolerance for risk-taking, as there are nearly 12 months ahead to make up for any mistakes. Cyclical and value stocks tend to be major beneficiaries of this optimism.

Right now, U.S. stock markets are surging, largely due to the Federal Reserve’s bond-buying binge. As bond prices rise from the increased demand, bond yields fall (and they’re tremendously low).