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Nvidia (NVDA) has been the leader in the AI clubhouse for years, but new products and a slate of new investments have one of its competitors gunning for the title.

It was another rocky week for the market as the tone was set by a rotation out of richly valued tech names, worries over whether the Federal Reserve would stay on hold rather than cut interest rates, and the big story was ongoing concerns about the sustainability of the AI-driven rally. By week’s end the S&P 500 and Dow had lost 2%, while the Nasdaq fell 3.2%.

If simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, these two global ETFs can add a dash of both to your portfolio.

Qualcomm (QCOM) has been an also-ran in the AI game due to the company’s focus on mobile chips, but its new class of semiconductors could make it a big winner if the AI rally holds up.

Happy Thanksgiving week, everyone! The market’s much-needed strong start to this holiday-shortened week is certainly something to be thankful for in the midst of what has mostly been a rough November, particularly for growth investors. Maybe today’s run-up will spark a turnaround. In case there are more wild gyrations ahead, however, today we add a low-beta, way-undervalued utility stock that I recommended to my Cabot Value Investor audience earlier this month. We could use a couple more defensive positions as the market has become more risk-off, and this stock certainly qualifies.

Details inside.

I’m bullish for 2026. But I’m not confident about the next few weeks.

Last week’s much-anticipated earnings report from AI bellwether Nvidia (NVDA) and the overdue September jobs report were expected to provide answers to the recent angst. Both reports were great. Stocks plunged anyway. That’s a bearish sign.

The market is always unpredictable in the near term. But it seems the greater likelihood over the next several weeks is choppy at best, with a good chance of further downside. But things can change between now and the December issue, and new stocks could be highlighted in weekly updates or via trade alert.

In this issue, I highlight a covered call on a stock that has been flying high over the past month. It has enough momentum to make the call premium huge. It’s a good time to secure a high income on a stock that may have peaked in a market that looks dicey over the rest of the year.

Despite a late-week sell-off, stocks finished last week with a mixed but telling tape. Federal Reserve policymakers delivered a widely anticipated 25 basis-point rate cut mid-week — reinforcing easier policy expectations — while fresh highs in cyclicals and small caps early in the week signaled strong breadth, only to be met by renewed AI valuation angst into Friday. Rotation out of mega-cap tech and into value names helped buoy the Dow and Russell 2000, which gained 1% and 0.5%, respectively, even as the tech-heavier S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 0.6% and 1.6%.

It was a mixed week in the market, with the Nasdaq and many big-cap, AI-type names stagnating, while the broad market did very well, as small- and mid-cap indexes up 2.5% to 3.5% on the week, with more stocks hitting new highs, and while cyclical and some defensive names did improve, some non-AI growth areas that mostly sat out the past nine to 12 months did as well.

The overall evidence is more good than bad, but it really depends where you look—AI stocks specifically (and growth stocks in general) have been lagging, while many cyclical and value-type areas have been doing well, with more stocks breaking out on the upside and with many holding firm during some sloppiness the past two days. At this point, we’re just going with what’s in front of us: Extending our line in fresher titles that are showing strength, but raising stops on laggards and being selective given the crosscurrents that are out there.

This week’s list has something for everyone, with a decent amount of non-AI growth, along with some cyclicals and a turnaround or two. Our Top Pick is a name we missed a month ago but whose recent pullback is starting to set up a nice risk/reward situation.

The artificial intelligence trade was under pressure last month. But it recovered over the last three weeks. The back and forth has again taken a negative turn after AI bellwethers Oracle (ORCL) and Broadcom (AVGO) reported earnings that didn’t impress investors.

Despite a late-week sell-off, stocks finished the week with a mixed but telling tape. Federal Reserve policymakers delivered a widely anticipated 25 basis-point rate cut mid-week — reinforcing easier policy expectations — while fresh highs in cyclicals and small caps early in the week signaled strong breadth, only to be met by renewed AI valuation angst into Friday. Rotation out of mega-cap tech and into value names helped buoy the Dow and Russell 2000 which gained 1% and 0.5%, respectively, even as the tech-heavier S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 0.6% and 1.6%.

We’re going to continue with our strategy of locking in modest, but relatively quick, profits on some positions while they’re available.

Cannabis stocks were soaring Friday morning on a Washington Post report stating that President Donald Trump plans to go forward with rescheduling. The report cites six sources.

Despite a late-week sell-off, stocks finished the week with a mixed but telling tape. Federal Reserve policymakers delivered a widely anticipated 25 basis-point rate cut mid-week — reinforcing easier policy expectations — while fresh highs in cyclicals and small caps early in the week signaled strong breadth, only to be met by renewed AI valuation angst into Friday. Rotation out of mega-cap tech and into value names helped buoy the Dow and Russell 2000 which gained 1% and 0.5%, respectively, even as the tech-heavier S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 0.6% and 1.6%.

Technology is getting a comeuppance. But other sectors are getting a boost.

The artificial intelligence trade was under pressure last month. But it recovered over the last three weeks. The back and forth has again taken a negative turn after AI bellwethers Oracle (ORCL) and Broadcom (AVGO) reported earnings that didn’t impress investors.

Today, a whopping eight Profit Booster positions will expire. Most are “slam-dunk,” full-profit trades, while others will go down to the wire.

The big takeaway, before we dive in, is we are going to let the situation play itself out, and come Monday/Tuesday of next week we will revisit our profits, as well as how we will manage the remaining positions.