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On Tuesday morning I suggested traders might want to take some profits in positions accumulated the week before, because of a possible dearth of catalysts on the near-term horizon. I also suggested maintaining long-term exposure to the group.

In last week’s update we reviewed the market’s good and bad, and we wrote that “we think the odds strongly favor the next big move being up. But, near-term, there’s still a decent chance that growth and other Top Ten-type names could see more backsliding (or bottom building, if you prefer) before breaking out.” Our Market Monitor has crept up of late but is still at a level 6 (out of 10).

It’s the post-Labor Day market. Investors tend to start paying attention again after the summer. This refocus prompted one of the worst selloffs this year.

Investors were positive about things in the middle of August before they went on vacation and stopped paying attention. The market rode out the rest of the month in the same form. But investors coming back to real life after the summer realized that there might be more to worry about.

Everybody is talking about the potential of generative AI. But a lot of organizations haven’t yet organized their digital data in such a way that they can leverage it for AI, let alone protect it once AI applications gain access.

Today, we’re jumping into a steady-growth software company that helps solve this problem.

In today’s note, we discuss the recent news developments concerning Nokia (NOK), Tyson Foods (TSN), Baxter International (BAX), Gannett (GCI), and Alibaba Holdings (BABA). We also discuss the latest nationwide headline development that could have a material impact on AMMO Inc. (POWW).

My family and I traveled to London recently and we may have contributed to the “Taylor Effect,” an inflationary spike following Taylor Swift around Europe.

Utilities have beaten every other sector in the S&P 500 so far in 2024, and these three companies are the best-performing utility stocks in the sector.

After a couple of tough weeks, maybe due to a lingering yen carry-trade impact and a little too much concern over a weakening economy, the market has acted much better the last couple of days.

It seems we’re in one of those periods where there isn’t a major market catalyst, even though we’re getting inflation reports, presidential debates and a Fed meeting. So the market is just bouncing around.

We are in the early stages of a new cycle in the market.

The environment is changing from one of high inflation and high interest rates to one of falling inflation and interest rates in a weakening economy. And it is unlikely to be a mere short-term gyration but rather the beginning of a new environment that should last for some time.

Interest rates may fall quickly or more slowly depending on whether the economy remains buoyant or slips towards recession. But rates will fall much more significantly than they have in years.

The cycle reversal will create new winners and losers. Certain interest rate-sensitive stocks have been laggards for a long time and have a lot of catching up to do. They are still cheap, high yielding, and now have momentum.

In this issue, I highlight a great monthly income stock. The yield is massive, and it provides a high income in an uncertain market. The stock also can provide great price performance when the interest rate cycle goes its way. This point in the cycle provides a great opportunity to get a high income and total return on the right side of a pronounced market shift ahead.

Small caps historically outperform larger stocks, but they’ve been underperforming for years. Is it finally their time to shine?

Yes, Berkshire Hathaway sold a big chunk of its Apple (AAPL) position; no, that doesn’t make it a de facto sell for us too.

The S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (IJR) closed out last week on a high note as the index rallied 3.4% on Friday following comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell in Jackson Hole that confirmed what investors were expecting, that an interest rate cut in September is likely.

Small caps have chopped around this week, inching a little lower but not making any dramatic moves.

The market is now pricing in a roughly 35% probability of a 50-bp rate cut next month, and just over 100 bp of easing by the end of this year.

Ahead of the long weekend, and the unofficial end of summer for the trading community, it was a mostly quiet and mixed week as the S&P 500 was unchanged, the Dow gained 0.9%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.7%.

Multiple buy-side analysts asked about the AI return on investment (ROI) in Nvidia’s most recent earnings call; it’s a billion-dollar question.

This market just continues to impress with the S&P within a whisker of the all-time high in these waning days of summer.

Why shouldn’t the market be strong? Everybody expects the Fed to start cutting the Fed Funds rate next month. The benchmark 10-year Treasury rate has fallen below 4%. And there’s no recession in sight. We’re getting the lower rates without the requisite economic pain.

Reminder: Due to the Labor Day holiday, you will receive your next issue of Cabot Top Ten Trader on Tuesday, September 3.


After three positive weeks, the sellers finally put up a fight, with most major indexes down on the week. The retrenchment, though, has been limited overall, with most stuff down less than 1% while some growth measures (including the Nasdaq) are down in the 1.5% to 2% range.