In episode 48 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal covers a down day as crude oil climbs another 3% to $96 a barrel, stoking inflation fears and pushing the major indices lower. In Active Stocks, Casey's General Stores drops 15% on tepid same-store sales guidance despite an earnings beat, Chewy falls 7% even after raising full-year revenue guidance, and Meta Platforms rises 5% on the launch of its new AI personal agent, Muse. The Market Buzz looks at why volatility has stayed subdued, with the VIX opening at 15.7 and holding below 20 for most of 2026, reflecting investor confidence backed by roughly 30% second-quarter earnings growth and two-year forward P/E valuations below the five-year average. With the S&P 500 up about 13% year to date, Argus notes that double-digit gains nine months in historically point to a double-digit full year, which would mark a fourth consecutive year of double-digit returns and shake off the midterm-year curse. Analyst Stephen Biggar delivers Quick Takes with a raised target on Air Products and Chemicals on decarbonization potential, a positive outlook on Entergy as a consistent dividend grower with data center interest in its Gulf Coast territory, and continued bullishness on Toll Brothers and its dominant position in luxury homebuilding. The Deeper Dive examines the global march higher in sovereign bond yields, with UK gilts at their highest since 2008, German bunds climbing on above-target inflation, and Japanese JGB yields rising on BOJ normalization. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.

In episode 47 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal covers a sour day on Wall Street as new tariffs from Canada, climbing oil prices, and growing expectations of a Fed rate hike next week all weigh on sentiment, sending the Dow down more than 1% and crude up 2% to $93 a barrel. Chip heavyweights Intel and AMD help cushion the Nasdaq, rising 8% and 4% respectively, while Oracle gains 3% ahead of its earnings report later this week. Chief Economist Chris Graja's call of the week is that inflation expectations will remain anchored after Friday's CPI report, pointing to Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh's firm commitment to the 2% target at Jackson Hole, with Argus forecasting August CPI at 3.4% and core CPI at 2.4%. Analyst Christine Dooley delivers Quick Takes with continued momentum expected at Broadcom following 90% sales growth and above-consensus guidance, a raised target on Etsy as personalization and machine-learning initiatives improve buyer metrics, and a promising pipeline outlook for Viatris with several drugs approaching FDA review. The Deeper Dive shares top holdings across the Argus Model Portfolios, spanning Equity Income, Growth, Growth and Income, and Institutional, featuring names like JPMorgan Chase, Nvidia, Costco, Alphabet, and Eli Lilly. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.

In episode 46 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal covers a modest gain for the major indices ahead of tomorrow's August employment report. Weekly jobless claims rose marginally to 206,000, roughly in line with expectations and suggesting no significant shifts in the labor market. In Active Stocks, Snowflake soars 22% on an earnings beat and raised full-year guidance, Nvidia gains 2% after announcing a $13 billion acquisition of AI platform Hugging Face, and Broadcom falls 6% despite strong revenue and earnings driven by AI chip demand. Editor Olivia Frey delivers Quick Takes with raised targets on Sun Life Financial, citing its diversified insurance operations, clean balance sheet, and consistent dividend hikes, and Dell Technologies, which sharply exceeded consensus and lifted full-year guidance as AI server and AI PC markets gain momentum. She also highlights Palo Alto Networks as a strong competitor in enterprise cybersecurity, noting that the rise of agentic AI makes enterprise IT systems more vulnerable to attack. The Deeper Dive covers Argus's strategic asset-allocation models, with stocks leading bonds through August as long-term rates hit five-year highs, and explains why value has taken the lead in 2026 after five years of lagging, positioned well with longer-term interest rates elevated. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.

In episode 45 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal covers a softer-than-expected private jobs report ahead of Friday's government payrolls data. The ADP National Employment Report showed 38,000 private payroll jobs created in August, below both the 47,000 consensus and last month's 44,000, with education and health services adding jobs while manufacturing and professional services posted losses. In Active Stocks, Dell rises 5% on strong results and raised guidance driven by AI infrastructure demand, Palo Alto Networks falls 7% on narrowing margins and rising component costs, and MongoDB drops 10% on soft third-quarter guidance despite 30% revenue growth. Analyst Stephen Biggar delivers Quick Takes on Autodesk's MaintainX acquisition and its expanding total addressable market, Williams-Sonoma's industry-leading digital and social media capabilities with roughly two-thirds of sales from e-commerce, and a raised target on Marvell Technology on AI momentum and its Celestial AI acquisition. The Deeper Dive examines stock valuations across multiple measures, with the Stock/Bond Barometer showing a 0.83 sigma premium within the normal range, a forward P/E of 20, and an earnings yield gap of 345 basis points in line with historical averages, all suggesting the market, up nearly 12% year to date, is reasonably valued but not cheap, and not in bubble territory. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.

In episode 44 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal kicks off September with a look at why it's historically the market's worst month. Argus analysis of S&P 500 returns going back to 1980 shows September is the only month with an average loss, shedding about 0.9% annually, with a win rate of just 48% and some brutal outliers including 2008's 13.6% drop. The episode explains what makes September a transition month: corporations back in gear after Labor Day, a reviving IPO market, a Fed meeting, and third-quarter pre-warnings that can send investors fleeing entire sectors, with midterm elections added to the mix this year. Markets open the month in the red as a global rise in bond yields pushes the 10-year to 4.77% and crude climbs another 3% to $88 a barrel. In Active Stocks, oil names BP, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil move higher, Medtronic gains 3% on an earnings beat, and NIO falls 5% on a revenue miss. Chief Economist Chris Graja's call of the week looks for wage growth to stay well below inflationary levels, with average hourly earnings up 3.2% for August against a 2.1% productivity trend. Analyst Christine Dooley delivers Quick Takes with an upgrade of Abercrombie & Fitch to Buy after a record quarter and sharply raised guidance, a raised target on Salesforce following its second guidance boost and new Anthropic partnership, and a maintained Hold on Canadian National Railway. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.

In episode 43 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal covers a down day as renewed strikes between the U.S. and Iran push oil higher and weigh on the broader market. Energy names including Halliburton, SLB, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil all move up as crude climbs 3% to $86 a barrel, while the 10-year Treasury yield rises 4 basis points to 4.76% on growing sentiment that rates could head higher. Tesla bucks the negative mood with a 5% gain, and Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO after 15 years in the top job. The Wall Street Buzz previews a jobs week, with Argus forecasting nonfarm payrolls of 50,000 for August, slightly above consensus, and the unemployment rate holding at 4.1%. Odds of a rate hike at the September 16th Fed meeting have popped to about 60%. Analyst Christine Dooley delivers Quick Takes with an upgrade of Moderna to Buy on positive Phase 3 cancer vaccine results with shares still more than 70% off their highs, solid earnings and widening margins at Estee Lauder, and a raised target on Sherwin-Williams on strategic acquisitions. The Deeper Dive covers the second batch of companies raising guidance this earnings season, an Argus investment theme for the back half of 2026, with names spanning Abercrombie & Fitch, Target, Walmart, APA Corp, Cummins, Deere, Palantir, Eli Lilly, and more. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.

In episode 42 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal covers a strong day for tech earnings and asks a question on every investor's mind: when does the next pullback come? Nvidia rises 6% on a beat and upbeat guidance, Salesforce surges 21%, and CrowdStrike jumps 19%, while HP falls 7% on disappointing results. The Market Buzz digs into sector rotation, where semiconductors and oil and gas exploration lead year to date, but biotech and big pharma have blasted off roughly 27% and 26% over the past three months, gold and silver miners have surged 36% and 34% over the past month, and solar and clean energy have plummeted. Argus views ongoing rotation as a healthy sign of broadening participation rather than fragile concentrated leadership. Editor Olivia Frey delivers Quick Takes on Nvidia's continued position as the linchpin of the generative AI industry, Intuit's humming growth engines despite AI disruption fears, and Meta's landmark settlement, which Argus sees as dodging a bullet at reasonable cost. The Deeper Dive examines pullback history: it's been about five months since the last 5% drop, pullbacks happen on average three times per year, corrections about once a year, and the average recovery takes one month. With the economy growing and corporate profits climbing, Argus remains optimistic stocks can post gains in 2026 even if a pullback materializes. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.

In episode 41 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal covers a hotter-than-expected inflation print that has investors watching the Fed closely. The PCE index rose 0.2% in July, above the 0.1% consensus, putting full-year inflation at 3.7%, with elevated service-sector prices offsetting a 0.1% decline in goods. Treasury yields moved higher on the news. In Active Stocks, Intuit falls 4% on soft top-line guidance, Zoom drops 7% citing a consumer slowdown, and Meta rises 1% after settling a social media addiction case with 29 state attorneys general for $18 billion. A slew of tech earnings arrive after the close, including Nvidia, CrowdStrike, Salesforce, and HP. The Market Buzz also looks ahead to the November midterms and why strong corporate earnings and solid GDP growth may sustain double-digit stock gains through the toughest year of the presidential election cycle. Analyst Stephen Biggar delivers Quick Takes with a long-term case for First Solar after a 19% six-month decline, a look at McDonald's three-pillar strategy and its Super Mario Galaxy and KPop Demon Hunters partnerships, and a raised target on Merck following positive skin cancer vaccine pipeline news. The Deeper Dive investigates how Alan Greenspan identified the mid-1990s productivity acceleration years before official data confirmed it, and which indicators Argus is watching to determine whether AI can deliver a similar productivity boom today. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.

In episode 40 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal takes a hard look at Bitcoin, which is down 11% year to date and roughly 30% below its all-time highs despite a nearly 20% jump over the past week. The rally traces back to the Treasury's announcement that it will increase purchases of longer-term securities, a move that worked for a day before fixed-income investors refocused on inflation risks, geopolitical developments, and a federal debt now topping $40 trillion. Argus explains why Bitcoin can benefit from higher debt and a weaker dollar, but urges caution given the asset's extreme volatility and still-speculative profile. In Active Stocks, Dick's Sporting Goods plunges 25% after cutting guidance, Intuit slips ahead of its report, and Bloom Energy rises on disclosure of a congressional purchase. Chief Economist Chris Graja's call of the week looks for the personal savings rate to stay below 3% in tomorrow's report, down sharply from the 5.2% long-run average and a sign that consumer finances are stretched by lingering inflation and $4 gas. Analyst Christine Dooley delivers Quick Takes with a buying opportunity flagged in Kimberly-Clark ahead of its Kenvue acquisition, continued strength expected at Cardinal Health, and positive momentum at Deere on strong early order trends and raised guidance. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.

In episode 39 of Market Beat by Argus Research, host Caroline Wygal digs into the newly filed 13-Fs to see what the biggest institutional investors bought last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway added materially to Alphabet, Delta Air Lines, and The New York Times Company. Pershing Square opened new positions in Netflix, Restaurant Brands International, and Uber. Appaloosa opened new positions in American Airlines and Goodyear, Ark Investment opened a new position in SpaceX, and Citadel, Two Sigma, Artisan Partners, and D.E. Shaw all made notable moves. In Active Stocks, steel names Cleveland-Cliffs and Steel Dynamics rise after the U.S. and Canada fail to reach a trade agreement, while memory and chip stocks slide broadly, with Sandisk down 9% and Micron down 7%. The Wall Street Buzz previews a big week with Nvidia, CrowdStrike, Salesforce, and Marvell reporting, PCE data and the second GDP estimate due Wednesday, and Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh speaking Friday at Jackson Hole. Analyst Christine Dooley delivers Quick Takes keeping Walmart on the Buy list despite last week's selloff, flagging Otis Worldwide's underperformance as an opportunity, and maintaining a Hold on Altria as its non-smoking pivot lags. For full research and information about Argus subscriptions, visit argusresearch.com.