In this week’s episode of The Morning Filter podcast, hosts Dave Sekera and Susan Dziubinski discuss whether investors should or shouldn’t worry about the declining US dollar. They also break down tech’s wild earnings last week: Tune in to find out if Microsoft MSFT, Meta Platforms META, Apple AAPL or ServiceNow NOW are stocks to buy today—and whether Tesla TSLA finally looks attractive after Morningstar’s big fair value upgrade. They share what to watch in the upcoming earnings reports from Alphabet GOOGL, Amazon.com AMZN, and some notable consumer defensive companies this week. 

Small-cap stocks are having a moment: The co-hosts discuss whether the rally can continue. They close the episode with three small-cap stocks to buy that look undervalued now.

Episode Highlights 

00:00:00 Welcome

00:06:10 Earnings on Tap: GOOGL, AMZN & More 

00:11:16 New Research on MSFT, META, TLSA, AAPL 

00:25:27 Audience Question: ADBE & APH 

00:28:37- Stock Picks of the Week 

Read about topics from this episode. 

The Best ETFs to Ride the Small-Cap Stock Rally

Morningstar's Company Earnings Hub

Read Dave’s complete archive.

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

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Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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This episode of The Morning Filter marks the podcast’s third anniversary. Hosts Dave Sekera and Susan Dziubinski reveal how the stock picks from the podcast’s first episode have performed and share which ones are still attractive stocks to buy today. They also discuss an under-discussed risk factor that contributed to market volatility last week. And they welcome special guest (and Fed watcher) Sarah Hansen to preview this week’s Federal Reserve meeting and parse what to watch for from the Fed this year. 

It’s a big earnings week ahead: Tune in to find out what to look for as Microsoft MSFT, Meta Platforms META, Apple AAPL, and Tesla TSLA (among others) report. They cover key takeaways from big bank earnings, whether Netflix NFLX is a buy after reporting, which stock received a 38% fair value estimate increase last week and what to make of Berkshire Hathaway BRK.B possibly offloading its stake in Kraft Heinz KHC.

Episode Highlights 

00:00:00 Welcome

00:09:01 On radar: Fed Meeting

00:15:07 Earnings Watch: MSFT, META, AAPL, More

00:23:10 Updates on Megabanks, NFLX, TSM, KHC

00:33:17 Stock Picks of the Week

Read about topics from this episode. 

What’s Next for the Fed in 2026?

Morningstar's Company Earnings Hub

Read Sarah Hansen’s full archive.

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

Dave Sekera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesekera

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X: https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. Read more from Susan Dziubinski and Dave Sekera.

Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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On this episode of The Morning Filter podcast, Dave Sekera and Susan Dziubinski preview the December inflation numbers coming out this week and cover which other economic reports to watch. They discuss valuations of the big banks reporting in the next few days—including JP Morgan JPM, Bank of America BAC and Citigroup C—and expectations for earnings. President Trump wants to increase the defense budget; tune in to find out what that may mean for popular defense stocks like Lockheed Martin LMT, Northrop Grumman NOC, and others.

Dave shares his stock market outlook for 2026, including whether investors should overweight stocks today or pull back, which parts of the market are undervalued, and what risks could contribute to market volatility this year. They wrap the episode with stock picks to buy in January that Morningstar’s analysts like.

Episode Highlights 

00:00 Welcome 

05:59 Watching Inflation, Retail Sales, Bank Earnings 

15:39 Updates on STZ and Defense Stocks 

26:07 2026 Stock Market Outlook 

38:32 Stock Picks

Read about topics from this episode. 

Register for Dave's 2026 Outlook Webinar. https://www.morningstar.com/business/insights/webinars/quarterly-economic-outlook

Read Dave’s complete archive. https://www.morningstar.com/people/david-sekera

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

Dave Sekera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesekera

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X: https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. 

Read more from Susan and Dave:

Susan Dziubinski https://www.morningstar.com/people/susan-dziubinski

Dave Sekera https://www.morningstar.com/people/david-sekera

Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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On this week’s episode of The Morning Filter podcast, Dave Sekera and Susan Dziubinski recap volatile 2025 and preview what may lie ahead in 2026. They discuss what to watch this week, including the earnings report from stock pick Constellation Brands STZ. They unpack Morningstar’s recent 50% fair value increase on Micron Technology MU stock, review results from Darden Restaurants DRI and FedEx FDX, and discuss whether Novo Nordisk NVO or Eli Lilly LLY is the better obesity drug stock to buy today. 

Dave shares some of his favorite resources for stock investors. They close with a discussion about stocks that make good core holdings: Tune in to learn which five core stocks look like attractive buys in the new year.

Episode Highlights 

00:00 Welcome

01:16 2025 Market Recap 

21:20 Micron’s Big Fair Value Increase 

32:34 Top Resources for Stock Investors 

39:05 Core Stocks to Buy and Hold

Read about topics from this episode. 

December 2025 Stock Market Outlook: Where We See Investment Opportunities

Read Dave’s complete archive.

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

Dave Sekera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesekera

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X: https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. Read more fromSusan Dziubinski and Dave Sekera.

Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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On this week’s episode of The Morning Filter podcast, Dave Sekera and Susan Dziubinski take a look back at some of their best and worst stock buy and sell calls of 2025. Although Morningstar’s approach to stock investing is decidedly long term, they discuss why reviewing stock pick hits and misses each year on the podcast is nonetheless important.

They end wrap this week’s episode with four undervalued stock picks from 2025 that still look attractive heading into the new year.

Episode Highlights 

00:00:00  Welcome

00:01:25  Morningstar’s Stock Picking Strategy

00:06:03 How Our Stocks to Buy Did

00:38:10 How Our Stocks to Sell Did

00:46:38 Cheap Stock Picks for 2026

Read about topics from this episode. 

December 2025 Stock Market Outlook: Where We See Investment Opportunities

Read Dave’s complete archive.

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

Dave Sekera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesekera

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X: https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. Read more from Susan Dziubinski and Dave Sekera.

Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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On this week’s episode of The Morning Filter podcast, Dave Sekera and Susan Dziubinski discuss what’s next after the Federal Reserves 25-basis-point interest rate cut and which economic reports could move the market this week. Tune in to find out why to keep an eye on the earnings reports from Micron Technology MU, FedEx FDX, and Darden Restaurants DRI and whether Marvell Technology MRVL remains a stock to buy after a tough week. 

They unpack new earnings reports from Oracle ORCL, Adobe ADBE, and Costco COST, among others. And this week’s picks are stocks to put on a watch list to buy on weakness.

Episode Highlights 

00:00 Welcome 

01:07 Fed Meeting Recap 

04:35 On Radar: Economic Reports, Earnings 

12:05 Updates on ORCL, MRVL, ADBE, COST 

29:00 Stocks to Buy on Weakness

Read about topics from this episode. 

December 2025 Stock Market Outlook: Where We See Investment Opportunities

Read Dave’s complete archive.

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

Dave Sekera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesekera

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X: https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. Read more from Susan Dziubinski and Dave Sekera.

Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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On this week’s episode of The Morning Filter podcast, Dave Sekera and Susan Dziubinski discuss the likelihood of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut and why to watch the earnings reports from Costo COST, Cambell’s CPB and Adobe ADBE this week. Tune in to find out which cybersecurity stocks are buys after earnings and whether Marvell Technology MRVL or Salesforce CRM remain top picks. 

They unpack the market’s current valuation: Are stocks overpriced, underpriced, or fairly valued today? This week’s stock picks are high-quality wide moat stocks to buy that can upgrade an investment portfolio in 2026.

Episode Highlights 

00:00 Welcome 

00:59 On Radar: Fed Meeting, Earnings 

08:51 New Research: Cybersecurity Firms, MRVL, More 

19:16 Updated Stock Market Outlook 

27:01 Wide Moat Stocks to Buy

Read about topics from this episode. 

December 2025 Stock Market Outlook: Where We See Investment Opportunities

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

Dave Sekera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesekera

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. Read more from Susan Dziubinski and Dave Sekera.

Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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Plus, several undervalued stocks to buy with stable dividends.

In this special episode of The Morning Filter podcast, co-host Susan Dziubinski sits down with Morningstar columnist Dan Lefkovitz to take a deep dive into dividend stock investing today. They discuss what’s caused U.S. dividend stocks to lag this year while international dividend stocks have outperformed. Tune in to find out why the stock buyback boom is bad news for dividend seekers and what metrics investors should look at if they want to avoid dividend cuts.

They name drop a few undervalued stocks that Morningstar thinks have stable dividends, cover why dividend growth stock investing is underappreciated, and close with a discussion about whether dividend stocks are poised to outperform in 2026.

Episode Highlights 

00:01:16 Dividend Stock Performance: 2025 Recap

00:06:59 What the Buyback Boom Means for Dividend Investors

00:13:06 3 Ways to Spot a Dividend Cut Early

00:17:50 Dividend Growth Stocks: Why Bother?
 

Read about topics from this episode. 

Stock Buybacks Are Booming in 2025. That’s Bad News for Dividend Investors

The Surprising Truth About Dividend Growth Stocks

Not All Dividend Stocks Are Safe. Here’s How to Avoid Dividend Traps

Why International Dividend Stocks Have Pulled Ahead

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

Dave Sekera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesekera

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. Read more from Susan Dziubinski and Dave Sekera.

Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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On this week’s episode of The Morning Filter podcast, Dave Sekera and Susan Dziubinski discuss why a Fed rate cut in December is starting to look unlikely. They also unpack new research about Palo Alto Networks PANW and Walmart WMT after earnings. And they cover whether Nvidia NVDA is a buy after another stunning quarter.

They take a deeper-than-usual dive into the audience mailbag, answering questions about AI and data center stocks, lithium and Albemarle ALB, and uncertainty and when to take profits. They wrap up the episode with six overvalued stocks to sell.

Episode Highlights 

00:00:00  Welcome

00:01:32   Why The Fed Won’t Cut Rates in December 

00:07:41   Is NVDA a Buy After Earnings? 

00:16:30   Audience Q&A 

00:45:42  Overvalued Stocks to Sell 
 

Read about topics from this episode. 

Read Dave’s new stock market outlook: November 2025 Stock Market Outlook: Where We See Investment Opportunities

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

Dave Sekera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesekera

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. Read more from Susan Dziubinski and Dave Sekera.

Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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On this week’s episode of The Morning Filter podcast, Dave Sekera and Susan Dziubinski discuss what to watch in this week’s earnings report from Nvidia NVDA and whether this AI stock is a buy before earnings. They also preview earnings for Palo Alto Networks PANW, Walmart WMT, Home Depot HD, Lowe’s LOW, and Medtronic MDT. Tune in to find out if Advanced Micro Devices AMD is an AI stock to invest in after Morningstar’ sizable fair value increase and which former stock pick may be the target of a private takeover. 

They also cover what the dominance of AI mega-cap stocks may mean for investors. And they end the show with four unconventional AI stocks to invest in.

Episode Highlights 

00:03:35 NVDA Earnings: What to Watch 

00:16:16 New Research on AMD, AMAT, DEO, More 

00:22:34 Mega AI Stock Dominance & Why It Matters 

00:27:49 Stock Picks of the Week
 

Read about topics from this episode. 

Read Dave’s new stock market outlook: November 2025 Stock Market Outlook: Where We See Investment Opportunities

Got a question for Dave? Send it to [email protected].

Follow us on social media.

Dave Sekera on X: @MstarMarkets

Dave Sekera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesekera

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

X https://x.com/MorningstarInc

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/?hl=en

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

Viewers who’d like more information about any of the stocks Dave talked about today can visit Morningstar.com for more details. Read more from Susan Dziubinski and Dave Sekera.

Subscribe to The Morning Filter to get notified when we post. We’ll see you next Monday!

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