Remember report cards? Well, Wall Street has its own version, and this week 165 big-name stocks just got their grades updated. Think of it as your portfolio’s progress report, except instead of disappointing your parents, these grades could disappoint your retirement fund.
Here’s the deal: Louis Navellier’s Stock Grader system just reshuffled the deck on some major blue-chip companies. It’s like having a really smart friend who obsessively tracks which stocks the big money is buying and which ones they’re quietly backing away from at parties.
The Honor Roll Students
Some stocks just got promoted from “Buy” to “Strong Buy” – basically the investing equivalent of making the dean’s list. The standouts include:
- Walmart (WMT) – Because apparently even in tough times, people still need groceries and random stuff at 2 AM
- Cisco (CSCO) – The networking giant that keeps the internet running (and your Zoom calls from completely falling apart)
- Shopify (SHOP) – Still riding the e-commerce wave like a pro surfer
- Monster Beverage (MNST) – Energy drinks: the fuel of choice for day traders and college students alike
These companies earned their A+ grades by showing strong institutional buying pressure – basically, the smart money is loading up on these names.
The Slipping Students
On the flip side, some former star pupils got knocked down a peg. Companies like Apple (AAPL) and Intel (INTC) got bumped up from “Sell” to “Hold” – which is like going from “summer school” to “barely passing.” Not exactly inspiring, but hey, at least they’re not failing anymore.
The real drama is in the “Downgraded to Strong Sell” category, where companies like Chipotle (CMG) landed. Ouch. That’s like going from valedictorian to detention in one semester.
What This Actually Means
This isn’t just academic exercise – these grades combine two key factors: quantitative analysis (the math-heavy stuff that makes your eyes glaze over) and fundamental health (whether the company actually makes money and isn’t run by people who think “budget” is a dirty word).
The system tracks institutional buying pressure, which is Wall Street speak for “what are the people with billions of dollars actually doing with their money?” Because let’s face it, they probably know something we don’t.
The Bottom Line
If you own any of these 165 stocks (and statistically, you probably do), it might be worth checking where your holdings landed on this week’s report card. The newly upgraded “Strong Buy” stocks could be worth a closer look, while anything sliding toward “Sell” territory might need some serious reconsideration.
Just remember: even the smartest grading systems aren’t crystal balls. But when institutional money starts moving in or out of a stock, it’s usually worth paying attention. After all, they didn’t get rich by accident – well, most of them didn’t.