The bond market has disconnected from the stock market in recent months. Despite the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates a full point, bond yields have ticked higher. Some see the 10-year Treasury, the bellwether for the bond market, trending towards a 5% yield. That’s not too much further from its current level near 4.7%. And it suggests that most of the bond market’s move higher may have already occurred. If that’s the case, now may be an ideal time to lock in relatively high bond yields. Should rates move materially lower, bond holders will see the price rise as yields drop. An...

Investors love seeing the big growth behind the rollout of generative AI. But after two years of rallies in the big-cap stocks, concerns are mounting about whether or not these companies can keep up big growth. While growth is likely to slow, new iterations of technology will likely ensure above average growth continues as new AI programs are developed, data centers are created, and as hardware demand remains robust. That’s why tech giant Nvidia (NVDA) could still have a great year, adding to massive gains. Nvidia just unveiled its latest Blackwell cards, and unveiled an AI supercomp...

While the stock market remains near all-time highs, some sectors have fared much better than others. Tech stocks tend to be big winners in most years, but even within the tech space, a few sub-sectors have fared well compared to others. Quantum computing stocks have soared in recent weeks, thanks to bullish news from that sector. But solar technology stocks have lagged, reflecting concerns over a pullback in subsidies. That concern may be creating a buying opportunity today. Even if solar subsidies are scaled out, that will take years to play out. And solar technology continues to im...

Consumer tastes are shifting, and lower-income consumers may have to cut back on big spending this year amid a rise in credit card delinquencies. For higher-income homes, some areas won’t see much of a cutback in spending at all. The most likely place to hold up is with fine dining, even fine at home dining. Upper-income homes continue to spend well on high-end menu items. That bodes well for premium ingredient providers. One such player is Chef’s Warehouse (CHEF), which distributes higher-end food items to restaurants and upscale stores, as well as an online portal for direct sales....

Behind the overall stock market numbers, many individual sectors move in different ways at different times. Some sectors tend to be runaway winners some years, but are highly cyclical and trend lower in others. Other sectors tend to be steadier, and could hold up well if the overall market has a poor year. Looking to 2025 and the market’s early struggles so far, investors may want to look for safety in an underperforming space. That space is the restaurant industry. While rising costs have kept a lid on the sector, it’s one area where consumers are still willing to go out and spend. ...

AI trades have helped push the market significantly higher since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022. Chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) has dominated the conversation, but other necessary components for AI hardware and software have been, and will likely remain, winners in 2025. One key hardware component relates to networking. AI programs need multiple pieces of hardware and software to work, and networking is critical for unleashing an AI’s full computational power. That’s why a networking company like Marvell Technologies (MRVL) could continue to perform well in 2025. Shares ended 2024 up n...

Markets have been broadening over the past few months, with other companies taking the lead over AI stocks and big-cap tech companies. While the Mag 7 may yet surprise markets with further gains in 2025, it’s time for investors to get selective. While all Mag 7 companies benefit from AI, many are still garnering significant cash flows from other sources. That’s good news for investors, especially given the high profit margins many big-cap tech stocks have today. For instance, Meta Platforms (META) is still best known for owning social media giants Facebook and Instagram. Eyeballs on ...

With the AI boom still underway, investors have plenty of different ways to play the trend. After the big rallies in many chip stocks and big-tech names over the past few years, 2025 may be the year to think more defensively. Markets are showing some signs of exhaustion going into the start of the year. And bond yields are tracking higher at a time when they should be trending lower. One group of stocks can benefit from the rise of AI safely. That area is electric utilities. Historically a slow-growth play offering investors some steady income, utilities can benefit from the rise of ...

Markets are closing the year on an odd note. The Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates by a full point. But bond investors are pushing yields higher, particularly on longer-dated bonds. The 10-year Treasury yield is now at 4.6%, its highest for 2024, up over a full point since September. It’s possible that investors are simply repricing the bond market for increased uncertainty from the Fed. And from the potential impact of Donald Trump’s plans for tariffs and taxes in 2025. Whatever is happening, bond buyers can lock in some of the highest yields in 15 years right now. That’s a...

Bigger isn’t always better. Once a company has had substantial growth, or become the leader in its industry, its rate of return will tend to slow. Companies can usually offset this by finding related products to offer or new markets to conquer. But in some mature industries, the best course of action may be to figure out ways to simply increase productivity. That could lead to far better outcomes for investors over time. For instance, automotive giant Toyota Motors (TM) is up just 10% over the past year. The leading carmaker by volume, performance has been slow going. However, Toy...