While the overall market may be trending higher or lower, individual sectors can sometimes buck that trend. The current bull market has had a few sectors remain out of favor. One of those has been in the packaged food space. However, that’s starting to change. These stocks are now starting to trend higher, and companies within this sector with strong earnings could be great performers in the months ahead. For instance, packaged food giantConagra Brands (CAG) just reported better-than-expected earnings and revenues. That helped push shares higher, but they’re still down 20% compared t...

The stock market’s AI boom that kicked off last year still continues, although other market sectors are now trending higher as well. Investors in the AI space may be taking a much-needed breather. One big reason to take a break is that many AI-related names still haven’t seen their earnings grow yet. For instance, many semiconductor companies are still retooling or building facilities for new AI-powered chips. But they’re not ready yet. Those big costs can be seen with a company likeIntel (INTC). The chipmaker reported a $7 billion loss from its foundry business. Intel is retoolin...

The labor market remains strong. Unemployment is under 4%, and has only ticked up slightly in the past year, even as interest rates have soared. Companies continue to hire. Even big tech companies laying off employees in one division may be hiring somewhere else. For now, trends support a strong job market. And that could mean that companies that cater to employment and staffing services could be winners overall. One such company isPaychex (PAYX), a provider of HR services such as payroll. The company’s most recent revenues missed Wall Street estimates, but the company looks well pos...

Many individual stocks are still recovering from the 2022 bear market. Not every company has benefitted from the recent rally, which was initially fueled on the AI boom. But now with the market broadening beyond tech stocks, some companies left behind have room to run. That includes food and snack companies. These firms were out of favor with markets last year as interest rates peaked, and as new weight loss drugs came onto the market. There’s one last trend weighing on some of these companies. Cocoa prices have soared this year, bringing chocolate prices surging higher as well. H...

Stocks, sectors, and entire markets often revert to the mean. That simply means that if an asset gets heavily overbought, it will pull back. Or if an asset is oversold, it will outperform and get back to its average over time. This trend can be used to find short-term opportunities. And for the second quarter of the year, one of the “Magnificent 7” stocks could be a winner here. The winning Mag 7 stock for the second quarter could beTesla Motors (TSLA). The EV manufacturer fell out of favor with the market in the first quarter. EV sales have slowed. And Tesla’s promised technologi...

At its core, every business exists to eliminate a pain point for a consumer. That could mean anything from offering an entirely new product, to offering something faster, cheaper, or otherwise better than competitors. For retail, companies largely compete on price. That’s allowed big-box stores to thrive, particularly as consumers are looking for one-stop shopping. But one retailer has fared even better than competitors thanks to a more unique business model offering great customer service. That company isCostco (COST), which charges customers a membership fee. In exchange, member...

While the world is getting increasingly complex, companies that follow and stick to a simple business model can fare well. Especially if they’ve built up a strong brand over the years. Management who works to ensure that a company’s operations can stay simple will often see great results. And investors who keep their investing simple can also reap the benefits from the compounding power of a simple company not overspending to complicate its operations. One company working on keeping things simple now isKimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB). The company manufactures paper products with bra...

Quality, long-term stock holdings can deliver great returns for years on end. One sign that a company is a good investment is that it can raise prices year after year. As long as customers continue to buy, and earnings continue to grow, shares can rise. Some consumer goods companies have been impacted by the recent bout of inflation. The past few years have separated some of these companies into great holdings, while others haven’t performed as well. Seasoning and spice producerMcCormick & Company (MKC) saw a 19% jump in net income on a year-over-year basis. Consumers continue...

The past few years have been painful for media companies. Shares soared as firms rolled out streaming services. But the high costs of content development and changing consumer tastes have led investors to put these stocks in the bargain bin. That’s an opportunity for investors today. Especially as media companies own considerable intellectual properties and brands that can likely lead to far higher valuations in the future. One potential winner in the short and long term isThe Walt Disney Company (DIS). The company’s board is facing a proxy battle, as several outside investors are lo...

Investors are gravitating towards the idea that the Federal Reserve is pulling off a soft landing. Aggressively raising interest rates is pushing inflation back down. But it’s doing so at a rate that isn’t leading to a recession. Ideally, that creates a scenario where the economy can continue to grow from a low-inflation base. That’s played out before, when the Fed’s moves in the early 1990s led to a soft landing that allowed the economy to take off in the late 1990s. One sign that this trend may be playing out is with shipping and logistics providerFedEx (FDX). FedEx just reported b...