CMS Energy(CMS) ZACKS·2025-03-24 13:40Market Overview - The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 declined by 0.14% and 0.13% respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.34% [1] - Investor sentiment is influenced by President Trump's tariff policies and their potential impact on the U.S. economy [1] - Fed Chairman Jerome Powell indicated the central bank's commitment to two rate cuts by the end of the year, aiming for a half-percentage point reduction [1] Economic Indicators - The Federal Open Market Committee maintained borrowing rates in the range of 4.25-4.5%, aligning with market expectations [2] - Preliminary consumer sentiment for March fell to 57.9 from 64.7 in the previous month [2] - Retail sales increased by 0.2% in February, with a year-over-year growth of 3.1%, surpassing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of 2.8% [2] Labor Market - Jobless claims rose by 2,000 to 223,000 for the week ending March 20, indicating a slight cooling in the labor market [3] - Layoff levels remain low, but individuals are staying unemployed longer compared to the previous year, suggesting a cooling trend [3] - Overall labor market conditions are neutral amid economic uncertainty, with limited layoffs and slowing hiring [3] Stock Performance - CMS Energy Corporation shares increased by 11.7% since being upgraded to Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) on January 27, outperforming the S&P 500's 7.3% decline [4] - Shionogi & Co., Ltd. shares returned 5.3% since its upgrade to Zacks Rank 2 on January 24, also outperforming the S&P 500's 7.5% decrease [5] - The Zacks Model Portfolio of Rank 1 stocks has outperformed the S&P 500 index by almost 13 percentage points since 1988, with an annualized average return of +23.9% [7] Focus List and Recommendations - Uber Technologies, Inc. shares gained 22.9% over the past 12 weeks, while Chevron Corporation returned 14.5% during the same period [11] - The Zacks Focus List portfolio returned +18.41% in 2024, compared to +25.04% for the S&P 500 index [12] - The Zacks Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP) returned -6.29% in December 2024, while achieving +16.26% for the year [16] Dividend Portfolio Performance - Johnson & Johnson returned 12.2% over the past 12 weeks, and Coca-Cola Company increased by 9.3% during the same timeframe [18] - The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned -7.44% in December 2024, with a full-year return of +6.95% [19] Top 10 Stocks - Primo Brands Corporation has increased by 4.9% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500 index's 3.8% decrease [22] - The Top 10 portfolio achieved a cumulative return of +1948.35% since 2012, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 index's 469.98% [24]