

Market Overview - A recent ruling by the U.S. trade court declared President Trump's global tariffs illegal, contributing to a new wave of market uncertainty [1] - The Federal Reserve's current wait-and-see approach adds to the uncertainty regarding future interest rate directions [1] Investment Strategy - Creating a curated portfolio of low-beta stocks is recommended as a strategy to navigate market volatility [1] - Low-beta stocks are less volatile than the market, providing a safeguard against uncertainty [1] Stock Recommendations - Suggested stocks include Natural Gas Services Group Inc (NGS), Stride Inc. (LRN), AptarGroup Inc. (ATR), and Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) [2] Stock Characteristics - Beta measures the volatility of a stock relative to the market, with a beta of 1 indicating movement in line with the market [3][4] - Stocks with a beta between 0 and 0.6 are screened for lower volatility [5] Screening Criteria - Stocks must have a positive price change over the last four weeks [5] - Average 20-day trading volume should exceed 50,000 to ensure liquidity [6] - Stocks must be priced at $5 or higher [6] - Zacks Rank of 1 indicates strong buy potential, suggesting significant outperformance over the next one to three months [6] Company Insights - Natural Gas Services (NGS): Increased demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports is driving the need for compression equipment, benefiting NGS as more pipelines are built [7] - AptarGroup (ATR): Positioned for growth due to trends in healthcare moving towards home settings and rising demand for drug delivery systems [8] - Stride Inc. (LRN): Focuses on innovative educational solutions, benefiting from the growing demand for school choice and tutoring services [10] - Philip Morris International (PM): Transitioning from traditional cigarettes to smoke-free products, with a focus on shareholder rewards and cost-cutting initiatives [11]