term. Joining us now, Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRE Research. Sam, great to talk to you.Are we are we thinking that it's just the kind of ne negative seasonal tendencies or just something in the markets under the surface that seems like maybe there's some fatigue there or something else that you're trying to flag. >> Hey, Michael, good to talk to you again. Well, I think it's a combination.If you look just to October itself, it is by far the most volatile month of the year with 33% more v ...

Core Insights - Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) is positioned as a strong investment option in the utility sector due to strategic acquisitions, the addition of industrial customers, and favorable rate outcomes contributing to revenue and profitability growth [1] Growth Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has increased by 1.2% to $7.33 over the past 90 days [2] - The estimated sales for fiscal 2025 are projected at $4.81 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 15.6% [2] - ATO's long-term earnings growth rate is forecasted at 7.32%, with an average earnings surprise of 1.7% over the last four quarters [2] Liquidity Position - Atmos Energy's current ratio stands at 1.37, significantly higher than the industry average of 0.54, indicating sufficient short-term assets to cover liabilities [3] Debt Management - ATO's total debt to capital ratio is 40.21%, which is better than the industry average of 51.09% [4] - The time-to-interest earned ratio is 8.6, demonstrating the company's capability to meet future interest obligations comfortably [4] Capital Investments - Atmos Energy has a robust capital expenditure plan, with $3.7 billion earmarked for fiscal 2025 and a total of $24 billion planned over the next five years to enhance pipeline safety and reliability [5][6] - This investment strategy is expected to yield annual earnings growth of 6-8% during the same period [6] Dividend Policy - ATO currently pays a quarterly dividend of 87 cents per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $3.48, up from $3.22 the previous year [7] - The company aims to increase its dividend by 6-8% annually through fiscal 2026, subject to board approval, with a current dividend yield of 2.09% [7] Stock Performance - Over the past year, Atmos Energy's shares have appreciated by 20.8%, outperforming the industry's growth of 8.2% [9]

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures are showing slight increases after a decline on Thursday, indicating a lack of significant momentum in the market [1] - The markets are calm ahead of key economic data releases, including the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, which is influential for Federal Reserve monetary policy [1] Economic Indicators - The 10-year Treasury bond yield is at 4.183%, while the two-year bond yield is at 3.659% [2] - The likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates in October is now at 87.8%, down from 91.1% [2] - Jobless claims reported at 218,000, below the forecast of 235,000, and existing home sales at 4.0 million, exceeding the forecast of 3.96 million [4] Sector Performance - Almost all S&P 500 sectors were down on Thursday, with health care, consumer discretionary, and materials leading the declines, while energy was the only sector to gain [3] - The Nasdaq Composite fell by 113.16 points, the S&P 500 decreased by 33.25 points, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 173.96 points [3] Company Insights - Intel Corp. was the top gainer on Thursday, rising 8.87% after reports of seeking investments from Apple and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. as part of a turnaround initiative [4] Analyst Insights - Analyst Ryan Detrick noted that the S&P 500 has increased by 125% since 2019, with 76% of this growth attributed to earnings and 19% from dividends, asserting that the rally is justified by strong earnings growth [6] - Detrick also mentioned that historical data suggests November tends to perform well following strong performance in the preceding months [7]

Right now, we've got a high quality problem. The average is making record high after record high after huge rallies. Where is it safe to put new money to work in this market.Now, you can still find relatively inexpensive stocks if you know where to look. This weekend, we ran a screen searching for S&P 500 stocks with above average growth and below average price during multiples. At the moment, the S&P in the aggregate is expected to put up 12.5% earnings growth next year, and it sells for just under 22 time ...

Investment Strategy - The market is experiencing record highs, prompting a search for safe investment opportunities [1] - A screen was conducted to identify S&P 500 stocks with above-average growth and below-average price multiples [2] - The screen initially identified 104 stocks meeting the criteria [3] - Energy and materials stocks were excluded due to wariness, narrowing the list to 86 stocks [3] Stock Analysis - T-Mobile was highlighted as a favorable stock, with a leadership transition announcement [3] - T-Mobile is projected to have 194% earnings growth next year [4] - T-Mobile's stock is selling for just over 18 times next year's numbers [4] Market Context - The S&P 500 is expected to have 125% earnings growth next year [2] - The S&P 500 is selling for just under 22 times next year's numbers [2]

Well, speaking of those record highs, as the tech and AI trade continue to power this rally, Deutsche Bank pointing out that equity positioning is at a one-mon high, but still only moderately overweight. Can a broadening rally carry the markets even higher. Well, joining us now to discuss is Bonson Group CIO David Bonson and Vanguard chief global economist Joe Davis.Great to have you both here. David, I'll start with you and that very question, can it carry the markets higher here. Well, it certainly can.Th ...

Core Insights - Orchid Island Capital (ORC) and AGNC Investment Corp. (AGNC) are prominent players in the mortgage real estate investment trusts (mREITs) sector, both providing attractive long-term returns and substantial dividend yields. The analysis aims to determine which company presents a better investment opportunity at this time [1]. AGNC Investment Corp. - AGNC employs an active portfolio-management strategy, regularly adjusting its holdings and implementing hedges to adapt to market changes, which positions it defensively against volatility [2]. - As of June 30, 2025, AGNC has hedged 89% of its outstanding balance in Investment Securities Repo, TBA position, and other debt, which may enhance cash flow stability and support long-term growth [3]. - The company holds $73.3 billion in Agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS), benefiting from GSE guarantees, which makes these investments relatively safer despite market volatility [4]. - AGNC's liquidity, including unencumbered cash and Agency MBS, stood at $6.4 billion as of June 30, 2025, with a modest increase in leverage to 7.6 times [5]. - The current dividend yield for AGNC is 14.4%, although it has not increased its dividend in the past five years [6]. Orchid Island Capital - ORC focuses exclusively on Agency residential MBS, which limits credit risks but increases sensitivity to interest rate changes and prepayments [7]. - The recent decline in mortgage rates is expected to improve ORC's book value as spreads in the Agency market tighten, enhancing net interest spread and overall portfolio yield [8]. - ORC currently boasts a dividend yield of 20.6% and has increased its dividend three times in the past five years, supported by a strong liquidity position of $492.5 million [10]. - Earnings for ORC are projected to surge by 450% in 2025 and 40% in 2026, significantly outpacing AGNC's expected declines [9][24]. Performance and Valuation - Over the past year, AGNC shares rose by 8.1%, while ORC shares increased by 4.3%, compared to the industry's growth of 5.2% [11]. - ORC is trading at a 12-month forward price-to-tangible book (P/TB) ratio of 0.88X, which is a discount compared to the industry average of 1.07X, while AGNC trades at a premium with a P/TB of 1.24X [13][16]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates AGNC's earnings will decline by 15.4% in 2025 and 0.9% in 2026, while ORC's earnings are expected to rise by 450% and 39.7% in the same years [19][20][21]. Conclusion - While AGNC remains a reliable mREIT with a disciplined strategy and steady dividends, ORC presents a more compelling opportunity for income-seeking investors due to its higher dividend yield, strong liquidity, and significant earnings growth potential [22][24].

Market Outlook - The market is believed to continue its upward trend due to a strong economy and consumer base, despite focus on the Federal Reserve [2] - Consumer sentiment is strong and accelerating, with healthy consumer and corporate credit [3] - Capital markets are experiencing a resurgence, expected to continue for multiple years [3] - While unemployment has slightly increased, it remains at historically low levels [3] - The AI boom continues to gain momentum, presenting opportunities for retail investors to focus on core competencies and specific stocks [4] - October is historically a volatile month, but the absence of substantial leverage in the system suggests that any pullback may be limited [4][5][6][8] - Earnings growth is accelerating, and market participation is broadening, indicating a constructive outlook [9] Investment Strategy - Putnam Investments focuses on individual stock selection rather than broad market plays [10] - Portfolio allocation is closely tied to the S&P 500 sectors [12] - Larger companies ("Goliaths") are seen as winners across various industries due to their scale, operating leverage, and ability to invest in AI [12][13] - Sectors of interest include Amazon, Walmart, Croup, and Co-Star (a commercial real estate data analytics company) [13][14] - The market is considered expensive, but compelling risk-reward opportunities exist at the individual stock level [14]

ab 15 September 2025 Global Research Chemicals Sector What are North American investors focused on? Last week we met with 20+ institutions across North America. Discussions focused on earnings risk for FY25 and what could drive earnings recovery in FY26. Investors seemed to doubt the sector's ability to achieve top-line inflection and double-digit earnings growth in FY26. Key topics of focus were: (1) how have volumes in end markets & regions developed through 3Q?; we walked through the feedback from the Gl ...

[Music] Stocks our strategists feel are poised to deliver positive returns are featured now in their top stock picks of the week. Welcome to another edition of Zach's top stock picks. I'm Brian Bolan.I'm the aggressive growth stock strategist here at Zachs. I've got a top stock pick and later on Andrew Ro is going to join me and he has got a top stock pick for the week. All right, let's get right into it, shall we.My top stock pick for the week is Microsoft and that's MSFT. If you're following along at home ...