Core Viewpoint - Incorporating top stocks from various sectors can effectively balance an investment portfolio, with the Global Industry Classification Standard aiding in sector comparison and market tracking [1][2]. Sector Summaries 1. Technology - The technology sector comprises over a third of the S&P 500, with a 34% weighting, including major companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple. Texas Instruments is highlighted as a top tech stock for 2025 due to its diversified business and 2.7% dividend yield [5][6]. 2. Financials - Financials represent the second-largest sector at 13.8% of the S&P 500. American Express is noted for its dual role as a payment processor and card issuer, maintaining a low net write-off rate, indicating strong risk management [7]. 3. Consumer Discretionary - This sector accounts for 10.4% of the S&P 500 and is sensitive to economic conditions. Starbucks is identified as a top pick due to its successful turnaround and 2.7% dividend yield, supported by leadership changes [8][9]. 4. Communications - The communications sector makes up 9.9% of the S&P 500. Alphabet is recommended for its diverse business model and low valuation, with continued growth in Google Search and accelerating adoption of its chatbot, Google Gemini [10]. 5. Healthcare - Healthcare constitutes 8.8% of the S&P 500, facing pressure from sell-offs. Eli Lilly is recognized for its promising drug pipeline and growing dividend, appealing to investors [11]. 6. Industrials - The industrials sector has an 8.6% weighting in the S&P 500. Honeywell International is noted for its plan to split into three businesses to enhance shareholder value, with a 2.1% dividend yield [12]. 7. Consumer Staples - Consumer staples represent 5.2% of the S&P 500 and are currently challenged by inflation. Procter & Gamble is highlighted for its strong pricing power and 2.7% dividend yield, having increased payouts for 69 consecutive years [13]. 8. Energy - The energy sector is under pressure from low oil prices and the energy transition. ExxonMobil is recommended for its low production costs and diversified portfolio, boasting a 3.7% dividend yield and 42 years of increasing payouts [15][16]. 9. Utilities - Utilities make up 2.5% of the S&P 500 and are known for reliable passive income. Southern Company is noted for its high demand and 3.1% yield, making it a strong investment choice [17]. 10. Real Estate - The real estate sector accounts for 2% of the S&P 500, including REITs. Mid-America Apartment Communities is highlighted for its strong dividend history, with a yield of 4.3% [19]. 11. Materials - The materials sector comprises 1.8% of the S&P 500. Sherwin-Williams is recognized for its long history of dividend increases and stock repurchases, yielding 0.9% [20][22].

Honeywell's transformation is a buying opportunity for patient investors. With just 30 components, the Dow Jones Industrial Average isn't as representative of the broader market as the S&P 500 or Nasdaq Composite. But it's still an excellent resource for finding high-quality, industry- leading companies, many of which pay dividends. After nearly making an all-time high in July, Dow Jones component Honeywell International (HON 1.32%) is down 9.8% in the past month. The sell-off may come as a surprise, given ...

Core Insights - The Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) is designed to provide broad exposure to the Industrials sector, launched on December 16, 1998, and has become a popular choice among retail and institutional investors due to its low costs and tax efficiency [1][2] Fund Overview - XLI is sponsored by State Street Investment Management and has over $23.35 billion in assets, making it the largest ETF in the Industrials sector [3] - The ETF aims to match the performance of the Industrial Select Sector Index, which includes various industries such as aerospace, machinery, and logistics [4] Cost Structure - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.08%, positioning it as one of the least expensive options in the market, with a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.28% [5] Sector Exposure and Holdings - XLI has a 100% allocation in the Industrials sector, with General Electric (GE) making up approximately 6.06% of total assets, and the top 10 holdings accounting for about 37.98% of total assets [6][7] Performance Metrics - The ETF has returned approximately 15.11% and is up about 22.94% year-to-date as of August 11, 2025, with a trading range between $116.42 and $154.99 over the past 52 weeks [8] - XLI has a beta of 1.07 and a standard deviation of 17.12% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [8] Investment Alternatives - XLI holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong expected returns and favorable metrics compared to other ETFs in the sector [9] - Other ETFs in the Industrials space include the First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF (AIRR) and the Vanguard Industrials ETF (VIS), with AIRR having $4.55 billion in assets and VIS having $6.06 billion [11]

Buying and holding blue chip dividend stocks can be a great way to boost the quality of your passive income stream. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI -0.51%) contains 30 industry-leading companies that act as representatives of the broader stock market. The Dow has undergone significant changes in recent years, with the addition of growth stocks such as Salesforce in 2020 and Amazon and Nvidia in 2024. However, the index remains a great starting point for finding top dividend stocks. Here's why these F ...

Core Viewpoint - Emerson Electric's financial results for Q3 2025 were mixed, leading to a significant drop in stock price despite beating earnings expectations, indicating that the stock's current valuation may not be justified [1][6]. Financial Performance - Emerson reported a profit of $1.52 per share, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.51, but revenue fell short at just over $4.55 billion compared to the predicted $4.6 billion [1][3]. - Year-over-year sales growth was 4%, and the pre-tax operating profit margin increased by 570 basis points to 16.1% [3]. - The reported profit of $1.52 was a non-GAAP figure, while GAAP earnings were only $1.03 per share, although this represented a 72% improvement from $0.60 per share a year ago [3]. Future Guidance - For Q4, Emerson forecasts sales growth to accelerate to about 6%, projecting total sales growth for the year at approximately 3.5% [5]. - Management anticipates adjusted earnings of about $6 and expects to generate $3.2 billion in positive free cash flow by the end of the fiscal year [5]. Valuation Concerns - With an enterprise value of $79 billion and net debt of about $13 billion, the enterprise value-to-free cash flow ratio stands at nearly 29x, raising skepticism about the high valuation relative to the expected 3.5% annual sales growth [6].

Fortive (FTV) reported $1.02 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2025, representing a year-over-year decline of 34.5%. EPS of $0.58 for the same period compares to $0.93 a year ago. The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.85% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.60, the EPS surprise was -3.33%. Here is how Fortive performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analyst ...

For the quarter ended June 2025, Honeywell International Inc. (HON) reported revenue of $10.35 billion, up 8.1% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.75, compared to $2.49 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue represents a surprise of +3.33% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.02 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.64, the EPS surprise was +4.17%.While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to ...

Core Viewpoint - The market anticipates a year-over-year decline in Fortive's earnings due to lower revenues, with actual results being crucial for stock price movement [1][2]. Earnings Expectations - Fortive is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.60 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 35.5% [3]. - Revenue projections stand at $1.01 billion, down 35.1% from the same quarter last year [3]. Estimate Revisions - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised down by 33.75% over the last 30 days, indicating a reassessment by analysts [4]. - The Most Accurate Estimate matches the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in an Earnings ESP of 0% [12]. Earnings Surprise Prediction - A positive Earnings ESP is a strong indicator of an earnings beat, especially when combined with a Zacks Rank of 1, 2, or 3 [10]. - Fortive currently holds a Zacks Rank of 5, complicating predictions of an earnings beat [12]. Historical Performance - In the last reported quarter, Fortive met the expected earnings of $0.85 per share, resulting in no surprise [13]. - Over the past four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times [14]. Conclusion - Fortive does not appear to be a strong candidate for an earnings beat, and investors should consider other factors before making decisions [17].

Market Overview - Pre-market futures show positive movement with the Dow up +0.12%, S&P 500 +0.09%, Nasdaq +0.16%, and Russell 2000 leading at +0.52% [1] Bond Market - Bond yields remain stable with the 10-year yield at +4.44%, a slight increase of 3 basis points from last Friday, while the 2-year yield is at +3.88% and the 30-year yield at +5.00% [2] Housing Market - Housing Starts for June are reported at 1.32 million, slightly above projections, but still historically low compared to multi-year highs of 500K more in April 2022 [3] - Building Permits increased to 1.397 million from 1.394 million in May, but remain low compared to nearly 2 million in January 2022, prior to interest rate hikes [4] Company Earnings - 3M reported Q2 earnings of $2.16 per share, exceeding expectations of $2.01, with revenues of $6.2 billion, raising full-year 2025 earnings guidance to $7.75-8.00 per share [5] - American Express surpassed Q2 expectations with earnings of $4.08 per share and revenues of $17.9 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of +9% [6] - Charles Schwab's Q2 report showed earnings of $1.14 per share and revenues of $5.85 billion, both exceeding consensus estimates, with shares up +5% in pre-market trading [7] Economic Indicators - A preliminary print on Consumer Sentiment for July is expected to improve to 61.8 from 60.7, aligning with a healthier economic outlook as fears of tariffs impacting the economy have lessened [8]

Core Insights - Zacks Premium offers various tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies and confidence [1] - The Zacks Style Scores are designed to help investors identify stocks with the highest potential to outperform the market in the short term [2] Zacks Style Scores Overview - The Style Scores categorize stocks into four main types: Value Score, Growth Score, Momentum Score, and VGM Score, each focusing on different investment strategies [3][4][5][6] - Value Score identifies undervalued stocks using financial ratios [3] - Growth Score emphasizes a company's financial health and future growth potential [4] - Momentum Score tracks price trends to capitalize on upward or downward movements [5] - VGM Score combines all three styles to highlight stocks with the best overall characteristics [6] Zacks Rank and Style Scores Interaction - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to guide investment decisions [7] - Stocks rated 1 (Strong Buy) have historically achieved an average annual return of +25.41% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [8] - To optimize returns, investors should focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B [10] Company Spotlight: Teledyne Technologies - Teledyne Technologies, based in Thousand Oaks, California, operates in various sectors including aerospace, defense, and environmental monitoring [12] - The company currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) and has a VGM Score of B [12] - Teledyne is projected to experience year-over-year earnings growth of 8.8% for the current fiscal year, with a recent increase in earnings estimates [13] - The company has an average earnings surprise of 2.7%, making it a potential candidate for growth investors [13]