MarketBeat Week in Review – 02/17 - 02/21

Key Points

• Stocks were mostly lower this week as investors took a sell-first approach to any hint of bad news.
• When stocks are priced for perfection, companies can’t give investors a reason to take profits. 
• Volatility will likely remain in place next week as several larger retailers report and investors get the latest read on inflation.

Investors were in a sell-the-news mood this week. Just the whiff of bad news sent many stocks sharply lower. And, as you’ll see, the MarketBeat analysts were quick to dissect the news and how it affects investors.

To be fair, some of the news was more than just noise. But the common thread is that, with stocks priced for perfection, companies can’t give investors any reason to get nervous. Because if consumers get a reason to sell, stock prices can drop sharply.

If investors are looking for relief from this volatility, they may have to wait until March. Several large retailers report next week. Any misses or weak guidance could send stocks lower. And on Friday, investors will get the latest reading on inflation. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index will come out on Friday and the number is likely to confirm that inflation will remain an issue for consumers.

Articles by Jea Yu

A key news item weighing on stocks to close the week was the report that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating United Healthcare Group Inc. NYSE: UNH over its Medicare billing practices. That’s weighing on all healthcare stocks including Humana Inc. NYSE: HUM. Jea Yu wrote earlier this week on why investors were bullish about Humana’s earnings report despite the company’s cautious guidance.

Beauty stocks haven’t been a glamorous trade so far this year. Yu wrote about the fortunes of the three leading beauty stocks and made a case for why one of these names may offer investors a chance for a recovery later this year.

It’s been rough going for many consumer discretionary stocks, but that’s not stopping Dutch Bros Inc. NYSE: BROS from continuing its torrid pace. The stock is up over 200% in the last 12 months as the company is in a hypergrowth phase. Yu explained why that growth is likely to continue in 2025.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

NVIDIA Corp. NASDAQ: NVDA will deliver its quarterly earnings report on February 26, and the MarketBeat team covered the company from all angles. For example, Thomas Hughes wrote about analyst sentiment heading into earnings and how investors can position themselves in advance of the report.

Hughes also analyzed the earnings report from Medtronic PLC NYSE: MDT. MDT stock had been dropping prior to the report, but Hughes wrote that even with cautious guidance, the company’s strong fundamentals could fuel a turnaround story that investors may see later this year.

The Walmart Inc. NYSE: WMT earnings report is always considered a bellwether for retail stocks. If so, it could be a rough earnings season. Walmart stock is down 6.5% after the company expressed concerns over the Trump administration’s tariff policies which is likely to continue slowing the company’s growth. Hughes explained why the long-term outlook makes any meaningful dip a buying opportunity.

Articles by Sam Quirke

In a week of volatility, SoFi Technologies Inc. NASDAQ: SOFI was one of the winners. Sam Quirke wrote about the 18% rise in SOFI stock as investors reassessed the sell-off after the company’s earnings report. 

Some investors will wonder if the same recovery is in store for Alphabet Inc. NASDAQ: GOOGL. The company’s stock is down after an impressive 40% gain that started in September 2024. Quirke analyzed why investors were selling and why it may create an opportunity that savvy investors shouldn’t ignore.

Quirke also wrote about the current state of Tesla Inc. NASDAQ: TSLA stock, which is down 25% in 2025. Tesla will continue to be a heavily traded, polarizing stock. Quirke addressed both sides of the debate with two reasons to buy TSLA and one reason why investors should stay away.

Articles by Chris Markoch

Palantir Technologies Inc. NASDAQ: PLTR dropped sharply this week and has some investors wondering if the bears finally got the upper hand. Chris Markoch explained the reasons behind the PLTR stock price drop and why speculation gives bears the cover to sell a fundamentally overvalued stock.

Technology stocks are still having a good year, but with a couple of exceptions, the Magnificent 7 has not. Markoch gave investors three stocks that may be part of a larger rotation trade.

Stocks at or near 52-week highs are a key technical indicator that investors watch. In some cases, it means it’s time to sell, but at other times, these can be buying opportunities. This week, Markoch gave investors three stocks that they can comfortably chase higher even with the stocks at 52-week highs.

Articles by Ryan Hasson

NVIDIA has long coattails. This week, Ryan Hasson wrote about two stocks that posted large gains after NVIDIA disclosed investments in their respective companies. Nebius Group NV NASDAQ: NBIS manufactures intelligent products and services powered by machine learning and other technologies. NBIS stock hit an all-time high, and Hasson noted that interest from analysts and institutional investors could mean this is a story that’s in its early stages.

NVIDIA also announced an investment in WeRide Inc. NASDAQ: WRD. Shares of the Chinese developer or autonomous driving technology soared over 80% after the announcement but gave back the gains as Hasson notes that the early-stage company’s weak revenue is a short-term headwind.

Articles by Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli

Is NVIDIA a long-term hold or a trade? This week Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli answered that question with a “Yes” to both and explained the reasons NVDA stock appeals to both camps ahead of the company’s earnings next week.

Many investors looking for the next high-growth stock are looking at Hims & Hers Health Inc. NYSE: HIMS. This week, Osorio-Mazilli analyzed the catalysts behind the stock’s massive growth and two potential catalysts that could drive HIMS stock higher.

Osorio-Mazilli also wrote about the 20% increase in AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. NYSE: AMC stock. The enthusiasm came from the company’s announcement of plans to invest in Bitcoin. However, Osorio-Mazilli explained why this doesn’t change the very weak fundamental case for AMC stock.

Articles by Leo Miller

Ray Dalio doesn’t run the day-to-day operations at Bridgewater, but his opinions still carry weight. That’s why investors were interested in Leo Miller’s article that highlighted three companies that Bridgewater bought in the fourth quarter 2024.

Miller also wrote about AppLovin Corp. NASDAQ: APP which has been one of the top high-growth stocks in 2024. Miller helped investors understand what the company does and the catalysts that are in place to move the stock higher in the future.

Earnings season is also share buyback season, which could be good news for buy-and-hold investors in large mega-cap companies. These stocks are beyond the high-growth stage, but share buybacks are a way these companies reward shareholders. Miller highlighted three mega-cap stocks that recently announced buybacks during this earnings season.

Articles by Nathan Reiff

Gold continues to be one of the best-performing asset classes in 2025. However, many investors don’t want to invest in physical metals. An alternative is to invest in precious metal ETFs. This week, Nathan Reiff analyzed three precious metals ETFs that have posted strong gains.

The last two years have been good for fund investors, particularly those who invested in ETFs that were indexed to the S&P 500. Reiff highlighted two of the best S&P 500 ETFs that can help you profit in a hot market.

Reiff also explained why investors who are looking for the next hot AI stock still have an opportunity in Kyndryl Holdings Inc. NYSE: KD. The company provides cloud and other IT infrastructure and services and recently entered an agreement with a major cybersecurity company that could add more upside to the stock.

Articles by Sarah Horvath

The DeepSeek story continues to move the markets. Sarah Horvath explained why investors won’t be able to invest in DeepSeek directly, but the launch of the open-source LLM sparked interest in four Chinese AI-related stocks.

Recent economic data shows that inflation will remain a concern for investors in 2025. With that in mind, Horvath gave investors three stocks that can give your portfolio a hedge against persistent inflation.

Value investors are always looking for a bargain. In an overvalued market, Horvath reminded investors to watch stocks with a low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio and gave investors four low P/E technology stocks to consider.