MarketBeat Week in Review – 5/15 - 5/19

Key Points

• The markets continue to look for direction as all signs continue to point to a recession.  
• The debt ceiling, inflation, and the Fed continue to move markets, but the index of leading economic indicators is flashing recessionary signals.  
• Stagflation is here and, like inflation, it may stick around for awhile; the MarketBeat team is here to help.  
• Here are some of the most popular articles from this week.  

The market continues to look for direction as one of the most telegraphed recessions has yet to emerge. In the meantime, bullish investors are eyeing an end to the debt ceiling standoff while the bears are hanging on every word that comes from the Fed. The latest data suggests a 40% chance that the Fed will raise rates another 25 basis points in June. But the most telling indicator may be the index of leading economic indicators, which continues to point to weakness in the economy. It’s the definition of a stagflation market, and investors may have to start considering what to do if this is the market reality for a long time. It’s a moment when time in the market matters more than timing the market. And the MarketBeat team will be here to point you to the opportunities to watch and the ones to avoid. Here are some of the most popular articles from this week.  

Articles by Jea Yu 

One earnings report that moved markets this week came from Home Depot, Inc. NYSE: HD. The company’s lackluster results aren’t that surprising, considering the weakness in the housing market. But as Jea Yu points out, the home improvement sector isn’t completely dependent on new home sales. And Yu highlights three home improvement stocks that can provide both growth and income. This was a big week for earnings in the electric vehicle sector. And Yu was explaining how the need to build out a national charging infrastructure benefits Beam Global Inc. (NASDAQ; BEEM). The company’s cleantech ARC charging system is unique to the industry because it requires no electrical connection to the grid. The company is growing its revenue, and if that translates into better margins, BEEM stock will be one EV stock that can charge your portfolio. Another area that continues to draw the attention of investors is the biotech space. Yu wrote about the stellar earnings report delivered by Exact Sciences Corp. NASDAQ: EXAS. The company is most known for its Cologuard colon cancer detection test, which is driving revenue and moving the company closer to profitability.  

Articles by Thomas Hughes 

MarketBeat subscribers can’t seem to get enough articles about the EV space. That was on full display this week. Three of our most popular articles were about EV companies. And Thomas Hughes was ready to help investors make sense of what the results meant. Shares of Fisker Inc. NASDAQ: FSR are up nearly 4% the week after the company reported earnings. As Hughes noted, the earnings report wasn’t stellar but for now, investors seem more encouraged by the company's guidance. Now it’s all about meeting production goals. Another company that has a production target on its back is Mullen Automotive, Inc. NASDAQ: MULN. It’s one of the most closely watched stocks on MarketBeat, and as Hughes notes, there’s a lot of momentum building but it will come down to – you got it – production. If you’re looking for a different way to invest in the EV space, you may want to consider FREYR Battery NYSE: FREY. The company is developing a series of battery solutions and is also planning to move some of its production to the United States.  

Articles by Sam Quirke 

This week Sam Quirke was writing about two of the biggest turnaround stories of 2023. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. NYSE: BABA shot up 100% in the first quarter. That wasn’t sustainable, but as Quirke notes, BABA stock hasn’t gone down and as China’s economy continues to recover, all signs point to the stock moving higher. Quirke was also writing about Unity Software Inc. NYSE: U. The video game developer’s stock was one of the most sharply sold-off stocks in the tech wreck that started in November 2021. But things are starting to look up for shareholders, and Quirke explains why there may be some upside ahead. 

Articles by Kate Stalter  

Whether you agree with his investing strategy or not, when Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. NYSE: BRK.B holding company buys and sells stocks it moves markets. That’s why Kate Stalter provided insight into the stocks that Buffett was purchasing in the most recent quarter. Stalter was also eyeing the biopharmaceutical space. She writes about a trio of "big pharma” stocks that are outperforming the market on positive news related to their respective drug portfolios. Stalter was also providing insight into the recent uptick in shares of Vertex Pharmaceutical Inc. NASDAQ: VRTX after the company received expanded indications for two of its cystic fibrosis drugs.  

Articles by MarketBeat Staff 

If you’re looking to give your portfolio a jolt of energy, the MarketBeat staff had their eyes on Celsius Holdings, Inc. NASDAQ: CELH. The company has burst onto the scene with its line of healthy energy drinks and its partnership with PepsiCo, Inc. NASDAQ: PEP is just one of many reasons why analysts remain bullish on the stock. Investors looking for growth are also returning to the lithium sector. This week the staff wrote about the Livent Corp. NYSE: LTHM as the stock is soaring along with the price of lithium. And along with many of our other analysts, the MarketBeat staff was looking at the biotech sector and identified two mid-cap stocks that may give investors a chance to double their money.