MarketBeat: Week in Review 6/28 – 7/2

This week the major indices continue to push to new highs. The only thing that stood in the way of this bullish trend was the hotly anticipated June jobs report. But with the number of new jobs created beating expectations by a comfortable margin, it appears that investors will have a fantastic Independence Day weekend. We have officially entered the second half of the year and that means a new earnings season will be upon investors in just a couple of weeks. In the meantime, the MarketBeat team of writers will stay on top of the stocks and stories that are moving the market. Here’s a look at some of the stocks they analyzed this week.

Articles by Sean Sechler                                                                                                                                                                

Sean Sechler was focusing on several investing themes as the second half of the year kicks off. The beginning of the month is a time when investors “vote with their money” as they enter new positions. Sechler gave investors three stocks to buy that look prepared to sparkle in July. For growth investors, the NASDAQ is an exchange that features some of the “best and brightest” stocks including many of the most popular tech stocks. However, many of those tech stocks were beaten down earlier this year, but have begun to outperform the index. And Sechler gave investors three NASDAQ stocks that look like good bets to ride out this trend for the long term. Sechler also had something for value investors as he gave investors his picks for the three best blue-chip stocks they can buy now. These stocks tend to be less volatile and therefore are a good hedge for investors in times of market uncertainty.

Articles by Jea Yu

Video game stocks were among the top performers during the pandemic. But with the economy beginning to reopen, it’s fair for investors to wonder if it’s game over for the growth of these stocks? Jea Yu suggests that the easy gains may be gone, but investors can look for opportunistic pullbacks. In the case of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI), Yu cites a pipeline of legacy games and new titles that should continue to be catalysts for the stock. For Roblox (NYSE:RBLX), Yu says investors should pay attention to a growth in both the number and the age of new subscribers when deciding whether to buy RBLX stock on future pullbacks. Turning his attention to renewable energy stocks, Yu suggested that Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ:CLNE) is setting up to be an option looking for exposure to the renewable natural gas (RNG) market.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

The air may be coming out of the electric vehicle (EV) bubble, but Thomas Hughes was encouraging investors not to shy away from GreenPower Motor Company (NASDAQ:GP). In addition to operating in an underserved niche, the company has actual orders and deliveries that translate into revenue and positive earnings. Hughes suggests that investors look at GP stock as a possible breakout candidate. From a sector that has a singular, but very exciting narrative, to one with multiple layers, Hughes was looking at Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ). For many reasons, including the return of live events, STZ stock looks like an undervalued gem that investors should keep on their radar. And a week wouldn’t be complete without analyzing at least one meme stock. However , in the case of Bed, Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY), Hughes notes that the meme stock volatility is quieting down which is leaving room for the stock to grow on its own merits.

 Articles by Sam Quirke

There are many questions surrounding the economy and the markets, but bank stocks are not one of them. Further evidence of that was provided when the banks passed their “stress test” from the Federal Reserve. That had Sam Quirke looking at the banking sector and giving investors his three picks for bank stocks that look particularly strong as we enter the second half of the year. From stocks that are raising few concerns to one that has been a puzzle to investors all year, Quirke was suggesting that investors may be getting more clarity on Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX). The streaming giant has been making bullish rumblings that are getting analysts confident for what the second half of the year may bring.

Articles by Chris Markoch

The economic recovery is due, in large part, to the emergence of not one, but several, Covid-19 vaccines. This means that investors are starting to shuffle their money into new areas. And with that in mind, Chris Markoch was pointing readers to three biotech stocks that look poised for growth while focusing on areas that are unrelated to Covid-19. But before you forget about the vaccine stocks altogether, Markoch also pointed out that there is a bullish case for Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) as the revenue it receives from its Covid-19 vaccine should give it the liquidity to get other mRNA vaccines across the finish line.

Articles by Kate Stalter                                                                           

Kate Stalter was reminding investors that when it comes to looking for growth stocks, there’s no substitute for following where institutional investors are leading. These firms have the in-house expertise and, more importantly, the monetary firepower to buy the stocks they like in bulk. With that in mind, Stalter gave readers three stocks that are moving higher due to strong institutional support. Investors looking for price growth often look to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) because it is a price-weighted, as opposed to market-cap weighted index. And Stalter gave readers three stocks that are leading the Dow in price gains this year. Not leaving out dividend investors, Stalter pointed investors in the direction of two megacap stocks that have a long history of raising their dividends. In the United States, companies that pay higher dividends tend to be companies in the mature phase of their business cycle.