Closing out the first half

  Closing Out the First Half Friday marked the last trading day of the first half of 2024. And so far, the bulls are in clear control. The recent rally in stocks has been fueled by big gains in tech companies – particularly the mega-cap tech names. The Nasdaq 100 gained 17% through the first six months of the year while the more broad-based S&P 500 was up 15%. I suspect that many of you reading this will be happy with the performance reported on your 401(k) plan’s mid-year statement. That’s because a large portion of investors put their money into large indices such as the S&P 500. But the broad strength hasn’t been felt in every corner of the market… For example, the Russell 2000 – which is comprised of 2,000 small- and mid-cap stocks – is up less than 1% so far this year and greatly lagging the large-cap indices. Plus, not every large cap enjoyed double-digit gains. The S&P 500 Value only climbed about 4% through the first six months of 2024. So the big themes of the first half of the year were technology, growth, and large caps. The question now is whether this trend will carry forward through the remainder of the year. Of course, I don’t have a crystal ball. But I will say two things… First, I believe the momentum in artificial intelligence (AI) related tech stocks will continue. Nothing goes straight up in the stock market. But the adoption of AI in the coming years is inevitable, and we’re only in the beginning stages. I expect even more acceleration in the future. So there is no reason to abandon that long-term investing trend. Second, there is a lot of opportunity right now in small caps. So much so, in fact, that I’m putting the finishing touches on a brand-new, small-cap-focused investment newsletter that I expect to launch in August. This is a long-term opportunity that I believe shouldn’t be ignored, and this new service will help investors make the most of the massive shift that’s ahead. Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, enjoy what’s left of June and this summer weekend. I’ll be back in touch tomorrow. Here’s to the future, [McCall's Signature] Matt McCall Editor, Market Insights [Check Out My Latest Podcast]( Mega-cap stocks have been grabbing nearly every headline here in 2024 – and for good reason. They have been the main drivers behind the stock market rally that began in October. But what’s been going on in the small-cap world? Why have they been lagging and when will the group take the torch back from the mega-caps? That’s what Tim Bohen and I talk about on [the latest episode of the SteadyTrade Podcast](. We believe it’s only a matter of time before the small caps catch up to their larger counterparts. And that will create an incredible investment opportunity. Two stocks in particular are at the top of my watch list right now. [Check out the podcast to learn more.](   © 2024 Centurion Publishing 13809 Research Blvd, Suite 500, Austin, TX 78750   *Results are not typical. Past performance does not indicate future results. All investing carries risk. Our Privacy Policy, along with our Term & Conditions, governs your use of this site. By using our site, or by accepting the Terms of Use (via opt-in, checkbox, pop-up, or clicking an email link confirming the same), you agree to be bound by our Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy. If you have provided personal, billing, or other voluntarily provided information, you may access, review, and make changes to it via instructions found on the Website or by replying to this email. To manage your receipt of marketing and non-transactional communications, you may unsubscribe by clicking the “unsubscribe” link located on the bottom of any marketing email. Emails related to the purchase or delivery of orders are provided automatically – Customers are not able to opt out of transactional emails. We will try to accommodate any requests related to the management of Personal Information in a timely manner. However, it is not always possible to completely remove or modify information in our databases (for example, if we have a legal obligation to keep it for certain timeframes, for example).If you have any questions, simply reply to this email or visit our website [( view our official policies. To Unsubscribe [Click Here](