Top-Performing Dividend Stocks

Plus: A weak but not bleak jobs report, top stocks for July, the great rotation begins. [Morningstar](?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_smartinvestor&utm_content=56458&elqTrackId=da24015763c04979a067f5fa3b2bc437&elq=0e1522fdeaae4eb1b18388e81bcb521f&elqaid=56458&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=28752&elqak=8AF55C335F9D56F04D522E8925F8A584BDA0DBA80F6127ECDFCEFB32C496183C96E3) [Smart Investor] Smart Investor [Tom Lauricella, chief markets editor]( Connect with Tom on [LinkedIn]( [Tom Lauricella] In this week's newsletter: - [July Jobs Data Is Weak but Not Bleak]( - [The Great Rotation Begins: Small Caps, Value Shine]( - [Best- and Worst-Performing Stocks of July]( - [July's 10 Top-Performing Dividend Stocks]( - [A September Fed Rate Cut Looks Likely. Then What?]( - [How Avantis Became One of the Fastest-Growing Fund Companies]( Is bad news now bad news? For some time, the stock market has taken negative economic news as an excuse to rally on expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. But when the [July jobs report came out weaker than expected]( stocks took it on the chin and bond prices surged. A big part of the reason for these swings was that an unexpected jump in the unemployment rate set off recession alarm bells. But was the report really that bad? We check in with Morningstar chief [US economist Preston Caldwell](. The jobs report came just two days after the latest Fed meeting, where [officials teed up a September rate cut](. It now seems the only question is how big that cut will be. At the same time, more in the markets are asserting that the central bank should have already cut rates. [Sarah Hansen looked at this question before the week’s big news](. While the overall market took a hit Friday, a lot has been happening under the surface for the last few weeks. Investors had been shifting out of the high-flying tech stocks that drove the past year’s rally and into the market’s laggards, mainly small stocks and value stocks. Will this rotation continue? Morningstar’s chief US strategist David Sekera has [his latest stock market outlook](. You can also check out our monthly wrap-up of the best- and worst-performing stocks, which features the kind of names that had been out of favor for some time: industrials, real estate, and basic materials. Among the worst performers was [CrowdStrike](. We’ve also got our look at best-performing dividend stocks, which was dominated by banks this time around. [Check out the names here](. In the background, the market’s response to earnings has been a mixed bag. We’ve got the takeaways from Morningstar analysts on [Amazon]( [Apple]( [Microsoft]( and [Meta](. Lastly, we look at an interesting story in the world of mutual funds. Back in 2019, a handful of executives from Dimensional Fund Advisors opened their own shop, Avantis. It’s now one of the fastest-growing fund companies, with $50 billion under management. We [explore how Avantis is riding some of the biggest trends]( in investing. That’s it for this week! As always, check out our [Markets page]( for our latest coverage, live stock market updates, and [our weekly calendar]( of key upcoming data and events. [July's 10 Top-Performing Dividend Stocks]( [July's 10 Top-Performing Dividend Stocks]( PNC and Citizens Financial Group are among the month’s high-yielding winners. Bella Albrecht, Lauren Solberg [Read More]( Share: [facebook]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( ADVERTISEMENT [media]( [media] Markets and the Economy [July Jobs Data Is Weak but Not Bleak]( [July Jobs Data Is Weak but Not Bleak]( The bond market is now pricing in a half-point rate cut in September, but will that happen? Tom Lauricella [Has the Fed Waited Too Long to Cut Rates?]( [Has the Fed Waited Too Long to Cut Rates?]( Inflation is near the Fed’s target, but it hasn’t declared victory. Sarah Hansen [August 2024 Stock Market Outlook: Small-Cap and Value Stocks Shine]( [August 2024 Stock Market Outlook: Small-Cap and Value Stocks Shine]( Investor takeaways ahead of easing monetary policy and slowing growth. David Sekera [A September Fed Rate Cut Looks Likely. Then What?]( [A September Fed Rate Cut Looks Likely. Then What?]( With better inflation ahead, we expect the Fed to keep cutting rates well into 2025. Preston Caldwell [How Avantis Became One of the Fastest-Growing Fund Companies]( [How Avantis Became One of the Fastest-Growing Fund Companies]( The active ETF provider capitalizes on three major trends in ETF investing. Gabe Alpert [What’s Happening in the Markets This Week]( [What’s Happening in the Markets This Week]( A slow week for economic events, plus earnings releases for Uber, Eli Lilly & Co and more. Leah Breakstone [What Is the Fed’s TSP Mutual Fund Window Good For?]( [What Is the Fed’s TSP Mutual Fund Window Good For?]( With its $150 annual fees, for many workers, not much. Janet Yang Rohr [After Earnings, Is Alphabet Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is Alphabet Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With increased revenue and steady infrastructure investment, here’s what we think of Alphabet stock. Michael Hodel [After Earnings, Is Verizon Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is Verizon Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With soft cash flow and slowing phone upgrade trends, here’s what we think of Verizon’s results. Michael Hodel [After Earnings, Is AT&T Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is AT&T Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With its high wireless customer retention and improving profitability, here’s what we think of AT&T’s undervalued stock. Michael Hodel [After Earnings, Is Tesla Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is Tesla Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With progress on an affordable vehicle, improvements in full self-driving software, and record profits in energy generation and storage, here’s what we think of Tesla stock. Seth Goldstein [Going Into Earnings, Is Disney Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [Going Into Earnings, Is Disney Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( Watching streaming, box office numbers, and advertising, here’s what we think of Disney stock. Matthew Dolgin [Going Into Earnings, Is Eli Lilly Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [Going Into Earnings, Is Eli Lilly Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With Cardiometabolic drug sales growing, here’s what we think of Lilly’s stock. Damien Conover [After Earnings, Is GE Aerospace Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is GE Aerospace Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With GE Aerospace’s strong franchise, profitable engine maintenance, and raised margin expectations, here’s what we think of its stock. Nicolas Owens [3 Great Funds That Just Reopened to New Investors]( [3 Great Funds That Just Reopened to New Investors]( Reopenings are great contrarian opportunities. Russel Kinnel [Carl Tannenbaum: Settling Into ‘Soft-Landing Territory’]( [Carl Tannenbaum: Settling Into ‘Soft-Landing Territory’]( Northern Trust’s chief economist weighs in on the direction of interest rates and inflation, and current conditions in real estate. Christine Benz, Dan Lefkovitz [Managed Futures: What to Know About This Strategy for ETFs]( [Managed Futures: What to Know About This Strategy for ETFs]( Their diversification benefit justifies their place in a portfolio during market downturns. Lan Anh Tran, Ryan Jackson [2 New Wide-Moat Stocks With Long-Term Potential]( [2 New Wide-Moat Stocks With Long-Term Potential]( Wide-moat stock investors, take note. Susan Dziubinski [Best- and Worst-Performing Stocks of July 2024]( [Best- and Worst-Performing Stocks of July 2024]( DR Horton and Charter Communications rank among the best stocks for the month, while the worst include CrowdStrike and Edwards Lifesciences. Bella Albrecht, Lauren Solberg [4 Top US Travel Stock Picks]( [4 Top US Travel Stock Picks]( With opportunities in the travel industry, Carnival and Norwegian are among the most attractive names. Oratile Matome [The Best Defensive Stocks to Buy]( [The Best Defensive Stocks to Buy]( These 10 defensive stocks supply investors with reliable earnings, and often dividends, when markets look uncertain. Tori Brovet Chart of the Week [Elections and Markets Are a Mixed Bag]( [Elections and Markets Are a Mixed Bag]( Plus, six other charts on 2024′s second quarter. Andrew Daniels [Read More]( Share: [facebook]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( Recent Earnings [Amazon: AWS Shines, Stock Attractive After Sell-Off]( [Apple: Sales Impress But Stock Still Overvalued]( [Microsoft: Cloud Growth to Accelerate This Year]( [Meta Stock Price Gains on AI-Fueled Earnings]( [Roblox: Platform Improvements Drive Broad User Momentum and Appeal]( [Snap: Attracting Users and Advertisers Remains a Constant Struggle Against Giants]( [Mastercard: Results Suggest Consumer Spending Remains Steady]( [SoFi: Strong Financial Services Revenue and NIMs Offset Slowing Loan Growth]( [Coinbase: Net Income Declines as Lower Volatility Drives Down Trading Volume]( [Intel: Ugly News and Many Concerns]( [Procter & Gamble: Sales Slowdown Spooks Investors]( [Pfizer: Seagen Sales Help Offset Lost Covid Sales as Pipeline Strengthens]( [Moderna: Competition Weighs on Covid and RSV Vaccine Prospects]( [Boeing: New CEO Has Lots Riding on Second Half of 2024]( [Albemarle: Plummeting Prices Pause Expansion Plans]( [Exxon: Strong Quarter Demonstrates Progress on Long-Term Objectives]( [Tilray: Decent End to Fiscal 2024, but We See Limited Risk-Adjusted Upside]( [Recent Company Earnings]( Discover actionable opportunities today with our earnings coverage and analyst insights. Get Top Stock Picks and Market Insights Every Week on The Morning Filter. Every Monday morning, Susan Dziubinski sits down with Morningstar Chief U.S. markets strategist Dave Sekera to discuss what's on his radar, new Morningstar research, and stock picks or plans for the week ahead. [Watch Now.](morningstar/streams?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_smartinvestor&utm_content=56458) Stay connected: [twitter]( [facebook]( [linkedin]( [instagram]( [YouTube]( [Apple News]( [View online]( | [See all newsletters]( | [Share your feedback]( [Unsubscribe]( from this newsletter. Or update your [email preferences](. © 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 22 W. Washington St. Chicago, IL 60602