Articles written by Cory Mitchell - Benzinga

Summer Doldrums Tend To Hit Stock Market In August, Low To Negative Returns Historically

August is not historically a very good month for stocks. Across several major indices, average returns for the month are low to negative, and it is essentially a coin flip as to whether an index will finish higher or lower. In other words, there is no strong directional bias in August.

June Historically A Weak Month For Stocks With Negative Average Returns Over Last 20 Years

There is an overall upward bias for the stock indices, as companies that perform poorly are dropped from an index while companies that are doing well are added. The S&P 500 has annualized yearly returns of 10.6% over the last 100 years.

4 Stocks That Are Looking Like A Great Value Right Now

These four companies appear to be a good deal based on future earnings expectations and trading at a low price/earnings (P/E) ratio compared to historic norms.

Breadth Indicator Turns Negative As S&P 500 Declines, Avoid Buying Till It Turns Positive

Buy and hold and investors hold through the ups and downs of the market, but shorter-term traders, such as swing traders, can't afford to waste time or capital holding through significant drawdowns.

Stock Market Higher 80% of the Time In April, 2% Average Gain Historically

April is a great month for major indices like the S&P 500 and NYSE Composite. Slightly less so for the Nasdaq 100, but still decent. Over the last 20 years, April ranks as one of the best three months of the year.

February Historically A Flat Month For Stocks, Small Caps Tend To Outperform

Over the last 20 years, February has been a mediocre month for stock market performance. Over that time frame, the S&P 500 has moved higher in 12 of those 20 years, accounting for a 60% "success rate." On average, the S&P 500 has an average gain of 0.2% in February. Compare that to July which has averaged 2.4% gains during the month over the last 20 years.

Top Performing ETFs Right Now And Where To Buy Them

Some of the top-performing ETFs this year may surprise a lot of investors. A wide assortment of ETFs have been performing well, including the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (ARCA: SPY) which is up 20% year-to-date (YTD). Stellar performers include ETFs related to uranium, cannabis, and FANG stocks.

Marsh & McLennan Forms Bottoming Pattern At Same Time As Major Indices

Following a nearly 11% decline in the S&P 500 between July 27 and October 27, buying pressure is coming back into the market and several Market Health Indicators are signaling that a bottoming is likely in place.

These Quality Stocks Are Becoming A Deal For Long-Term Investors

The stock market indices have been declining since August, along with most stocks. The sell-off has been accelerating in the latter part of October. The SPDR S&P 500 Trust (ARCA: SPY) is down 10% from its July high.

A Top Buy And Hold Stock To Buy Right Now: Alphabet, Here's Why

Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL) has had a great run in 2023, up 56.89% since the start of the year. Despite the strong run, the stock is still looking attractive and is well below 2022 highs.

Elevance Health Approaching Attractive Buy Point With Strong Earnings And Dividend Growth

Elevance Health's stock price has stagnated in 2023 while indices have rallied. This is despite strong earnings growth, strong expected growth in the future, and an attractive forward Price/Earnings ratio.

September Is A Tough Month For Stocks Historically; How To Manage It

Over the last 20 years, September has been one of the worst months of the year in terms of performance. Over that time frame, the S&P 500 has experienced upward movement in 12 of those 20 years (60%), yet the average return for the month is -0.4%. Compare that to November which has averaged 2.1% returns over the last 20 years and moved higher 80% of the time

August Is A Flat Month For Most Stocks, Yet Technology Tends To Perform Well

Over the last 20 years, August has been a mediocre month in terms of stock market performance. Over that time frame, the S&P 500 has experienced upward movement in 13 of those 20 years, accounting for a 65% success rate. On average, the S&P 500 only rallied 0.3% in August. Compare that to July which has averaged 2.3% rallies over the last 20 years.

July Has Historically Been A Great Month For Stocks, Technology And Consumer Discretionary Stocks Lead

Over the last 20 years, July has emerged as a great month in terms of stock market performance. Over that time frame, the S&P 500 has experienced upward movement in 15 of those 20 years, accounting for a 75% success rate. On average, the S&P 500 has rallied 2.3% in July.

Riot Platforms Presents A High-Reward Potential Trading Opportunity On Bitcoin Surge

Riot Platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT) just had a false breakout to the downside, within an overall uptrend in 2023. That creates a bullish scenario for a favorable reward-to-risk trade.

TSCO Is A Top Dividend And Buy Back Stock For Long-term Investment

Running scans for top dividend stocks, top buyback stocks, or top growth stocks, Tractor Supply Company (Nasdaq: TSCO) shows up on all of them.

June Can Be A Rough Month For Stocks, Tech And Communication Services Remain Strong

Over the last 20 years, June has emerged as a tough month in terms of stock market performance. Over that time frame, the S&P 500 has experienced upward movement in 12 of those 20 years, accounting for a 60% success rate. Despite that, the S&P 500 has dropped an average of -0.3% in June.

One Of The Best Performing ETFs Of The Last Decade Is In A Buy Zone Right Now

Over the last 10 years, this ETF was one of the top performing, ranking third with a gain of more than 330%. That's more than double what the S&P 500 returned over that period. The best-performing ETFs list didn't include leveraged ETFs.

May Is A Good Month To Own Stocks - Pay Attention To Technology And Healthcare

Historically April has been the strongest month of the year, with the S&P 500 moving higher in 16 of the last 20 years (80%) and averaging a gain of 2.4% over that time. While April isn't quite finished, the S&P 500 is up about 0.7% on the month, with one more trading day to go.

Asbury Automotive (ABG) An Attractive Buy

Asbury Automotive Group Inc (NYSE: ABG) is showing excellent growth in terms of sales and revenue—which is projected to continue—and is also at an appealing buy point from a technical perspective. Asbury is a collection of new and used vehicle dealerships and collision centers operating in 14 states.