Defensive investing has been left in the dust by the high-flying semiconductor rally, and plenty of individual sectors are lagging the market.
Despite a whiplash-inducing correction following the start of the Iran war, the S&P 500 is now up around 10% year-to-date (YTD). But the rally has been .... |
Good MorningU.S. equities pulled back last week, snapping a nine-week advance as the S&P 500 ran into resistance near 7,700. The tension setting up the new week is familiar but sharpening: resilient, AI-driven earnings strength on one side, resurgent inflation and a shifting rate path on the other. Momentum still favors the bulls—breadth and the MACD setup remain constructive—but leadership needs a catalyst to clear overhead supply.
The macro overhang arrives Wednesday with May CPI, which is likely to run hot and keep upward pressure on rates. Futures now price a 68% chance of a hike by year-end, a shift that pressures rate-sensitive positioning and raises the bar for growth names to justify their multiples. Sticky oil prices only reinforce the risk.
Earnings carry the tape. Oracle reports Wednesday after the close—the week's main event—with cloud and AI backlog in focus and targets pushed toward $400. Adobe follows Thursday, where slowing growth meets the AI question. Campbell, Smucker, and Casey's offer a read on the consumer, with Campbell's deep value and 7%-plus yield drawing buyers. Traders are watching Oracle's guidance, Wednesday's CPI print, and a possible SpaceX IPO as soon as Friday. Featured: The biggest trading breakthrough I’ve ever come across (Ad) 
| Finance | |
Defensive investing has been left in the dust by the high-flying semiconductor rally, and plenty of individual sectors are lagging the market.
Despite a whiplash-inducing correction following the start of the Iran war, the S&P 500 is now up around 10% year-to-date (YTD). But the rally has been ... Read the Full Story |
| From Our Partners | | Cody Soodeen grew up boiling water and hauling bottles home after his family's well was contaminated. That experience inspired him to build technology that converts air humidity into clean, alkaline water.
His company has already logged $3M in sales and secured retail partnerships with Conrad Hotels, Walmart, and Amazon for its flagship Kara Pure line. A new $7M financing round is fueling expansion into self-refilling pet bowls and coffee machines, backed by 14,700 pre-orders worth over $28M in sales. | | Become a shareholder before 9/19 and claim bonus units |
| Consumer Discretionary | |
The AI-fueled bull market continues to run. But investors are still concerned about the concentration risk. The technology stocks that led the charge in 2024 and 2025 (i.e., the Magnificent 7) are no longer trading in lock step. Investor capital still appears eager to chase momentum, but that momen... Read the Full Story |
| Consumer Discretionary | |
Petco Health and Wellness (NASDAQ: WOOF) is a misunderstood company amid a turnaround, with signs of traction. It faces competition from companies such as Chewy (NASDAQ: CHWY), whose digital services and automated shipments resonate with consumers, but it isn’t out of the game.
The turnaround focu... Read the Full Story |
| From Our Partners | | Each morning, the Wave Software scans the market for stocks quietly building momentum over days or weeks, then narrows the list to a single name showing signs of an imminent move.
From there, it outlines specific options criteria designed to match that potential move, giving traders a complete setup before the market opens.
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| Consumer Discretionary | |
Interest rates aren't likely to change anytime soon. But investors are already trying to get positioned for fall 2026—and as of this writing, betting on a rate cut is contrarian to say the least. Still, the odds aren't zero. That's not simply because the Fed has a new leader. It's also because Kevi... Read the Full Story |
| Markets | |
Key developments in the field of genomics—the study of the complete DNA of an organism—may make it possible to customize drug therapies, detect diseases, and engineer enzymes for improved health care outcomes. It's no wonder, then, that biotech and pharmaceuticals companies are moving quickly to ca... Read the Full Story |
| From Our Partners | | A 60-minute morning window is catching traders' attention for one reason: it doesn't depend on market direction.
Place a quick trade before 10 am, then step away. Sixty minutes later, the setup has already done its work.
The strategy targets a 50 percent return potential on a $1,000 stake, though results vary and some trades won't work out. | | Discover how to apply this 60 minute trading window today |
| Energy | |
Energy stocks have been on a tear, but not every name in the sector is telling the same story. Rob Spivey and Joel Litman of Altimetry Research believe the market is misreading what's driving the move, and more importantly, which stocks are positioned to benefit.
U.S. rig counts are rising for the... Read the Full Story |
| Technology | |
Shares of Samsara Inc (NYSE: IOT) were trading around $36 early on Friday as the market continued to digest the company’s Q1 earnings, released Thursday night. The stock has spent much of the past year trying to convince the market that it's not just another victim of the AI-driven SaaSpocalypse.
... Read the Full Story |
| Technology | |
The global scramble for artificial intelligence (AI) dominance has created an unforeseen bottleneck, one of the most important constraints for AI infrastructure growth, alongside chip availability, data center capacity, and deployment timelines.
Hyperscale cloud providers and AI leaders are no long... Read the Full Story |
| Technology | |
Shares of CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWD) were down about 4% the day after the cybersecurity company delivered what was, by fundamental metrics, a strong earnings report. For the first quarter of its 2027 fiscal year, CrowdStrike delivered a beat on the top and bottom lines and raised its ... Read the Full Story |
| Consumer Discretionary | |
Between tariffs, geopolitical conflict, and shifting views on psychedelic drugs and cannabis, investors have had no shortage of uncertainty to weigh. But one thing the Trump administration has been abundantly clear about, it is its distaste for carbon mitigation efforts, including renewable energy ... Read the Full Story |
| Monday's Early Bird Stock Of The Day Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. The company offers branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories. It offers merchandise, such as sundries, dry groceries, candies, coolers, freezers, deli, liquor, and tobacco; appliances, electronics, health and beauty aids, hardware, garden and patio products, sporting goods, tires, toys and seasonal products, office supplies, automotive care products, postages, tickets, apparel, small appliances, furniture, domestics, housewares, special order kiosks, and jewelry; and meat, produce, service deli, and bakery products. The company also operates gasoline, pharmacies, optical, food courts, hearing-aid centers, and tire installation centers; and offers business delivery, travel, grocery, and various other services online. It also operates e-commerce websites. The company was formerly known as Costco Companies, Inc. and changed its name to Costco Wholesale Corporation in August 1999. Costco Wholesale Corporation was founded in 1976 and is based in Issaquah, Washington. | Should I Buy Costco Wholesale Stock? COST Bull and Bear Case Explained
These insights were generated using artificial intelligence. They are based on proprietary MarketBeat data, news articles, and custom LLM A.I. algorithms. This analysis of Costco Wholesale was last updated on Thursday, September 03, 2026 at 6:05 PM.
Costco Wholesale Bull Case -
Costco reported strong August net sales of $23.70 billion, which increased 9.9% year over year, while fourth-quarter sales rose 11.3% to $93.9 billion, demonstrating robust top-line growth that supports the company's valuation.
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Analysts at BTIG Research reaffirmed a Buy rating with a price target of $1,125.00, suggesting a potential upside of 21.6% from the current stock price of $925.41, reflecting confidence in the retailer's resilient core performance and market-share gains.
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The company's fiscal-year sales increased 10.2% to $297.3 billion, with total comparable sales growing 8.4% and digitally enabled sales climbing 20.9%, indicating that Costco is successfully expanding its membership base and e-commerce capabilities without altering its fundamental business model.
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Costco's recent earnings results showed actual EPS of $4.93, slightly exceeding the consensus estimate of $4.94, and actual revenue of $70.527 billion, which surpassed the consensus revenue of $70.122 billion, highlighting the company's ability to consistently meet or exceed financial expectations.
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With a beta of 0.87, Costco exhibits lower volatility compared to the broader market, making it a potentially stable investment for investors seeking to reduce portfolio risk while still participating in the growth of a leading consumer staples retailer.
Costco Wholesale Bear Case -
The US Department of Justice has expanded its antitrust investigation into beef pricing, requesting detailed records from Costco regarding costs, margins, and supply-chain arrangements, which creates potential legal, regulatory, and reputational risks for the company.
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Costco abruptly discontinued its curated online marketplace, Costco Next, which may disappoint members and raise questions about the service's contribution to customer engagement and e-commerce growth, potentially impacting the company's digital strategy.
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Despite strong sales, the stock has experienced recent declines, trading down $3.07 to $925.41, and is currently below its 50-day simple moving average of $944.65 and 200-day simple moving average of $978.84, suggesting short-term bearish momentum.
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Insider selling has been notable, with Director Kenneth Denman selling 885 shares at an average price of $957.45 and EVP Claudine Adamo selling 730 shares at $1,003.02, which could signal a lack of confidence from company insiders in the current stock price.
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Costco's P/E ratio of 46.55 is relatively high, indicating that investors are paying a premium for the company's earnings, which may limit upside potential if growth slows or if the market re-evaluates the stock's valuation.
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