Great businesses at fair prices — here's why each makes the list.
…and 346 more buy candidates in the full briefing.
43 name(s) sliding toward Avoid:
Value $108,980 ▲ +9.0% since 2026-07-16 · ▲ +$575 (+0.5%) since yesterday · S&P +1.3% · Cash $3,897
| Stock | Held | Price | Today | Since buy | Grade |
| CF | 83 sh | $129.24 | ▼ -0.3% | -0.3% | 89 |
| EOG | 78 sh | $150.21 | ▼ -1.9% | +11.5% | 87 |
| FHI | 156 sh | $64.72 | ▲ +1.6% | +7.9% | 92 |
| HIG | 73 sh | $138.98 | ▲ +2.1% | +1.7% | 90 |
| INTU | 33 sh | $369.92 | ▲ +0.8% | +25.5% | 87 |
| LOPE | 69 sh | $147.66 | ▲ +0.1% | +3.1% | 90 |
| LULU | 85 sh | $122.78 | ▲ +1.4% | +3.3% | 88 |
| NBIX | 58 sh | $153.04 | ▲ +0.3% | -10.8% | 89 |
| PRI | 31 sh | $299.98 | ▲ +1.4% | -4.1% | 93 |
| RMD | 49 sh | $232.45 | ▲ +0.4% | +14.6% | 84 |
Fictional money · prices update daily · a live test of whether the picks actually work.
Does the grading actually work? Two honest halves — a backtest on past data, and the real live record as it ripens. It reports the truth even when that's “not enough data yet.”
Reconstructed 319 graded moments across 150 companies (a sample of 150 names), then measured what each actually returned over the next 12 months.
Do higher grades earn better returns?
| Grade | Names | 12-mo return | vs S&P |
| A (80-100) | 43 | +13.5% | -0.5% |
| B (65-79) | 161 | +11.9% | -3.6% |
| C (50-64) | 91 | +12.9% | -1.7% |
| D-F (<50) | 24 | +41.0% | +27.2% |
→ higher grades did WORSE here (gap 27.5 pts) ⚠️
27 snapshot(s) since 2026-07-06, none ripe yet — first 6-month check ~2027-01-06.
Backtest limits: ~5 years back, surviving companies only, restated statements — a strong first read, not gospel. The live record is the hindsight-free gold standard and strengthens every month. Refreshed 2026-08-23. Educational only — not financial advice.
Primerica president Peter Schneider sold 1,800 shares (~$563k) on Aug 17 at ~$312.65/share, trimming his direct stake by about 18%. This looks like routine profit-taking after a solid year (stock +16% YTD), not a distress signal — the company just posted 9% revenue growth and 13% net income growth in Q2. Analyst consensus sits around a $337.50 price target. Separately, a Yahoo Finance roundup named PRI as one of two insurance stocks to watch, citing five straight years of rising pre-tax profits and 17.9% annual EPS growth. No red flags here; the grade (92.8) looks well-supported.
Zacks upgraded FHI to its #1 Strong Buy rank (Aug 24), driven by rising earnings estimates — the consensus estimate climbed 7.8% over the past three months. On the flip side, EVP/CLO Peter Germain sold shares (~$276k) in a planned filing on Aug 20. Institutional flows are mixed (Bank of America trimmed, others added). The upgrade aligns with the grade: FHI's financials are strong across the board (100 health, 95 profitability, 91 stability). The insider sale is small and planned — noise, not a warning.
Mostly institutional reshuffling this week — Northwestern Mutual, Korea Investment, Bank of Nova Scotia, Daiichi Life, and others all took or expanded positions, while the stock outperformed on a strong trading day. Brokerages give HIG an average "Hold" rating, which is cautious relative to the tool's 90.3 grade. No material operational news. The heavy institutional buying is mildly positive — big funds are accumulating.
This is the week's most material headline for LOPE: the CFO was placed on paid leave amid a government investigation, and an interim CFO was appointed (reported Aug 24). An SEC 8-K was filed Aug 21 (SEC.gov blocked my access, but the Kalkine Media article confirms the CFO leave + investigation). This is a genuine risk event — a government investigation into a company's financial officer introduces uncertainty about accounting or compliance. The grade (89.7) does not yet reflect this news because it's based on reported financials, not pending investigations. Worth watching closely. If the investigation leads to restatements or regulatory action, the picture changes materially.
Strong Q2 earnings beat (Aug 20): revenue $959M vs $901.5M expected, adjusted EPS $2.85 vs $2.26 expected. Ingrezza (the flagship drug for tardive dyskinesia) hit $716M in quarterly sales, well above the $629M forecast, and management raised full-year Ingrezza guidance to $2.825-$2.875B (up from $2.7-$2.8B). Revenue grew 39% YoY, EPS rose 73%. Pipeline drug Crenessity added $184M, and newer Vykat XR contributed $54M. R&D spending is up 24%, which is a sign they're investing in the pipeline, not just milking Ingrezza. A Seeking Alpha piece called it a "House Full of Options." The grade (89.4) looks well-earned — this is a growth story firing on multiple cylinders.
No company-specific material news this week. A TheStreet article about the "next big oil trade" may reference fertilizer/nitrogen plays tangentially (the site blocked access). CF's stock was up ~5.6% recently and outperformed peers on a trading day. Analyst coverage calls it a strong value pick with fundamentals still intact. The grade reflects a solid, cash-generative commodity producer — no new catalysts, but no new risks either.
Raymond James posted solid Q2 results: $3.93B revenue (+15.6% YoY), beating estimates by 1.4%, with EPS also above consensus. The stock rose 6.8% on earnings. An SEC 8-K was filed Aug 19 (SEC.gov access blocked — likely the earnings release filing). Raymond James was named among the 15 largest independent brokerages in wealth management. The COO gifted 1,000 shares (a gift, not a sale — not a negative signal). Institutional demand remains strong. The 88.5 grade is consistent with the fundamentals — strong finances, reasonable valuation.
The most news-heavy name this week, and the news is mixed:
- Michael Burry is buying aggressively — nearly doubled his LULU position, now 17.4% of his portfolio. He calls it "screaming cheap" at a forward P/E of ~11, comparing pessimism to GameStop in 2019. He's simultaneously shorting Nvidia. Bold contrarian bet.
- Soros Fund fully exited its position — an institutional vote of no confidence.
- Earnings Sep 3 (after close) — this is the next make-or-break event.
- Softer outlook: guidance points to flat-to-declining U.S. revenue, weaker traffic, tariff pressures, and pricing lawsuits in California.
- Leadership churn: communications chief departed; incoming CEO Heidi O'Neill (ex-Nike) starts Sep 8; China head promoted to lead APAC; former Louis Vuitton exec hired for a regional role.
- Analyst consensus is "Reduce" — 29 of 34 analysts say Hold, very few Bulls.
- The stock is down 49% from its all-time high and ~42% YTD.
The grade (88.1) reflects strong historical profitability and reasonable valuation at these depressed prices, but it cannot see the deteriorating guidance or the legal/operational headwinds in real-time. This is a classic case where the grade and the news disagree — the numbers say cheap, the operational trajectory says trouble. The Sep 3 earnings report will be pivotal. Approach with eyes open.
Stock is up 14.8% over 3 months. Multiple analysts highlight that EOG looks undervalued at ~11.7x P/E vs the industry's 13x and its own estimated fair P/E of ~19x. Five of six valuation metrics point to it being cheap. An insider set up a planned share sale for 2026 (routine). No operational surprises — EOG remains a disciplined, cash-generative E&P with strong returns. The grade is solid and the news confirms it.
DECK stock fell overnight after Q2 results showed sales growth slowing. The report cited currency headwinds, margin pressure from a more promotional environment, and limited free cash flow flexibility. However, HOKA brand momentum continues — a Seeking Alpha piece notes "HOKA brand momentum and share gains vs Nike can't be denied." BlackRock invested $1.34B in the name. Analysts see ~27% upside from current levels if the direct-to-consumer shift succeeds. This is similar to LULU — grade says attractive, near-term operational execution is the question mark. Retail calls the drop "absurd."
Despite the low grade, IRM is actually executing an interesting strategy: its data center business grew 50%+ YoY, and it signed 110 MW of data center leases year-to-date (including 75 MW in July alone). Multiple institutions (Northwestern Mutual, OMERS, Daiichi Life, BlackRock-adjacent names) are accumulating shares. The low grade likely reflects the traditional REIT's high leverage and modest margins, but the data center pivot to serve AI demand is a genuine growth catalyst. The grade and the business trajectory may be diverging here — IRM is transforming, and the scoring model weights historical financials that don't fully capture this shift.
The most interesting story in crash-watch: Ormat is pivoting its 60-year geothermal expertise toward AI data centers via Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). CEO says they see "endless demand" from hyperscalers. Two pilot EGS projects in Nevada (with Sage Geosystems and SLB) could be operational by late 2027, each potentially delivering 500 MW vs the company's current ~100 MW annual production. This is a potentially transformative pivot, but it's still at pilot stage — execution risk is high. The grade reflects weak current profitability/valuation, which is accurate today, even if the future story is compelling.
News confirms the grade's caution. Wells Fargo initiated coverage at Equal Weight with a $42 target — lukewarm at best. A Yahoo Finance piece lists three reasons to avoid: (1) revenue declining 7.3%/year over 5 years, (2) EPS dropping 38.4%/year, (3) dangerous debt levels at 9x net-debt-to-EBITDA with $8B debt vs $1.2B cash. CEO gifted 80,000 shares (gift, not sale). The grade and the news agree: this is a struggling business with heavy leverage. No catalyst for improvement visible.
TXNM took on $350M in new debt, and headlines note the Blackstone deal is "not a change of control." An SEC 8-K was filed Aug 19. Public Service Company of New Mexico (TXNM subsidiary) declared its preferred dividend — routine. The new debt load on top of what appears to be an already-leveraged utility adds risk. Grade and news are aligned: modest caution warranted.
Steady net-lease REIT with a 5.4% dividend yield. Multiple Seeking Alpha pieces call it undervalued and a "Dividend Champion" — it recently raised guidance. Institutional buyers are active. This is the least worrisome crash-watch name; the low grade probably reflects REIT-typical leverage and modest growth, not operational distress. For income-focused investors, this one may deserve a closer look despite the grade.
- SEC.gov blocked direct access (403 errors), so I could not read the 8-K filings for LOPE, RJF, or TXNM directly. I relied on third-party coverage for LOPE's CFO investigation story.
- TheStreet.com and RetailDive.com also blocked access; their articles on CF Industries and LULU leadership changes could not be read.
- Google News redirect URLs (news.google.com/rss/articles/...) cannot be fetched directly — they redirect to the source publication's SPA shell, which often doesn't render article text. I skipped these and used direct-source articles where available.
- As always: news is shown alongside the grade, never overriding it. Where the two disagree (LULU, IRM, ORA), I've said so plainly. This is research assistance, not financial advice.
MarketMind is a personal, educational stock-research tool. Every morning it screens roughly 900 large- and mid-cap U.S. companies, grades each one from 0–100 on five research-backed pillars — financial health, profitability, growth, valuation, and moat — and surfaces the businesses that look strong and reasonably priced.
The idea it rests on: over the long run, a stock's price follows the company's profits. So rather than chasing hype, MarketMind looks for great businesses at fair prices and lets time do the work.
It also runs a Paper Fund — a fictional $100,000 that automatically follows the tool's own Buy ratings — so you can watch, over time, whether the picks actually work. It's pretend money: nothing here is ever bought or sold for real.
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