MarketMind
Thursday, September 3, 2026
S&P 500 +21% past year — the bar to beat.
Market
☀️ Fair
a reasonable time for quality buys.
New Buys Today
3
since yesterday
Paper Fund
$107,974
▲ +8.0% all-time
Mode
⚖️ Balanced
balanced mix

⭐ What's New Today

🆕 New buy FERG grade 70, PH grade 70, RBC grade 70
➖ No longer a buy AMT (Buy→Hold)

🟢 Top Buys Today

Great businesses at fair prices — here's why each makes the list.

1 PRI Primerica, Inc. 93
Excellent · Steady pick
✅ Strong, healthy financesinterest coverage 41.7x · current ratio 3.73 · positive free cash flow
✅ Attractively pricedP/E 12 · PEG 1.1 · FCF yield 11.6%
2 FHI Federated Hermes, Inc. 92
Excellent · Steady pick
✅ Strong, healthy financesinterest coverage 44.0x · current ratio 2.59 · positive free cash flow
✅ Highly profitableROE 31% · net margin 21% · gross margin 69%
3 HIG The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. 90
Excellent · Steady pick
✅ Attractively pricedP/E 9 · PEG 0.1 · FCF yield 14.8%
✅ Strong, healthy financesinterest coverage 24.9x · current ratio 1.77 · positive free cash flow
4 LOPE Grand Canyon Education, Inc. 90
Excellent · Steady pick
✅ Strong, healthy financesdebt/equity 16% · interest coverage 75830.2x · current ratio 2.82 · positive free cash flow
✅ Steady and stablebeta 0.58 · steady margins
5 NBIX Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. 89
Excellent · Faster-growth pick
✅ Growing quicklyrev CAGR 24% · rev YoY 40% · EPS CAGR 46% · EPS YoY 31%
✅ Steady and stablebeta 0.39 · steady margins

…and 360 more buy candidates in the full briefing.

⚠️ Getting Worse — Watch

41 name(s) sliding toward Avoid: IRM, WHR, ORA, TXNM, NNN, NWE, PNW, CMS, DTE, D, LNT, AES, ETR, NI, BKH, WTRG, RCL, AEP, FE, LUV, XEL, POR, OGS, EVRG, WEC, AEE, WMB, SO, NLY, CNP, DUK, SR, EXC, AWK, NJR, PPL, NEE, PCG, BX, SCHW, AMT

📈 Paper Fund (MarketMind trading a fake $100k)

$95,615$100,475$105,335$110,195Jul 16: Paper Fund $100,000 · S&P 500 $100,000Jul 16: Paper Fund $100,000 · S&P 500 $100,000Jul 17: Paper Fund $100,000 · S&P 500 $99,660Jul 17: Paper Fund $100,000 · S&P 500 $99,660Jul 19: Paper Fund $99,404 · S&P 500 $98,670Jul 19: Paper Fund $99,404 · S&P 500 $98,670Jul 20: Paper Fund $99,404 · S&P 500 $98,670Jul 20: Paper Fund $99,404 · S&P 500 $98,670Jul 21: Paper Fund $99,495 · S&P 500 $98,510Jul 21: Paper Fund $99,495 · S&P 500 $98,510Jul 22: Paper Fund $98,924 · S&P 500 $99,330Jul 22: Paper Fund $98,924 · S&P 500 $99,330Jul 23: Paper Fund $97,250 · S&P 500 $99,220Jul 23: Paper Fund $97,250 · S&P 500 $99,220Jul 24: Paper Fund $96,968 · S&P 500 $97,990Jul 24: Paper Fund $96,968 · S&P 500 $97,990Jul 25: Paper Fund $98,061 · S&P 500 $98,090Jul 25: Paper Fund $98,061 · S&P 500 $98,090Jul 26: Paper Fund $98,061 · S&P 500 $98,090Jul 26: Paper Fund $98,061 · S&P 500 $98,090Jul 28: Paper Fund $100,393 · S&P 500 $98,110Jul 28: Paper Fund $100,393 · S&P 500 $98,110Jul 29: Paper Fund $102,520 · S&P 500 $98,350Jul 29: Paper Fund $102,520 · S&P 500 $98,350Jul 30: Paper Fund $104,605 · S&P 500 $96,830Jul 30: Paper Fund $104,605 · S&P 500 $96,830Jul 31: Paper Fund $102,768 · S&P 500 $98,460Jul 31: Paper Fund $102,768 · S&P 500 $98,460Aug 3: Paper Fund $101,506 · S&P 500 $99,170Aug 3: Paper Fund $101,506 · S&P 500 $99,170Aug 4: Paper Fund $101,506 · S&P 500 $99,170Aug 4: Paper Fund $101,506 · S&P 500 $99,170Aug 5: Paper Fund $104,441 · S&P 500 $102,390Aug 5: Paper Fund $104,441 · S&P 500 $102,390Aug 10: Paper Fund $105,443 · S&P 500 $102,650Aug 10: Paper Fund $105,443 · S&P 500 $102,650Aug 11: Paper Fund $106,400 · S&P 500 $102,620Aug 11: Paper Fund $106,400 · S&P 500 $102,620Aug 12: Paper Fund $106,087 · S&P 500 $102,290Aug 12: Paper Fund $106,087 · S&P 500 $102,290Aug 13: Paper Fund $105,077 · S&P 500 $102,550Aug 13: Paper Fund $105,077 · S&P 500 $102,550Aug 14: Paper Fund $105,309 · S&P 500 $103,260Aug 14: Paper Fund $105,309 · S&P 500 $103,260Aug 17: Paper Fund $105,436 · S&P 500 $103,060Aug 17: Paper Fund $105,436 · S&P 500 $103,060Aug 18: Paper Fund $105,436 · S&P 500 $103,060Aug 18: Paper Fund $105,436 · S&P 500 $103,060Aug 19: Paper Fund $105,522 · S&P 500 $101,880Aug 19: Paper Fund $105,522 · S&P 500 $101,880Aug 20: Paper Fund $107,525 · S&P 500 $102,090Aug 20: Paper Fund $107,525 · S&P 500 $102,090Aug 21: Paper Fund $107,115 · S&P 500 $101,230Aug 21: Paper Fund $107,115 · S&P 500 $101,230Aug 24: Paper Fund $108,405 · S&P 500 $101,650Aug 24: Paper Fund $108,405 · S&P 500 $101,650Aug 25: Paper Fund $108,980 · S&P 500 $101,350Aug 25: Paper Fund $108,980 · S&P 500 $101,350Aug 26: Paper Fund $108,062 · S&P 500 $101,670Aug 26: Paper Fund $108,062 · S&P 500 $101,670Aug 27: Paper Fund $107,525 · S&P 500 $101,700Aug 27: Paper Fund $107,525 · S&P 500 $101,700Aug 28: Paper Fund $107,032 · S&P 500 $102,360Aug 28: Paper Fund $107,032 · S&P 500 $102,360Aug 31: Paper Fund $107,912 · S&P 500 $102,130Aug 31: Paper Fund $107,912 · S&P 500 $102,130Sep 1: Paper Fund $107,871 · S&P 500 $101,820Sep 1: Paper Fund $107,871 · S&P 500 $101,820Sep 2: Paper Fund $107,631 · S&P 500 $101,120Sep 2: Paper Fund $107,631 · S&P 500 $101,120Sep 3: Paper Fund $107,974 · S&P 500 $101,570Sep 3: Paper Fund $107,974 · S&P 500 $101,570Jul 16Sep 3
Paper Fund $107,974S&P 500 $101,570
Paper Fund value vs. the same $100k in the S&P 500 · 36 days so far

Value $107,974 ▲ +8.0% since 2026-07-16 · ▲ +$343 (+0.3%) since yesterday · S&P +1.6% · Cash $3,897

StockHeldPriceTodaySince buyGrade
CF83 sh$139.27▲ +2.7%+7.5%89
EOG78 sh$148.96▲ +0.4%+10.6%88
FHI156 sh$60.73▼ -2.3%+1.3%92
HIG73 sh$137.21▲ +0.1%+0.4%90
INTU33 sh$342.94▼ -0.6%+16.3%86
LOPE69 sh$149.59▼ -0.3%+4.5%90
LULU85 sh$120.07▲ +1.8%+1.0%88
NBIX58 sh$157.79▲ +0.7%-8.0%89
PRI31 sh$293.51▲ +1.1%-6.2%93
RMD49 sh$230.87▼ -0.2%+13.9%84

Fictional money · prices update daily · a live test of whether the picks actually work.

🏆 Track Record

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.”

Backtest — replaying history

Reconstructed 320 graded moments across 150 companies (a sample of 150 names), then measured what each actually returned over the next 12 months.

Buy calls vs the market Buy-rated stocks averaged +14.9% over 12 months vs the S&P’s +15.0% — roughly matched the market ➖

Do higher grades earn better returns?

GradeNames12-mo returnvs S&P
A (80-100)44+13.5%-0.5%
B (65-79)161+11.8%-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) ⚠️

Your live record — real calls, zero hindsight

32 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 2026-08-30. Educational only — not financial advice.

📰 News — What Happened & Why It Matters

MarketMind — News Read for 2026-09-03

Market weather: FAIR (SPY above its rising 200-day average).


Buy Candidates

PRI — Primerica (Grade 92.9, Core, Buy)

Truist cut PRI to Hold, citing underperformance in new Term Life sales — a meaningful downgrade from a firm that covers the insurance sector closely. Separately, institutional buying continues (Man Group opened a ~$7.7M position; Kingsview added ~5,700 shares), and a Yahoo Finance piece notes PRI's earnings-based valuation still looks reasonable with returns staying strong. The analyst downgrade is worth watching — if new policy sales stay sluggish, growth could slow — but the grade already reflects PRI's excellent profitability (ROE 33%, net margin 23%) and cheap valuation (P/E 12). News doesn't override the grade; it's a flag to revisit at next earnings.

FHI — Federated Hermes (Grade 91.8, Core, Buy)

FHI is pushing into APAC tokenization through a partnership with Conduit, aiming to leverage its money-market franchise for a new AUM growth lever. The article body couldn't be fully read (Yahoo's SPA shell), but the headline points to a longer-term expansion play — tokenized fund shares are a real trend in asset management, though revenue impact is likely years away. Separately, multiple pieces flag FHI as undervalued on fair-value models while noting digital-asset hopes meet valuation doubts. Nothing changes the near-term picture: a well-run, profitable asset manager at a cheap P/E (12) with steady dividends (2.3%).

HIG — Hartford Insurance Group (Grade 90.3, Core, Buy)

HIG partnered with UC Berkeley on an energy-startup research lab — a minor PR item with no immediate financial impact. More useful: Zacks upgraded HIG's rating, and a Yahoo analysis notes the stock may still screen as undervalued even after a 123% five-year run, with strong underwriting, rising investment income, and active buybacks supporting the case. Risks flagged: catastrophe-loss exposure and elevated leverage. The grade's sky-high valuation score (P/E 9, FCF yield 14.8%) already captures the cheapness; the question is whether the market keeps rewarding the run.

LOPE — Grand Canyon Education (Grade 89.6, Core, Buy)

The most material headline: Simply Wall St reports an "interim CFO appointment amid trading probe." The article couldn't be fully read from the Google News redirect, but the headline alone is a yellow flag — a CFO change during a trading investigation warrants close monitoring. On the positive side, a Yahoo piece describes LOPE as a "steady cash-generating business ignored in a speculative market," and institutional buying continues (BNY Mellon, Man Group). The grade reflects LOPE's pristine balance sheet and high profitability; the trading-probe headline is new risk that the numbers don't yet capture. Worth revisiting once more details emerge.

NBIX — Neurocrine Biosciences (Grade 89.3, Growth, Buy)

Two genuinely material developments. First, the FDA accepted an IND for a Phase 2 Alzheimer's cognition study (NBI-1117567, a muscarinic M1-preferring agonist via the Nxera partnership) — incremental pipeline progress, not a near-term revenue driver, but it expands NBIX's pipeline beyond its core INGREZZA franchise. Second and more important: Crenessity (for congenital adrenal hyperplasia) is on a tear — $337M in first-half 2026 sales, roughly 400% year-over-year growth, with only ~15% of the diagnosed population treated so far. The prescriber base has nearly tripled and reimbursement hit ~80%. Competitive threat from Vertex/Crinetics is real but further out. This is the kind of strong commercial execution the grade rewards.

CF — CF Industries (Grade 89.1, Core, Buy)

CF touched a new all-time record, driven by a fertilizer supply crunch: tight nitrogen supply + strong agricultural demand + higher prices = improving margins. Shares are up ~15% in three months. The company also broke ground on a low-carbon ammonia plant (article body couldn't be fully read) and multiple sources highlight CF's pivot toward clean ammonia as a long-term growth catalyst. The grade already captures strong profitability and valuation; the supply-crunch tailwind is real but cyclical — when supply normalizes, pricing power fades. For now, fundamentals and momentum are aligned.

RJF — Raymond James Financial (Grade 88.4, Core, Buy)

RJF filed an SEC 8-K (the filing itself returned a 403 on fetch, so the specific event couldn't be verified — likely a routine item like a dividend declaration, as a separate headline confirms Raymond James declared a quarterly dividend). Multiple analysts describe the stock as near fair value, and it received a consensus "Hold" rating. A Yahoo piece notes RJF has more than doubled shareholder returns over five years. No red flags; steady financial-services compounder doing what it does.

LULU — Lululemon (Grade 88.2, Growth, Buy)

Earnings TODAY (Sept 3). This is the most time-sensitive name. A Motley Fool piece warns the report "could send the stock plummeting" — management previously slashed full-year guidance from 2-4% revenue growth to "flat or down 1%," North American sales are weak, the brand faces "innovation fatigue" criticism, and Goldman Sachs cut its price target. The stock is down ~42% this year. However, sentiment is so negative that even a slight beat could provide relief. Dick's Sporting Goods' recent guidance cut signals broader retail softness. The grade reflects LULU's strong cash generation and low valuation after the selloff, but today's report is a real catalyst in either direction. News and grade partially disagree here: the numbers say "cheap," the headlines say "struggling." Worth watching closely.

EOG — EOG Resources (Grade 87.8, Core, Buy)

EOG's CEO Yacob sold $5.47M in company stock — insider sales are common for diversification but always worth noting. The company is presenting at Barclays' 40th energy conference. No operational news. EOG remains a well-run E&P with a strong balance sheet; no change to the thesis.

DECK — Deckers Outdoor (Grade 87.7, Growth, Buy)

DECK filed an SEC 8-K (couldn't access — returned 403), but the timing (Aug 27) suggests a routine matter. Teva (a DECK brand) launched a new performance trail-running shoe and updated its fall 2026 collection — modest product news. A MarketScreener piece notes DECK has been "marked down by the stock market despite UGG and HOKA success," and multiple valuation analyses say the stock trades below fair value. Barron's flagged Dick's Sporting Goods' "footwear apocalypse" — but DECK's premium positioning (HOKA, UGG) is different from mass-market athletic. The grade captures DECK's strong growth and profitability; no material negative news today.


Crash Watch

IRM — Iron Mountain (Grade 39.2)

IRM "swung to profit as growth businesses surge" — the headline is positive, but the article body couldn't be read. An EVP sold ~$694K in stock, and a separate insider is lining up another 6,000-share sale. Multiple insider sales alongside a low grade (39.2) is not reassuring. The grade's poor score reflects IRM's weak fundamentals relative to its elevated valuation (it's a data-center REIT trading at a premium). Positive earnings don't automatically fix the underlying metrics the grade measures; approach with caution.

WHR — Whirlpool (Grade 45.3)

Whirlpool is down 15% since its last earnings report. A Simply Wall St piece highlights "debt strain" alongside a legacy branding push that "could be a game changer" — but that reads more like hope than evidence. Analysts give it a consensus "Reduce" rating. The grade reflects WHR's stretched balance sheet and weak profitability; no turnaround catalyst is visible yet.

ORA — Ormat Technologies (Grade 45.5)

Shares rose ~3% ahead of a dividend payment, but there was no new company-specific catalyst. Ormat raised full-year revenue guidance to $1.15-1.20B, reflecting strength across geothermal, products, and energy storage. A Seeking Alpha piece argues for a Buy on raised guidance and stronger storage business. The grade is low (45.5) because Ormat's valuation is stretched relative to its profitability — it's a fine business at a pricey multiple. The raised guidance is modestly positive but doesn't dramatically change the value picture.

TXNM — TXNM Energy (Grade 46.1)

The big news: TXNM priced a $400M stock offering at $56.50/share (7.08M shares) to repay a $400M term loan — so it's swapping debt for equity, which dilutes existing shareholders but strengthens the balance sheet. Separately, the pending Blackstone acquisition (~$11.5B) is still before the NM Public Regulation Commission, with substantial public opposition. About 67% of Blackstone Infrastructure's assets are owned by foreign investors (including Saudi Arabia's PIF), which adds political complexity. The grade reflects TXNM's weak fundamentals; the equity raise is neutral-to-slightly-negative (dilution now, lower debt later), and the acquisition's outcome remains uncertain.

NNN — NNN REIT (Grade 48.3)

A 247 Wall St comparison of NNN vs. Agree Realty is illuminating: while both have similar ~70% AFFO payout ratios, Agree has meaningfully better tenant quality (two-thirds investment-grade vs. NNN's non-investment-grade heavy mix), lower leverage (3.7x vs. 5.7x net debt-to-EBITDA), higher occupancy (99.8% vs. 99.1%), and faster AFFO growth (7.4% vs. 5.9%). NNN's 37-year dividend streak is impressive, but the underlying risk profile is weaker than it appears on the surface. The grade captures this: NNN isn't broken, but it's not particularly well-positioned either.


Sources that couldn't be fully read: Most Yahoo Finance article bodies returned only SPA JavaScript shells without text content. SEC EDGAR 8-K filings for RJF and DECK returned 403 errors. Google News redirect links (for PRI's Truist downgrade, LOPE's trading-probe story, and several others) could not be followed to the original articles. Summaries for those items are based on headlines plus context from readable companion pieces — treat them as informed but not fully verified.

About MarketMind

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.

Built with free public data · refreshed every morning at 7:00 AM U.S. Central time.

Educational only — not financial advice. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Always do your own research.