Great businesses at fair prices — here's why each makes the list.
…and 375 more buy candidates in the full briefing.
43 name(s) sliding toward Avoid:
Value $103,029 ▲ +3.0% since 2026-07-16 · ▼ -$1,968 (-1.9%) since yesterday · S&P +0.1% · Cash $3,897
| Stock | Held | Price | Today | Since buy | Grade |
| CF | 83 sh | $131.99 | ▼ -2.6% | +1.8% | 89 |
| EOG | 78 sh | $144.93 | ▼ -5.7% | +7.6% | 86 |
| FHI | 156 sh | $56.69 | ▼ -2.7% | -5.5% | 93 |
| HIG | 73 sh | $134.94 | ▼ -0.8% | -1.3% | 90 |
| INTU | 33 sh | $318.13 | ▼ -3.4% | +7.9% | 87 |
| LOPE | 69 sh | $153.87 | ▲ +0.3% | +7.5% | 89 |
| LULU | 85 sh | $95.98 | ▼ -2.4% | -19.3% | 87 |
| NBIX | 58 sh | $149.50 | ▼ -0.3% | -12.9% | 89 |
| PRI | 31 sh | $291.91 | ▼ -0.4% | -6.7% | 93 |
| RMD | 49 sh | $228.25 | ▼ -0.5% | +12.6% | 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 318 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) | 44 | +13.0% | -0.3% |
| B (65-79) | 160 | +11.8% | -3.6% |
| C (50-64) | 90 | +12.7% | -1.6% |
| D-F (<50) | 24 | +41.0% | +27.2% |
→ higher grades did WORSE here (gap 28.0 pts) ⚠️
42 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 2026-09-13. Educational only — not financial advice.
Agent-read digest of today's gathered news for the focused names.
News is context only — it never overrides the grade.
Routine institutional filings this week — CEO disclosed a 5,475-share gift (not a sale),
and CalSTRS trimmed its stake slightly. A StockStory post-Q2 piece notes the stock has
climbed ~15% over six months, tracking the S&P 500. A Seeking Alpha article highlights
investment product growth supporting a more positive outlook. **No material catalyst or
warning** — business continues to hum quietly, which is what you want from a top-grade
Core pick.
A Zacks article highlights FHI as a "great dividend stock" (2.4% yield, low beta 0.63).
One of its municipal bond funds published month-end portfolio data — standard disclosure,
not a red flag. Institutional moves are mixed (Virginia Retirement bought, Archford sold)
and small. No material catalyst. The business is steady; the grade reflects that.
Mizuho downgraded HIG to "Neutral" from a prior buy-equivalent (headline from
MarketBeat). The downgrade is notable — Mizuho is a respected sell-side shop — but HIG's
grade of 90.3 is driven by fundamentals (P/E 9, FCF yield 14.9%, EPS growth 36% YoY),
not analyst sentiment. A single downgrade does not change the balance sheet or earnings
power. Worth monitoring whether this reflects broader insurance pricing concerns, but
the grade and the downgrade currently disagree — the grade says strong, the analyst says
pause. Keep an eye on it, but one call doesn't override the numbers.
Only institutional position shuffles this week (CalSTRS increased, Amundi and Engineers
Gate added shares). No operational news, no earnings, no regulatory headlines. **Quiet
is good** for a debt-light education company with 20% net margins.
Shares fell 4.6% recently, and a corporate affairs officer sold $130k in stock (routine
— a performance grant vested for the regulatory chief the same week, which is normal
comp activity, not a red flag on its own). A DirectorsTalk analysis sees 35% potential
upside. The stock dip appears sentiment-driven rather than fundamental — revenue growth
remains 40% YoY, and no pipeline setback has been reported. **The grade (89.4) and the
short-term price weakness disagree; the fundamentals still look strong.**
CF has rallied 24% in three months, driven by strong nitrogen demand, firm fertilizer
prices, and tightening global supply. A Seeking Alpha piece argues CF has a structural
cost moat vs European rivals (cheap US natural gas = lower input costs). However,
KeyBanc initiated coverage with an Underweight rating, citing supply concerns —
specifically that new global capacity could pressure prices. The bull case (tight supply +
cost advantage) and the bear case (incoming capacity) are both plausible; the grade's
89.1 reflects current strong fundamentals. Worth watching nitrogen price trends.
Raymond James announced key executive leadership appointments, including a transition
for Bank Segment President Steve Raney. The company also added a retirement plan option
for small business owners — a small but positive business-development move. Bank of
America disclosed a 2.4M-share position. No red flags. The business is diversified
(wealth management + banking + capital markets) and the grade reflects solid profitability
and growth.
Big context week for DECK. The stock hit a 52-week low (~$79), dropped 4.6% heading
into Wednesday, and fell on "mixed guidance and governance votes" per ad-hoc-news. An
SEC 8-K was filed Sept 14 (couldn't read — SEC returned 403). Meanwhile, Nike was
booted from the S&P 100 after losing ~80% of its value — and DECK's HOKA brand is a
direct beneficiary, posting 5.7% revenue growth with 56.5% gross margins vs Nike's 40%.
Q2 earnings were described as outperforming the footwear sector. **The 52-week low and
the strong underlying brand momentum create a tension the grade (88.6) leans toward
resolving positively — but the guidance "mixed" label and the governance votes need
watching.** The SEC filing couldn't be read; be honest about that gap.
KNSL gained on a day the market dipped — a resilience signal. An AI-in-insurance article
(about competitor Skyward Specialty) discussed softening insurance markets, which would
be a headwind for specialty insurers like Kinsale. CalSTRS made a large 8.3M-share
purchase. No direct Kinsale catalyst, but the insurance-market-softening theme is
worth tracking — if commercial insurance pricing turns down, growth could slow.
The most news-heavy name this week — and almost all of it is negative.
- Second guidance cut of 2026: Full-year EPS slashed to $9.48-$9.73, down from
$13.26 prior year. Revenue declined ~5% ex-currency in Q2, with Q3 projected at
10-11% declines. Management blamed negative social media commentary hurting store
traffic, weak product launches, and a "sharp decline in the core leggings category."
- Tariff-inflated Q2 earnings: $0.86/share of Q2 EPS came from one-time tariff
refunds that won't repeat — underlying results were much weaker than the headline.
- Leadership reset: New CEO Heidi O'Neill (ex-Nike) has taken over, along with
board changes.
- Securities investigation notice: Levi & Korsinsky filed an investigation notice
(often ambulance-chasing, but still headline noise).
- Michael Burry buying: The "Big Short" investor made LULU his largest position
under $100, calling it "the trickster" — a classic contrarian bet on a hated name.
- Founder Chip Wilson divorcing: No prenup, $930M at stake — could force selling
of his ~10% stake, adding share-supply pressure.
- Sector-wide pain: Nike (-10%), On Holding (-14%), retail ETF XRT (-6%) in the
same period. Not just a LULU problem.
The grade (87.3) and the news sharply disagree. The grade is built on historical
margins, returns on equity, and balance sheet strength — which are still good on paper.
But two guidance cuts, declining store traffic, and brand-perception damage are real-time
signals the grade can't yet see (it updates as new financials flow through). Motley Fool
calls it a "value trap." This is a name where the news genuinely matters — proceed with
extra caution despite the high grade, and revisit after the next quarterly print.
Despite the low grade (driven by expensive valuation and high leverage), the growth story
is real: data centers are on track for $1B+ revenue this year, with 325 megawatts
planned in 18-24 months. Digital solutions grew 20% last quarter to $600M+ annual run
rate. A Saudi AI lending deal could be a game-changer. The company partnered with Opera
Paris to digitize cultural heritage (nice PR, not a catalyst). **IRM is a case where
the business is genuinely transforming but the grade rightly flags the stretched valuation
and debt load.** If data-center execution stumbles, the leverage is dangerous.
Whirlpool has suspended its dividend and the stock hit a new 12-month low. EPS was
negative in both Q1 (-$0.56) and Q2 (-$0.21). Free cash flow consumed ~$1.1B in Q2
alone. Net debt is $5.8B with $350M annual interest expense. The stock is down 61% in a
year and 79% over five years. Management is betting on price hikes and balance sheet fixes,
but in a weak consumer environment, raising prices on appliances is risky. **The grade
(45.8) and the news agree — this is a company in serious trouble.** The dividend
suspension confirms it.
The Blackstone takeover saga continues. TXNM and Blackstone doubled their proposed
ratepayer credits to $300M in an enhanced benefits package filed with the NM Public
Regulation Commission. The New Mexico DOJ previously raised questions about the deal.
This is a merger-arb story — the outcome depends on regulatory approval, not fundamentals.
The grade is low because the underlying utility's financials are mediocre. **If the deal
closes, shareholders get paid. If it doesn't, you own a below-average utility.** The
doubled credit package suggests Blackstone is trying harder to win approval, which is
mildly positive for deal odds.
Ormat hit a new 52-week low (~$91). Institutional activity is mixed (CalSTRS bought,
Tidal trimmed). A Seeking Alpha piece argues existing geothermal assets can drive
growth. Analysts give a consensus "Moderate Buy." **The grade is low primarily on
valuation and growth metrics for a geothermal energy company facing headwinds from
higher interest rates (capital-intensive business).** No acute crisis, but the stock
continues drifting lower.
Shares fell 3.6%, but Zacks upgraded NNN to a Buy citing improved earnings prospects.
Articles highlight its long-term lease structure producing reliable dividend income.
The grade is low mainly because of REIT-typical leverage and modest growth, not a
business crisis. For a net-lease REIT, steady and boring is the point. The upgrade is a
mild positive signal.
- SEC 8-K filings for DECK and LULU returned 403 (access denied). The DECK 8-K (Sept 14)
may relate to the governance votes and mixed guidance; the LULU 8-K (Sept 8) likely
covers the Q2 earnings and guidance cut reported elsewhere.
- Google News redirect links (most google-sourced articles) lead to Google's SPA shell and
can't be read directly — a known limitation. I used the direct Yahoo/Fool/247WallSt/
MarketBeat URLs where available.
- Santa Fe New Mexican and ABQ Journal articles on the TXNM-Blackstone deal returned 429
(rate-limited). The deal details were pieced from Yahoo's press release summary.
- TheStreet's LULU earnings article returned 403 (likely paywalled).
*This is research assistance, not financial advice. News is presented alongside the grade,
not as an override. The user makes all decisions.*
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.