Great businesses at fair prices — here's why each makes the list.
…and 298 more buy candidates in the full briefing.
38 name(s) sliding toward Avoid:
Value $98,061 ▼ -1.9% since 2026-07-16 · ▲ +$1,092 (+1.1%) since yesterday · S&P -1.9% · Cash $1,016
| Stock | Held | Price | Today | Since buy | Grade |
| DUOL | 77 sh | $122.24 | ▲ +1.3% | -5.2% | 90 |
| HIG | 73 sh | $140.53 | ▼ -1.2% | +2.8% | 89 |
| INTU | 33 sh | $296.33 | ▲ +5.3% | +0.5% | 88 |
| LOPE | 69 sh | $139.94 | ▲ +0.5% | -2.2% | 90 |
| META | 15 sh | $595.19 | ▼ -1.8% | -10.4% | 89 |
| NBIX | 58 sh | $175.77 | ▲ +0.9% | +2.5% | 89 |
| NEM | 110 sh | $93.19 | ▼ -1.6% | +2.6% | 84 |
| PRI | 31 sh | $314.59 | ▲ +2.1% | +0.6% | 92 |
| PTC | 78 sh | $118.52 | ▲ +4.8% | -6.9% | 89 |
| RMD | 49 sh | $195.27 | ▲ +1.8% | -3.7% | 89 |
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) | 44 | +13.0% | -1.1% |
| B (65-79) | 162 | +12.1% | -3.7% |
| C (50-64) | 89 | +15.3% | -0.2% |
| D-F (<50) | 24 | +41.0% | +27.2% |
→ higher grades did WORSE here (gap 28.0 pts) ⚠️
3 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 2026-07-19. Educational only — not financial advice.
Read by the scheduled agent from today's news packet. News is context alongside the grade — it never overrides it.
Q2 earnings beat across the board. Hartford reported Q2 EPS of $3.42 (vs $3.12 expected, +10% beat) on revenue of $5.23B (+6.8% YoY). The big driver was net investment income jumping 22% to $800M — higher returns from limited partnerships and growing invested assets. Personal insurance had a strong quarter with core earnings up 36% thanks to pricing increases outpacing loss costs. Small Business saw double-digit new business growth. On the downside, catastrophe losses hit $222M and Employee Benefits earnings fell 15%. The board also announced a $4.2B share buyback program and appointed a new director. AM Best affirmed the company's credit ratings with a stable outlook. Bottom line: genuinely strong quarter that supports the high grade — the financials pillar is earning its keep here.
Stock plunged ~10% this week on AI fears, but the data tells a more nuanced story. The selloff was driven by ongoing investor anxiety that generative AI could undermine the language-learning business model. Management acknowledged gross margins will fall to ~69% by year-end as AI-driven costs rise — they're investing heavily in AI rather than retreating from it, with a target of 100M daily active users by 2028. However, Apptopia data published this week showed that engagement among 17-25 year-olds actually hit its highest level since January 2025, and heavier AI chatbot users are spending more time on the platform, not less. This suggests the AI disruption fear may be overstated — at least for now. Earnings on August 5 will be the real test. The grade (90.3) and the stock drop disagree — the grade reflects strong underlying profitability and growth fundamentals, while the market is pricing in a structural AI threat. This is one to watch closely at earnings.
Seven straight down days, stock off ~11%, but no fundamental deterioration. The selloff is part of a broader Big Tech pullback — "earnings are crushing it, stocks are getting crushed" was the week's theme. Meta specifically got a small legal win: a US judge dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging WhatsApp's encryption failed to protect user data (plaintiffs can refile with stronger evidence). Nvidia, Microsoft, and others are pushing back on potential US AI model export restrictions, which matters for Meta's open-source AI strategy. Earnings are due next week and Wall Street consensus remains "Strong Buy." The grade reflects strong profitability, growth, and balance sheet fundamentals. The 11% decline is a market-wide tech de-rating, not a Meta-specific problem — which is exactly the kind of dip the valuation pillar was built to flag.
Volatile week — 5% gain one day, 6% slip another — but fundamentals stay solid. A Motley Fool/Yahoo feature highlighted PTC as one of "3 profitable stocks with competitive advantages," citing 84.7% gross margins, 38.7% operating margins, and billings averaging 21% growth over the past year. PTC's CEO Neil Barua was also appointed to Carrier Global's board. No company-specific bad news — the price swings look like broader software-sector rotation. PTC doesn't report earnings imminently, so no catalyst on the near horizon.
UBS maintains Buy but trims price target from $312 to $300 on a production issue. UBS expects strong fiscal Q4 results (8.6% sales growth, margin gains) and kept the Buy rating. The concern: ResMed issued a field safety notice on its Astral ventilators and has redirected all manufacturing to replacing affected units, which limits normal commercial sales. UBS trimmed FY27 EPS estimates ~1% for this and the MatrixCare divestiture. Free cash flow just hit a record $1.7B. Earnings due August 6. The grade reflects the strong underlying business; the ventilator issue is a near-term production hiccup, not a fundamental break.
Quiet week — no material company-specific news. Headlines were institutional position changes (First Trust increased, CalPERS sold some) and a Primerica-commissioned survey on middle-income household budgets showing rising costs reshaping spending. None of this changes the investment thesis. The high grade reflects Primerica's strong profitability, financial health, and consistent business model.
Earnings due July 30 — analysts expect a blowout. Consensus calls for $2.24 EPS (+111% YoY) on $894M revenue (+30% YoY). The company has beaten estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters and carries a positive earnings surprise prediction. Management announced new leadership hires: Samir Siddhanti as Chief Business Officer and promotions in market access. No negative catalysts. This is the most imminent earnings event in the buy list — worth paying attention next Wednesday.
Earnings also due July 30. Wall Street expects $1.19 EPS (+2.6% YoY) on $494M revenue (+16.3% YoY). Analyst estimates have been revised 4% higher over the past month, a positive signal. No material news beyond routine institutional filings. The grade reflects strong profitability and financial health in the asset management business.
Two significant headwinds this week. First, a securities class-action lawsuit was filed alleging Intuit made "materially false or misleading statements" about TurboTax performance and growth, tying in the company's 17% workforce reduction. The stock is down 55% YTD and 63% over the past year. Second, a Bristol Gate Capital analysis flagged generative AI as a threat to Intuit's "legacy software franchise," noting diminished earnings durability. On the positive side, Intuit launched a new QuickBooks Business Credit Card (2% cash back, no annual fee, integrated spend management) — a real product expansion into embedded finance. Multiple analysts still see value here (12-month target implies 53% upside). The grade-vs-market disagreement is stark — the 88.2 grade reflects current profitability and cash generation, but the market is pricing in structural disruption risk from AI and legal uncertainty. The lawsuit and AI concerns are real risks the grade doesn't fully capture.
Stock hit a 52-week low at $135.61 this week, but earnings may be imminent. Multiple sources flagged the new low, and a MarketBeat preview noted quarterly earnings are expected Thursday (July 24 or next). No negative fundamental catalyst drove the decline — this looks like momentum selling. The grade reflects strong profitability and financial health in the for-profit education space.
Q2 earnings preview is bleak. Analysts expect EPS of just $0.08 (down 33% YoY) on revenue of $1.79B (down 4.7%), reflecting ongoing weakness in timber and lumber markets. Analysts have been revising estimates down — the stock carries a bearish earnings surprise prediction of -13.5%. Separately, Raymond James reportedly remains bullish, but the consensus view is deteriorating. Grade and market agree here — this is a cyclically weak business in a tough housing/lumber environment.
Blackstone acquisition extended to May 2027 after a regulatory slap. New Mexico's Public Regulation Commission voted 2-1 that a $400M stock sale to Blackstone in 2025 was illegal (no PRC approval) and fined both companies $300K. TXNM took a $400M loan to unwind the transaction and both sides extended the $11.5B merger deadline through May 2027. They still need Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval. The board declared its regular quarterly dividend ($0.4225/share). This is a regulatory-risk story — the business itself is in a low-grade state and the acquisition that could unlock value keeps getting delayed.
Hit a 52-week low ($35.93), analyst downgrades pile on. Goldman Sachs downgraded to Neutral citing the "levered balance sheet." RBC Capital and Bank of America both cut price targets on higher interest costs from recent debt refinancing. Fair value estimates were trimmed to ~$54. The company rescheduled Q2 earnings from the original date to August 3 (conference call August 4) — reportedly due to CEO Marc Bitzer's bicycle accident. The company is closing a Mexico plant and partnering with GrowthLoop on direct-to-consumer strategy. Grade and market in agreement — high debt, weak demand, and margin pressure make this a name to avoid.
Mixed signals ahead of Q3 earnings on July 29. UBS expects 7% US same-store sales growth (above 6.2% consensus), driven by the "Back to Starbucks" turnaround strategy. But they maintain only a Neutral rating ($105 target) — the upside may already be priced in. Consensus EPS is $0.66 (+32% YoY), though the company has missed estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters. Revenue is expected roughly flat as China's shift to a licensing model creates an accounting headwind. Coffee bean prices are surging (Nestle flagged this too). Grade reflects weak profitability and financial health — the turnaround is real but still early. Earnings next Wednesday will be a key test of whether the "Back to Starbucks" momentum can sustain.
Sources that couldn't be read: Google News redirect links (news.google.com/rss/articles/...) consistently return only the Google News SPA shell rather than the underlying article — this is a known limitation. The Street's Starbucks turnaround article returned a 403 (access denied). All material conclusions above are drawn from articles that were successfully read in full.
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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