Weekly Wrap: The Top Stock and Municipal-Bond Fund Picks, October U.S. Fund Flows, and More

Editor's note: Read the latest on how the coronavirus is rattling the markets and what investors can do to navigate it.

Editor's Picks What History Can Teach Us About the Post-COVID Economy How habits, fear, and sunk costs can reshape economic behavior. The Best Municipal-Bond Funds Here are the highest-rated mutual funds and ETFs across a series of Morningstar's municipal-bond fund categories. Our Ultimate Stock-Pickers' Top 10 High-Conviction Purchases Several funds see value in basic materials and industrials. Familiar Themes Dominate October U.S. Fund Flows Taxable-bond funds are still getting inflows; U.S. equity funds aren't. Tesla Finally Joins the S&P 500 Thereby making the index even more concentrated, high-growth, and volatile. New Ratings Reveal Who's Serious About Sustainability ESG Commitment Levels help investors find the right strategies and asset managers.

Portfolio Planning and Personal Finance With Christine Benz Retirees' Year-End Tax-Planning Guide: 2020 Edition Strategies to consider for lowering your tax bill and improving your portfolio's positioning. What Role Do Bonds Play in an Era of Ultralow Yields? Investors are right to be questioning bonds' role in their portfolios, but they still serve a useful purpose for many. What the Pandemic Means for Healthcare Spending and Saving How to approach open enrollment season with this in mind. 3 Ways to Deal with Fund Capital Gains Distributions Should you hold, sell, or split the difference?

Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds The Best Taxable-Bond Funds Here are the highest-rated mutual funds and ETFs across a series of Morningstar's taxable fixed-income categories. Morningstar's Guide to Fixed-Income Investing Tips, strategies, and picks for better bond investing. Making Sense of Convertible Bonds and Where to Find Them This niche corner of the bond market may be worth a look. These Funds' Yields Aren't Worth the Risks Morningstar's Alex Bryan spotlights two funds where the risks outweigh the rewards. New Ratings Reveal Who's Serious About Sustainability ESG Commitment Levels help investors find the right strategies and asset managers. Lagging Funds Get a Bounce Some funds' fortunes shift as value revives and momentum fades. We've Seen a Post-Election Small-Value Rally Before But this one could really end differently. 7 Questions to Ask Before Buying Any Multifactor Fund A closer look at the growing menu of multifactor strategies and a tool kit to sort through it. These Fund Managers Are True Believers Some managers went the extra distance and committed more than $1 million to their niche funds. Top Core International Funds for Rebalancers Where to look when your portfolio needs a shift.

Stocks Are Generics Back in Vogue? Stabilizing pricing and improved efficiencies should lead to steady gains and needed debt repayments for the generic drugmakers. Is Your Portfolio Too Heavy on Technology Stocks? There are good reasons behind the sector's growing dominance, but it warrants some caution. 2 Undervalued Stocks We Like Our analysts are excited about these names. Rocky Road for Roku? Despite tremendous subscriber growth, there may not be enough leverage in the current business model. Should You Beef Up Your Exposure to Meat Processors? Their shares have gotten hammered this year. Are they opportunities or value traps?

Stock Analyst Updates Airbnb's IPO Filing Highlights a Network Advantage Airbnb's liquidity profile appears to be strong enough that solvency is a very low risk. Berkshire's Net Purchase of Equities in Q3; Apple Tops Unlike most periods, there were a few surprises in wide-moat Berkshire Hathaway's third-quarter 13-F filing, with the firm actually taking positions in four different healthcare firms--AbbVie, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer. Amazon Pharmacy Causes Headline Risk for Walgreens We're maintaining Walgreens' narrow moat rating and $42 fair value estimate. Stay-at-Home Spending Continues to Benefit Home Depot We expect to modestly increase its $200 fair value estimate. Walmart's Sales Still Strong Amid Pandemic Its refocused international portfolio is a long-term benefit to the wide-moat company. Airbnb's IPO Filing Highlights a Network Advantage Airbnb's liquidity profile appears to be strong enough that solvency is a very low risk. Pfizer/BioNTech Report 95% Efficacy Rate for Vaccine After reporting strong final data, we expect emergency authorization of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine by early December. Boeing's 737 MAX Can Return to Service in the U.S. This is a critical step in our bullish thesis on Boeing, but it's only the first in a series of steps in the company's turnaround. Macy's Still Faces Uncertainty in Holiday Season Although the no-moat retailer performed better than expected in the third quarter, holiday concerns remain.

Rekenthaler Report Can Bond Funds Repel the Indexers? If so, the industry's leaders must perform better. Advisor Insights Advisors, These Hiring Biases Are Damaging Your Firm's Future Prepare for 2030's demographics.

The Long View Podcast Larry Swedroe: 'The Pool of Victims' Is Expanding The author and financial expert discusses factor investing, fixed income and retirement planning, as well as trends in ESG investing. Sustainability Matters Sustainability Matters: Biden Administration Will Improve Regulatory Climate for Sustainable Investing Climate risk disclosure and rollbacks of recent rules unfavorable to ESG investing are likely. What Is the Morningstar ESG Commitment Level? Our new rating highlights the degree to which a fund or asset manager considers environmental, social, and governance issues.

Commentary Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards Is Good for Investors We screened our coverage universe for standout companies with diverse boards of directors.

Most Requested Stock Quotes Apple Pfizer Alibaba Group Intel Tesla

Most Requested Fund Quotes Vanguard 500 Index Vanguard Dividend Growth T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth Dodge & Cox Income Fidelity 500 Index

Most Requested ETF Quotes ARK Innovation ETF Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF SPDR S&P 500 ETF Invesco QQQ Trust