Weekly Wrap: Rising Inflation, Tobacco Stock, and Reproductive Rights

We recap the week on Morningstar.com and note the most popular stocks, funds, and exchange-traded funds.

May 13, 2022

Editor's Picks

When Momentum Fails The momentum factor has been a pretty unstoppable force, but nothing lasts forever.

As Court Threatens to Nix Roe v. Wade, Companies Face Shareholder Votes on Reproductive Rights For Lowe's, Walmart, and TJ Maxx, abortion access is critical to attracting employees, some investors say.

The 10 Best Small-Cap Stocks to Buy Today These small companies have carved out economic moats, and their stocks are undervalued.

Finally, Some Hopeful Signs on Inflation CPI is still running hot, but evidence grows that the peak has passed.

Is It Time to Recession-Proof Your Investment Portfolio? Here's what investors who are worried about a recession should consider today.

Cryptocurrency Is Failing Its Investment Test Why own an umbrella that does not block the rain?

Portfolio Planning and Personal Finance With Christine Benz

How Much Will Your RMDs Be? New tables for RMD calculations will result in slightly lower withdrawals for most accountholders.

When's the Right Time to Take RMDs? Where you go for required minimum distributions will usually have a bigger impact than when you go.

Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds

Risk-Management Concerns Ding These Two Equity Strategies Highlights of the downgrades, upgrades, and strategies new to coverage.

What New Management May Mean for Vanguard Wellesley Income The lead equity manager is retiring. Here's what we expect from his replacement.

3 Exceptional Core ETFs These stock and bond exchange-traded funds are low-cost building blocks for any portfolio.

Hello Risk Our Old Friend You've come to meet with us again.

These 4 Fund Managers Are Rising Stars See what sets these fund managers apart.

Volatility Sparks Investor Exit From Stock Funds Record monthly outflows hit stock funds in April, but overall investors are staying put for now.

Systematic Trend Funds Buck the Trend in April Technology funds tanked and most other fund categories lost money in April.

Stocks

Is Twitter a Buy Below Elon Musk's Offer Price? There's an opportunity to profit on an expected closing of the deal, but it's a risky trade.

3 of the Best REITs for Dividend Stock Investors With solid dividends and growth potential, these real estate investment trusts are good investments.

3 Excellent Dividend Stock Funds These funds are for investors seeking high yields or dividend growth from stocks.

Which of the Largest Stocks Are Undervalued? After the market's decline, five of the biggest names are now undervalued.

Verizon Stock Offers a High Dividend Yield at a Good Price Morningstar's analyst expects the company to deliver consistent results over time—and the stock is undervalued, too.

11 Newly Undervalued Wide-Moat Stocks High-quality stocks, including Amazon, BlackRock, and Comcast, are now trading at steep discounts.

Rekenthaler Report

Should You Direct Index? Although the service is now widely available, it is not for most.

Advisor Insights

Leaving Retirement Benefits in Trust for Minor Children These are the options available for parents who want to leave an IRA in trust for the benefit of a minor child.

Hate the Sin, Love the Stock: Investors' ESG Exclusions Leave Opportunities Undervalued shares include AB InBev, Boston Beer, Imperial Brands, and Roblox. 'We Cannot Divest' From Systemic Risks, Says Pioneering Sustainable Investor Six questions for Geeta Aiyer, founder and president of Boston Common Asset Management.

The Long View Podcast

Brian Feroldi: Why Does the Stock Market Go Up? The author and stock analyst discusses explaining investment principles to newbies, whether beginning investors should hold individual stocks, and his enthusiasm for spreading financial wellness.

Commentary

Is the Next Bond Bear Market Cycle About to Begin? Jim Grant, a leading expert on the bond markets, shares his predictions for 2022.

Private Equity, Anyone? The industry lays the groundwork to bring private investments to the masses.

The Four Horsemen of Investing Corral these risks to improve the odds of investor success.

Apple Stock Versus Microsoft Stock: Which Is the Better Buy Now? Both companies are juggernauts in the technology sector, but only one of these stocks is attractive today.

What's in Store for the Future of Cryptocurrency? Cryptocurrencies are prone to a gold-rush mentality, but there's reason to believe in more durable growth of the asset.