Stocks are at all-time highs and have logged gains at mid-year that would be acceptable for a full year. But recent sentiment among investors has been held hostage by interest-rate obsession, with peaks for stocks on days when the data suggests a cut is needed and valleys on days when rates seem destined to stay high. Indeed, the one-month charts for the major indices are roller coaster in nature. According to Mark Arbeter, Argus' Chartered Market Technician, the AAII survey is showing 39% bulls and 32% bears, while the CNN Fear & Greed Index is at 45%. Both show a neutral attitude towards stocks. That's fuel for higher stock prices according to Mark, but we need a catalyst or two to get investors off the sidelines.

In this edition, checking in on the hotel REIT recovery; looking at Palo Alto's strengths and weaknesses; where generative AI can pay off for patient investors; and Fresenius SE, British American Tobacco, and Nio.

Nvidia is a leading developer of graphics processing units. Traditionally, GPUs were used to enhance the experience on computing platforms, most notably in gaming applications on PCs. GPU use cases have since emerged as important semiconductors used in artificial intelligence. Nvidia not only offers AI GPUs, but also a software platform, Cuda, used for AI model development and training. Nvidia is also expanding its data center networking solutions, helping to tie GPUs together to handle complex workloads.

In this edition, checking in on the hotel REIT recovery; looking at Palo Alto's strengths and weaknesses; where generative AI can pay off for patient investors; and Fresenius SE, British American Tobacco, and Nio.