Despite a downbeat month for stocks and mounting macroeconomic uncertainty, several Club names outperformed the market in October — and landed in the green. While the S & P 500 had its third consecutive down month — weighed down in part by soaring yields on government bonds and a mixed start to third-quarter earnings season — we held our conviction on certain names and put cash to work as our discipline mandates. Indeed, we made four small buys last week amid an oversold market. Meanwhile, the benchmark index slumped in October, down 2.2% month-to-date. Around 38% of companies listed on the index were outperformers, with just over 29% of listed companies in positive territory for the month of October. The S & P closed up 0.67% Tuesday. Meanwhile, 19 of the Club’s 34 holdings — roughly 55% of the portfolio — outperformed the index for the month. And a total of 15 stocks beat the S & P 500 while ending the month in positive territory — the top 10 of which we unpack here. FL YTD mountain Foot Locker (FL) year-to-date performance Shares of Foot Locker (FL) surged 21% month-to-date, bolstered by peer Nike (NKE) releasing strong quarterly earnings results on Sept. 28. The sneaker giant, which touted improving inventory levels, beat on profit and gross margins, sending its stock soaring. Still, we’re hesitant to chase Foot Locker’s rally. That’s because of Nike’s ongoing reset of its relationship with Foot Locker, as it focuses on expanding its direct-to-consumer business while de-emphasizing wholesale channels. Foot Locker reports quarterly results on Nov. 17. HUM YTD mountain Humana (HUM) year-to-date performance Humana (HUM) shot up 7.6% month-to-date. The health insurance company has been catching up since June when shares experienced a 11% single-day drop on concerns about prolonged higher utilization rates. These woes failed to materialize after a brutal selloff, prompting a slight rebound for the firm in October. On Oct. 6, the Club sold 15 shares of Humana as a result, booking small profits after waiting out the stock’s slump. The company reports third-quarter results on Wednesday. Shares of Humana, which are up 2.2% year-to-date, edged 1% higher Tuesday, to close at $524 apiece. MSFT YTD mountain Microsoft (MSFT) year-to-date performance Microsoft (MSFT), whose shares are up 7.1% month-to-date, has been on a tear since its fiscal first-quarter earnings release on Oct. 24. The Big Tech name recorded revenue beats across the board. Investors, however, cheered a surprise acceleration in revenue at Microsoft’s cloud computing business, Azure, showing that the software giant’s massive bet on artificial intelligence has been paying off. The Club believes Azure will be a key long-term growth driver for Microsoft as the world continues to shift to cloud computing. The software giant’s stock, up 41% since the start of 2023, ticked nearly 1% higher Tuesday, to close at $337.60 per share. AMZN YTD mountain Amazon (AMZN) year-to-date performance Shares of Amazon (AMZN) climbed 4.7% throughout October on the company’s better-than-expected third-quarter results . The ecommerce giant beat analysts’ estimates for earnings, boosted by improving profitability in its retail business, but fell short on concerns over the performance of the Amazon Web Services cloud unit. Once worries over AWS were dismissed by CEO Andy Jassy on the post-earnings conference call, shares pushed higher. Amazon, which jumped 58% year-to-date, traded slightly higher Tuesday, to close at $133 apiece. PANW YTD mountain Palo Alto Networks (PANW) year-to-date performance Shares of Palo Alto Networks (PANW) rose 3.7% month-to-date. The stock has been lifted by strength in the cybersecurity sector, an industry thought to be a haven for investors amid macroeconomic uncertainty. Enterprises need protection regardless of the state of the economy. Palo Alto surged 1.7% during Tuesday trading at $242.7 apiece. The company is up 74% year-to-date. LLY YTD mountain Eli Lilly (LLY) year-to-date performance Eli Lilly (LLY) is up 3.1% month-to-date after a weak September performance. Still, there’s a lot of anticipation around Lilly’s GLP-1 drug Mounjaro , which should prove to be an ongoing tailwind for the pharmaceuticals firm. Eli Lilly reports third-quarter results on Thursday. The stock declined 2% during Tuesday, to close at $554 a share. Still, shares are up 54% year-to-date. PG YTD mountain Procter & Gamble (PG) year-to-date performance Procter & Gamble (PG) edged 2.9% higher in October. Shares of the company got a boost from fiscal first-quarter results that topped analysts’ expectations for earnings and revenue. P & G, down 1% year-to-date, edged slightly higher on Tuesday, to close at $150 a share. LIN YTD mountain Linde (LIN) year-to-date performance Shares of Linde (LIN) rebounded on the company’s stellar quarterly earnings release last week. The industrial gas giant reported double-digit earnings growth and solid operating-margin expansion, along wit an upbeat profit outlook. The stock, up 2.6% in October, has surged 17.2% year-to-date. Shares of Linde gained 0.87% Tuesday, to close at $382.16 each. SWK YTD mountain Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) performance year-to-date Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) increased 1.8% in October on better-than-expected earnings . On Oct. 27, the tool manufacturer’s quarter showed continued progress on its cost savings plans and inventory-reduction programs. The Club reiterated a 1 rating on Stanley Black & Decker on Tuesday. The stock, up 13.2% year to date, edged nearly 1% higher Tuesday, to close at roughly $85 a share. CTRA YTD mountain Coterra (CTRA) year-to-date performance Coterra Energy (CTRA) notched gains of 1.7% in October. The company has received a boost from continued strength in natural gas, along with crude oil gains on the back of the escalating conflict in the Middle East following Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attack on Israel earlier this month. While there is no major oil production in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, analysts have said a broader conflict in the Middle East could create risks for oil supplies. Shares of the company were steady during Tuesday trading, closing at $27.46 apiece. Coterra stock has risen 11.9% since the start of 2023. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long FL, HUM, SWK, MSFT, LLY, CTRA, PANW, PG, AMZN, LIN . See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 26, 2023.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
Despite a downbeat month for stocks and mounting macroeconomic uncertainty, several Club names outperformed the market in October — and landed in the green.
One thing I love about this Plug-in Hybrid is that it has a relatively huge battery and could be ridden fully electric, outside of road trips. The two 45-52kWh battery options provide somewhere between 220 and 280 km of range using China’s optimistic calculator. That’s 137 – 174 miles of EV range before the gas motor kicks in and about six times the average daily commute.
Zeekr, Lynk & Co’s sister company, has an even bigger battery, but gawdier PHEV with a 380km/236 mile range before the gas kicks in. At this point, we are really talking about an EV with a range extender.
As with many Chinese luxury vehicles, the second row seats really stood out. They are as comfortable as a laz-y-boy and offer to electronically spin around 360 degrees to make the 2nd and 3rd row a conference area. I nearly fell asleep in them a few times. OK I did but that’s because of jet lag or something. I can’t get over how futuristic the back of this car is.
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Lynk & Co 900 is 524 cm long, 199 cm wide, 181 cm high and has a wheelbase of 316 cm and uses the SPA Evo modular architecture.
The drive is smooth and quick and never once did that petroleum engine kick in.
The 900 comes with standard roof-mounted LiDAR, with higher-priced variants powered by Nvidia’s Thor smart driving chip enabling door-to-door navigation with G-Pilot H7.
Its sleek body isn’t just for looks as it hits the wind tunnel with an impressive drag coefficient of 0.291 Cd. It also boasts a top tier 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds.
Lynk & Co is making waves with its upcoming 900 model, which has already received over 40,000 pre-orders ahead of its official launch on April 28. Built on the SPA Evo architecture, the six-seater combines class-leading 88.2% space efficiency with innovative 180-degree rotating second-row seats, targeting premium family buyers seeking versatile cabin configurations. The intelligent cockpit features front and rear 30-inch 6K displays driven by dual Qualcomm 8295 chips, delivering 60 TOPS computing power for eight-screen coordination via the LYNK Flyme Auto system. Powering the SUV is a 2.0T plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain with 3-speed DHT Pro transmission and dual rear motors, generating 650kW total output to achieve 0-100km/h acceleration in 4.3 seconds – positioning the 900 as one of the fastest electrified SUVs in its segment.
It turns out that there are other similar vehicles from other Chinese makers including the Li L9, Denza N9 and Aito M9.
Electrek’s take:
The Lynk & Co 900 is the Chinese EV market in a nutshell: 90% of the car at half the price of its western rivals. Compare to a Range Rover, Rivian R1S, the upcoming Scout, Hyundai Ioniq 7 or a Kia EV9 and it is hard to imagine how well these would sell in the US and Europe.
Something else I love to see is a huge battery PHEV with enough range for reasonable daily tasks before the gas engine kicks in. Scout has a similar idea so we might get to try something similar in the US.
Even in China Lynk&co has noted it had 40,000 pre-orders before launch, so I think this is going to be a popular vehicle. I don’t think, even with the bananas current trade climate, this one will show up in the US. Europe on the other hand might want to keep an eye out however.
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If you’ve been holding off on going solar, now might be the time to revisit that quote. According to EnergySage’s new Solar & Storage Marketplace Report, prices for both home solar and solar + storage reached record lows in the second half of 2024.
EnergySage, an online solar shopping marketplace (and Electrek affiliate) analyzed millions of quotes from installers across the US in its 20th semiannual report. The data covers January through December 2024 and offers a detailed look at what homeowners pay for solar panels, batteries, inverters, and more.
Home solar and battery storage price quotes hit record lows
The median price for solar-only systems dropped to $2.65 per watt in the second half of 2024, down from $2.80 per watt earlier in the year. That’s the lowest price EnergySage has recorded.
Battery-backed systems saw an even bigger price drop: home solar + storage quotes fell from $2.59 per watt in H1 2024 to $2.40 per watt in H2 2024. Tesla’s Powerwall 3 is playing a big role in the storage price drop. The new version includes an integrated inverter, which shifts some of the cost from the solar quote (measured in $/W) to the storage quote (measured in $/kWh).
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These falling prices were driven by a mix of factors. Equipment costs have dropped – Wood Mackenzie reports that residential solar panel prices were down 30% year-over-year. High interest rates and stable electricity prices have softened demand, pushing installers to offer more competitive pricing. And in California, changes to the state’s Net Billing Tariff have also pressured installers to drop prices.
“Heading into 2025, solar and battery prices had never been lower on the EnergySage Marketplace, and for homeowners, that means more affordable and accessible clean energy solutions,” said Emily Walker, director of content and insights at EnergySage. “This creates a compelling record-low benchmark to measure against as we begin to see the effects of shifting policies and tariffs take hold this year.”
Say hello to high-wattage solar panels
Home solar panels are getting more powerful, faster. In H2 2023, 81% of quotes included panels rated under 400 watts. By H2 2024, that number had dropped to just 14%. The shift is thanks to advances in panel efficiency and design: Either the panels themselves are getting bigger, or they’re packing more power into the same space.
High-wattage panels can reduce the number of panels needed per home, saving space and installation time. But there’s a wild card in 2025: tariffs. Bloomberg reported in April that the US had a stockpile of 40-50 gigawatts of solar panels at the end of 2024, which may buffer the US solar industry from big price hikes. However, that could slow down innovation and complicate the supply chain.
“As panel technologies improve, more homeowners are being offered higher-output systems – meaning fewer panels, more power, and a better return on investment,” said Walker. “We’re closely watching how inventory strategies and upcoming tariffs may shape this trend.”
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check outEnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get startedhere. –trusted affiliate link*
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Rivian (RIVN) is already preparing for changes under the Trump administration. In anticipation of Trump’s new auto tariffs, Rivian built a reserve of EV batteries from Asia as a countermeasure.
Rivian has a plan to overcome Trump’s tariffs
At this point, nearly every major automaker has acknowledged the damaging impact of tariffs on vehicle imports in the US.
GM, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Volvo all withdrew their financial guidance due to the uncertainty. Rivian wasted no time preparing for the changes.
According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, Rivian has been stockpiling lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells from Gotion High-Tech since last year. The battery cells are used in Rivian’s Commercial Van, initially used by Rivian and now open to other businesses.
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Sources familiar with the matter said Rivian covered the upfront costs to stockpile inventory for later use. China’s Gotion paid for and built a separate reserve in the US.
The sources also said that Rivian is working with Samsung SDI to move a significant portion of its battery supply from Korea to the US. Battery cells from Samsung are used in Rivian’s R1S electric SUV and R1T pickup. All three vehicles are built at Rivian’s manufacturing plant in Normal, IL.
Rivian R1T (right) and R1S (left) Source: Rivan
The move is to ensure Rivian has enough supply while minimizing potential higher prices and other complications from the tariffs.
As it prepares to launch its smaller, more affordable R2, sources said Rivian is looking to secure similar deals for batteries and raw materials in the future. Rivian has reportedly already signed its first agreement, but no other details were offered.
Rivian’s next-gen R2, R3, and R3X (Source: Rivian)
The upcoming R2 will use cells from LG Energy Solution. Although they will initially come from Korea, LG will produce the next-gen batteries in Arizona.
Electrek’s Take
Although Trump eased some of the impacts on imported vehicles on Wednesday, many tariffs remain in place and are already causing havoc in the industry.
Almost every major automaker has withdrawn earnings guidance due to the expected impacts. Like Rivian, others are taking countermeasures, including boosting US inventory in preparation. However, how long can this last?
Trump claims that the “Golden Age of America” is here, but it looks to be the complete opposite. The tariffs will only put the US further behind as China and others emerge as global leaders in tech.
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