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.
On today’s hyped up hydrogen episode of Quick Charge, we look at some of the fuel’s recent failures and billion dollar bungles as the fuel cell crowd continues to lose the credibility race against a rapidly evolving battery electric market.
We’re taking a look at some of the recent hydrogen failures of 2025 – including nine-figure product cancellations in the US and Korea, a series of simultaneous bus failures in Poland, and European executives, experts, and economists calling for EU governments to ditch hydrogen and focus on the deployment of a more widespread electric trucking infrastructure.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.
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Believe it or not, you can lease an EV for under $200 a month. New deals on models like the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 are hard to pass up this month.
Electric vehicles have been all over the news lately, with the Trump administration threatening to end federal incentives and introducing new tariffs that are expected to lead to higher prices.
On the positive side, new EV models are arriving, giving buyers more options and driving prices down. Many automakers reported record US electric car sales in the first three months of 2024.
GM remained the number two seller of EVs behind Tesla after sales doubled in Q1 2025. With the new Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs rolling out, Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is off to its best sales start since launching, with over 11,600 models sold in the first quarter.
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With the 2025 models rolling out and about 15 new EVs arriving this year, many automakers are introducing steep discounts to move vehicles off the lot.
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Limited (Source: Hyundai)
EVs for lease for under $200 a month in April
Although the decade-old Nissan LEAF remains one of the most affordable this April at just $149 per month, there are a few EVs under $200 right now that are worth taking a look at.
The new 2025 Hyundai IONIQ might be the best EV deal this month, with leases as low as $199. Hyundai is currently promoting a 24-month lease deal with $3,999 due at signing.
Hyundai’s new 2025 IONIQ 5 Limited with a Tesla NACS port (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai upgraded the electric SUV with a bigger battery for more range (now up to 318 miles), a sleek new look inside and out, and it now comes with an NACS port so you can charge it at Tesla Superchargers.
The offer is for the IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range, which has a driving range of up to 245 miles. For just $229 a month, you can snag the SE RWD model, which has a range of up to 318 miles and a more powerful (225 horsepower) electric motor. It’s also a 24-month lease with $3,999 due at signing.
To sweeten the deal, Hyundai is offering a free ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 EV charger with the purchase or lease of any 2024 or 2025 IONIQ 5. If you already have one, you can opt for a $400 public charging credit.
After slashing lease prices this month, the 2025 Nissan Ariya is actually cheaper than the LEAF in some regions. In Southern California, the 2025 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD is listed at just $129 per month. The AWD model has a range of up to 272 miles.
The deal is for 36 months, with $4,409 due at signing. In April, Nissan cut Ariya lease prices to around $239 in most other parts of the country.
Kia has a few EVs available to lease for under $200 a month in April. The 2025 Kia Niro EV Wind is listed at just $129 for 24 months, with $3,999 due at signing. Kia’s crossover SUV has EPA-estimated range of 253 miles.
2024 Kia EV6 (Source: Kia)
The 2024 EV6 may be worth considering at just $179 for 24 months ($3,999 due at signing). In California, the EV6 Light Long Range RWD is only slightly more than the Niro Wind.
In most other parts of the country, you can still find the EV6 for under $200 a month. The Light Long Range RWD trim offers up to 310 miles of EPA-estimated range.
Lease Price
Term (months)
Amount Due at Signing
Driving Range
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range
$199
24
$3,999
245 miles
2024 Kia EV6 Light Long Rang RWD
$179
24
$3,999
310 miles
2024 Kia Niro EV Wind
$129
24
$3,999
253 miles
2025 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD
$129
36
$4,409
272 miles
2025 Nissan LEAF S FWD
$149
36
$2,629
149 miles
2024 Fiat 500 INSPI(RED)
$199
24
$2,999
149 miles
EVs for lease for under $200 a month in April 2025
And don’t forget the 2024 Fiat 500e, which is now listed at just $199 for 24 months with $2,999 due at signing. The electric hatchback offers a range of up to 149 miles.
Ready to snag the savings while they are still here? At under $200 a month, some of these EV lease deals are hard to pass up right now. Check out our links below to find deals in your area.
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Project Nexus, the first solar panel canopies over irrigation canals in the US, is now online in California, and there are plans to expand the project to other areas.
Project Nexus is a $20 million pilot in central California’s Turlock Irrigation District launched in October 2022. The project team is exploring solar over canal design, deployment, and co-benefits using canal infrastructure and the electrical grid.
India already has solar panels over canals, but Project Nexus is the first of its kind in the US.
The Turlock Irrigation District was the first irrigation district formed in California in 1887. It provides irrigation water to 4,700 growers who farm around 150,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley.
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Project Nexus will explore whether the solar panels reduce water evaporation as a result of midday shade and wind mitigation, create improvements to water quality through reduced vegetative growth, reduce canal maintenance as a result of reduced vegetative growth, and, of course, generate renewable electricity.
The California Department of Water Resources, utility company Turlock Irrigation District, Marin County, California-based water and energy project developer Solar AquaGrid, and The University of California, Merced, are partnering on the pilot. Project Nexus originated from a 2021 research project led by UC Merced alumna and project scientist Brandi McKuin.
Solar panels were installed at two sites over both wide- and narrow-span sections of Turlock Irrigation District canals in Stanislaus County, in various orientations. The sections range from 20 feet wide to 100 feet wide. University of California, Merced has positioned research equipment at both sites to collect baseline data so the researchers can decide where solar will work and where it won’t.
In February 2023, Project Nexus announced it would also deploy long-term iron flow battery storage in the form of two ESS 75kW turnkey “Energy Warehouse” batteries.
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, 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 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 started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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