Uncertainty over President Trump's new tariff policies almost knocked stocks into a bear market a year ago. While growth stocks suffered the most, value stocks also declined. Even bond prices were lower amid the confusion. Stocks have since recovered and the bull market that began in 2022 remains intact. But inflation is still an issue and now the Federal Reserve's treasured and valuable independence may be in question. Is a correction in the offing, given the high level of stock prices? Taking into account all the variables, is it time for investors to cash in their chips? As the market fluctuates between bull and bear, we note that investors exit equities at their own peril. So what's a potential equity strategy for investors amid all the uncertainty? Argus believes that Min Vol is an all-weather strategy that is timely in any investing climate.

T-Mobile US is a facilities-based wireless telephone carrier. The company is the result of the merger of Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile U.S. wireless division with MetroPCS in 2013. T-Mobile acquired Sprint in 2020 and Mint Mobile in 2024. The company offers national wireless voice and data services to consumers and businesses in the U.S, and simple no-contract service plans. T-Mobile competes directly with the major national carriers, AT&T and Verizon. Both are larger, more integrated, and have more resources than T-Mobile. The big carriers can also offer bundles of services, including wireless, landlines, high-speed internet, and increasingly video, which customers may prefer to a stand-alone wireless service, though T-Mobile has begun to also offer its own fixed wireless broadband access and fiber-broadband services. Cable companies Comcast and Charter are contributing to increased industry competition by offering wireless phone services as mobile virtual network operators using the Verizon wireless network. The company's unlimited-service business model and low-cost operating structure are oriented to appeal to price-sensitive consumers. Some might call this the lower-tier or 'subprime' end of the market - the same consumers who would be hit hardest by a weak economy. The company has focused on growing its fixed wireless subscribers to 12 million. Revenues in 2024 totaled $66.2 billion, of which 79% were for postpaid customers and 16% were prepaid. Shares are included in the S&P 500 and the company's market cap is just under $236 billion.

Insider-sentiment data from Vickers Stock Research is bullish when the sell/buy ratios are at 2.00 or lower. None of Vickers' short-term (one-week) or long-term (eight-week) ratios currently clear that bar, with all of the major readings in a range between 3.37 and 5.03. That said, the ratios are starting to present a more-unified front, and one that is certainly improved from the very cautious sentiment seen in from mid-October through November. Back in the dark sentiment days of November, the ratios were in a range that went from a low of 6.30 to a high of 27.25, all in a single week. So to have the ratios clustered within 1.66 points of each other and below 5.03 is arguably much better. But the sentiment readings are still a good distance from bullish, and this during a seasonal period when stocks are expected to push higher. While insider selling outpaced insider buying across all sectors over the past week, buying activity was the strongest in the Consumer Discretionary sector, where shares valued at $35 million were bought versus $104 million sold. Meanwhile, selling activity was the strongest in Information Technology, where insiders sold shares valued at $285 million during the week while buying just $15 million. Selling was also of note in Healthcare, where insiders sold shares valued at $219 million while buying just $13 million, as well as in Industrials, where insiders sold shares valued at $151 million while buying shares valued at $5 million. This week, analysts at Vickers highlighted insider transactions of interest at Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO) and Navitas Semiconductor Corp. (NGM: NVTS).

Sustainable Impact Investing is gaining traction not only with Argus Research clients but also with the global investment community. As assets have flowed in over the past 40 years, Sustainable Investing has evolved. The discipline, originally known as Socially Responsible Investing, first focused on excluding companies that conducted business in South Africa, or participated in industries such as tobacco, alcohol, and firearms. In time, the list of industries to avoid increased to include soft drinks, fast food, and oil and gas, among numerous others. Performance of initial strategies lagged, and the approach has been modified. Now, instead of merely identifying industries to avoid, the discipline promotes "sustainable" business practices across all industries that can have an "impact" on global issues such as climate, hunger, poverty, disease, shelter, and workers' rights. Given the strategy's focus on leading management practices, we expect the growth curve for Sustainable Investing to again slope upward in the years ahead.