Small- and mid-cap stocks (SMID), despite bursts of outperformance, have underperformed large-caps year to date - as they have over the past five years. But they may be in a better position to generate market-beating returns going forward. SMID companies tend to focus on domestic markets, so their businesses could be less disrupted by the fallout from unrest in the Middle East, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, issues in China, or other geopolitical developments. As well, the prices of SMID stocks generally are lower than the prices of large-caps. SMID stocks can be risky, but despite those risks, diversified investors look to have exposure to small- and mid-caps based on the long-term performance record. We estimate that 20% of the U.S. stock market's capitalization is comprised of SMID stocks.

The third quarter of 2024 has been rewarding for equity investors, as the S&P 500 increased another 5% and has gained almost 20% year to date. Surprise, surprise, though, as value was the segment leader in the quarter. The S&P 500 Value Index advanced approximately 7% in the period, while the S&P 500 Growth Index edged only 3% higher. Leading sectors included Real Estate, Utilities, Financial, Healthcare and Industrials, while lagging sectors for the past three months included Information Technology and Energy. The average stock in the Argus Universe of Coverage rose almost 8% during the quarter, while the median stock increased 9%. The average BUY-rated stock rose 8.3%, while the average HOLD-rated stock gained 6.7%. Here are the top-10 and bottom-five performers from the Argus Universe in 3Q24.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

CAVA Group, Inc., founded in 2006, owns and operates a chain of Mediterranean restaurants. The company has 8,100 employees.