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.

Dick's Sporting Goods Inc., headquartered near Pittsburgh, is a full-line sporting goods retailer. The company offers a broad selection of brand name and exclusive-brand sporting goods equipment, apparel and footwear. At the end of FY24, the company operated 724 Dick's stores, and 131 other locations, which include Golf Galaxy stores, as well, Public Lands, and Going Gone! warehouse stores. Dick's stores average 50,000 square feet, and total square footage was approximately 42.7 million at the end of FY24. The company maintains e-commerce sites for Dick's, Field & Stream, and Golf Galaxy. Total FY24 sales were $13 billion, with about 33% from apparel, 26% from footwear, and 38% from hard lines such as sporting goods, fitness, and golf equipment. E-commerce represents approximately 20% of sales. The company's own brands represent approximately 13% of sales. The company's fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to the last day in January. The current fiscal 2025 ends on February 1, 2025. It is a 52-week fiscal year.

Stocks are struggling to find direction at midday after the major indices hit record highs again yesterday. We still have a few big economic reports coming in this week - GDP tomorrow and favored-inflation indicator PCE on Friday. Wall Street is keeping an eye on this data to get a sense of the health of the U.S. economy. Investors cheered the super-sized rate cut by the Fed last week but they are looking for assurance that the economy is holding up.

Dick’s Sporting Goods retails athletic apparel, footwear, and equipment for sports. Dick’s operates digital platforms, about 725 stores under its namesake brand (including outlet stores and House of Sport), and about 130 specialty stores under the Golf Galaxy and Public Lands nameplates. Dick’s carries private-label merchandise and national brands such as Nike, The North Face, Under Armour, Callaway Golf, and TaylorMade. Based in the Pittsburgh area, Dick’s was founded in 1948 by the father of current executive chairman and controlling shareholder Edward Stack.