Annaly Capital Management is a leading diversified capital manager. It is a publicly traded REIT that invests in and finances residential assets. The company has three different types of businesses: Agency, Mortgage Servicing Rights, and Residential Credit. The company's primary investment portfolio consists of agency MBS, managed on a leveraged basis. The company uses an actively managed portfolio and hedging strategies with the goal of preserving net asset value in different interest rate scenarios.

Shopping Report Some of the country's biggest retailers report this week and multiple Federal Reserve officials will take to the podium, including Chairman Powell. Last week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.4%, the S&P 500 rose 5.3%, and the Nasdaq was up 7.2%. For the year to date, the DJIA and the S&P 500 have turned positive, up 0.3% and 1.3%, respectively. The Nasdaq, down 0.5%, is close to moving into the green. Earnings season is winding down. The list of reports this week includes Palo Alto Networks on Tuesday; Target, TJX, Lowe's, and Zoom Communications on Wednesday; Intuit, Analog Devices, Williams-Sonoma, and Ralph Lauren on Thursday; and Nordstrom on Friday. Some 92% of S&P 500 companies have reported, and earnings for the quarter are up 14% from the prior-year quarter. That is far above the consensus call for EPS growth of about 3%-8% and follows 17% growth in 4Q24 EPS and 9% growth in 3Q24, according to LSEG. For 1Q, Healthcare is the leading sector, up 46%, and Energy is at the bottom, down 17%. For all of 2025, the Argus full-year earnings estimate is for low-double-digit growth from 2024. On the economic calendar, Existing Homes Sales are due out on Thursday and New Home Sales on Friday. As well, multiple Fed officials will speak publicly. The Economic Call of the Week from Argus' Chief Economist Chris Graja, CFA, is for growth in home prices to slow further. Prices of new and existing homes are reported along with home sales. On Thursday, the National Association of Realtors will report existing home sales for April. We expect sales of 4.1 million homes at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. On Friday, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will report new home sales for April. We expect sales of 650,000 homes at an annual rate. In March, the 'months supply' of existing homes rose to a still-healthy 4.0 months from 3.5 in February, though growth in existing home prices eased to 2.7% from 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. In the new home market, supply declined to 8.3 months in March from 8.9 in February, but prices slumped 2.9%. The Zillow Home Value Index for all homes rose 1.4% in April, compared with 2.6% in January, this as mortgage rates near 7% strain affordability. For other data, the Atlanta Fed GDPNow measure forecasts 2.4% for 2Q. This follows the surprise decline of 0.3% for 1Q GDP. The Argus 2025 GDP growth estimate has been lowered to 0.5% from 1.3%. The Cleveland Fed Inflation Nowcast forecasts a 2.4% rate for CPI in May, higher than the April rate. Mortgage rates inched higher last week, with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.81%, according to FreddieMac. Gas prices ticked down three cents to an average of $3.12 per gallon for regular gas. Looking ahead, the next Fed rate decision is on June 18, with odds at 9% for a rate cut, according to the CME FedWatch rate tool. The next meeting after that is on July 30, when odds jump to 33% for a cut.

The Vickers Top Insider Picks is a daily report that utilizes a proprietary algorithm to identify 25 companies with compelling insider purchase histories based on transactions over the past three months.

The Vickers Top Insider Picks is a daily report that utilizes a proprietary algorithm to identify 25 companies with compelling insider purchase histories based on transactions over the past three months.