The markets are in a full-blown retreat after remarks made by Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell. The Fed chair took a hawkish stance that all but ensures that interest rate hikes will continue past September. That was enough to squelch a rally that started when the PCI index showed a slight decline earlier in the day. Next week will close with the August Jobs Report that will be another data point for the Fed to consider before its next meeting in September. Volatile markets can be unsettling. That’s why you can count on the MarketBeat team of analysts to help you make informed investment decisions. Here are some of the most popular articles from this week.

Articles by Jea Yu

Timing the market is an imperfect science. Predicting the bottom of a bear market is even more daunting. However, as part of our explainer series, Jea Yu explains (with supporting graphics) the three stages of every bear market. Yu was also looking at Fisker (NYSE:FSR), the EV maker which is slated to begin production in November. Reaching this milestone along with the benefit that EV makers look to receive from the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act may resurrect interest in a company known as the “Tesla killer.” And with football season getting ready to start, Yu took a look at Penn Entertainment (NASDAQ:PENN) which recently took 100% ownership of the Barstool Sports app. As Yu explains, the company’s emergence into digital sports betting may be a catalyst for growth.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

One strategy for investors to follow in this bear market is to look for best-in-class companies. They exist in every sector. That’s the case that Thomas Hughes makes for Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). As Hughes notes, the semiconductor market is bifurcated but Nvidia remains well-positioned in the sectors that are likely to show the highest growth. Speaking of bifurcated, that’s the impression that Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) is creating in the retail market. While it’s too early to tell if this is a long-term trend, at least in the last quarter, the retailers results show that the retailer’s high-end consumers continue to spend. And energy stocks continue to attract investor capital. With that in mind, Hughes was analyzing a trio of oil services companies with strong outlooks for the remainder of the year and beyond.

Articles by Sam Quirke

While Hughes was looking at the high-end of the retail sector, Sam Quirke was looking at the discount end. Specifically, Quirke was looking at the recent results from Dollar General (NYSE:DG) and gave investors three reasons why the stock may still have room to run. Quirke was also looking at shares of Foot Locker (NYSE:FL). The stock gapped up recently on news of a change at the top. And as Quirke points out, this may support the cautious optimism that analysts are giving to the stock.  

Articles by Chris Markoch

Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) is trading below its direct listing level. As Chris Markoch notes, Palantir is a polarizing stock. By itself, that doesn’t mean the stock is not a buy, but as Markoch notes it’s time for the company to show investors what it really offers. Keeping his eye on speculative stocks, Markoch was outlining the case for two penny stocks: Ocugen (NASDAQ:OCGN ) and Amarin (NASDAQ:AMRN) and explaining why the potential risk and reward associated with each. For value-oriented investors, Markoch was looking at three industrial stocks that look offer value that can get investors through a recession.  

Articles by Parth Pala

The second quarter earnings season is just ending, but it’s not too early to look ahead to the next earnings season. That’s exactly what Parth Pala was doing in taking a look at what investors might expect from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) as the company prepares to release the next version of the iPhone (iPhone 14) later this year. Pala was also looking at the outlook for Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) which is trading down after earnings. However, strong growth in customer relationship management (CRM) is likely to be a catalyst for the company’s future growth. Pala was also looking at the strong earnings report delivered by Snowflake (NYSE:SNOW) which is proving that the company’s business model is standing up well in the growing data warehousing industry.

Articles by Kate Stalter

With the electric vehicle industry expected to grow substantially in the next few years, now is the time to look at the companies that will be suppliers for this growing sector. That’s exactly what Kate Stalter was doing when she highlighted the stocks of two EV suppliers who recently raised their outlook. Stalter was also looking at payroll stocks as a sector that is likely to show strong growth in 2023 as companies look for ways to efficiently handle the HR needs of a remote/hybrid workforce. Stalter was also looking at the outlook for two fintech stocks that are making different cases for investors.