Sunday Edition: Market Trades One Uncertainty for Another — and Biotech Corner

 

Market Talk

Market Trades One Uncertainty for Another

Well folks, last week was quite a week on Wall Street.

The day after the November 3 blue wave election sweep, the stock market celebrated with a strong relief rally. But it didn't last long. The very next day, Thursday, November 5, Wall Street suffered a major selloff, with the S&P 500 experiencing its worst one-day decline since the April 2025 tariff turmoil.

And the numbers tell the story.

Wednesday, November 4 — The Relief Rally

• Dow Jones: UP 1,569 points (+3.0%)

• S&P 500: UP 1.6%

• Nasdaq: UP 1.4%

Thursday, November 5 — The Selloff

• Dow Jones: DOWN 1,833 points (-3.4%)

• S&P 500: DOWN 4.4%

• Nasdaq: DOWN 5.5%

In just one trading session, the market wiped out Wednesday's relief rally and then some. The Nasdaq suffered its worst daily decline in 19 months, entering correction territory.

By Friday, November 6, the market seemed to take a breather and return to something resembling normal trading. The Nasdaq recovered 1.1%, the S&P 500 gained 0.3%, while the Dow slipped another 0.5%.

But the tide remained out for many stocks in the aftermath, particularly those associated with artificial intelligence, semiconductors and the massive AI data-center buildout.

So what happened?

It appears Wall Street traded one uncertainty for another.

With the election behind us, investors initially welcomed the prospect of greater political clarity. But that optimism quickly gave way to new concerns about tighter regulation of AI, growing opposition to data-center expansion and whether the enormous amounts of money being poured into AI infrastructure can continue to support lofty stock valuations.

The election uncertainty may be behind us, but the uncertainty of the AI boom is another matter entirely. (But- The AI cat is out of the bag - and our adversaries likely won't slow it). Other uncertainties of war and peace along with social program spending, immigration policy, and tax and spend policies that may become prevalent as inexperienced legislators mistake TDS for a mandate to create ploicies that are against the U.S, constitution. It is doubfful here that Americans want to make the U.S, look like a socialized France that is now undergoing strife and turmoil from failed and "progressive" policy.

Let's Talk Strategy

So, picking up somewhere where we left off last week, let's talk strategy.

The last Jones Report listed some stocks we watch here, each with their own individual dynamics.

Now, we've already highlighted much of what makes these companies stand out, each with its own unique flair for potential outperformance.

But getting there, and the things that happen along the way, are what the market prices in on a daily basis.

Stocks can be as good as the belief in them, as good as their current performance, and as bad as the sentiment of the day.

And that sentiment can shift from darling to dog in a fickle world.

Fundamentals of earnings and growth, along with investor returns, still matter to traditional investors. But there are too many buts to mention here.

And now the political side of things has become even more uncertain.

There are many areas where politics overlaps business. AI data-center growth and regulation in the U.S. is just one example. Even the perception of a changing political tone is having a big negative effect on the technology sector lately.

Stock Talk

When market volatility like last week comes then resides, it's hard to know if the calm is brief like being in the eye of a hurricane.

In short, stocks require watching now if trading. Here, I'm using smaller "test positions" in some stocks.

One thing to notice is the semiconductor tech sector, for example, has herky-jerkily descended, down big one day, bouncing the next but not as much.

It's been like going three steps down a staircase and back up one.

This brings up suspicion of big money putting the shorts on.

When conflating conditions come, a smaller position to preserve buying power can preserve your cash arsenal of trading ammunition — that's dry powder.

One strategy here lately is by having small test positions, it "seems to" help awareness without losing so much skin that human emotion takes over the thinking. I posted the other day, about that. The goal became preserving the better gains of last year when opportunity is clearer.

Now some watch stocks have fallen to interesting levels. That doesn't necessarily mean they are all in full tilt buy situations.

Maybe some, or none till the weather clears.

The following is a list of a few stocks of interest to the Jones Report with recent changing dynamics. There will be more to report on, but these companies have been posted here before and can be found by scrolling through these freely given reports.  If interested in any — remember the tenets here - maybe some, not too much, maybe start with small test positions even one or two shares or 100 shares if a speculative penny stock with big ideas.

Gold and Silver Miners:  KGC, HL and CDE

Consumer stocks (w/dividend):   KMB , CLX,  MO

Semiconductors:   NVTS,  GFS,  LRCX,  KLAC (one or two shares?)

Defense:  VVX ... and back on the watch list — KTOS

Speculative Biotech: XERS, CMPS, HELP, INO, ONCY

Anthropic IPO Play - maybe some SKM

Biotech Corner Notes:

The Biotech sector of healthcare can be an interesting one to follow regardless of the market volatility.  There, individual companies can fly or fail based on their own achievements on bringing new drugs, new treatments to meet the ever-growing needs of human ailment.

As a few notes there was one biopharma that captured interest on the worse day of the market this year. The company XERS was added to the Jones watch list.

Xeris Biopharma Holdings, Inc. (XERS)

XERS management guided higher with somewhat astounding projection of over $1 billion in total annual revenue by 2030, with Recorlev potentially approaching $1 billion itself.

The XERS FDA approved drug to treat Cushing Syndrome. Even as the market cascaded lower, XERS surged a few points higher and it has sustained momentum.  Such demand, if and as it plays out - could be a game changer for XERS stock.

Then we watched Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO) as accelerated FDA approval was granted of a new DNA based approach to treat HPV related nodules and tumors in the respiratory tract.  Clinical Data shows that significant relief was gained thereby reducing the need for costly surgery. There is an existing shot based on an adapted adenovirus approach that will compete, and both are expensive. Then last week, INO abruptly announced an offering that dilutes shares and at least temporarily quelling the levels. Well, INO needs the cash dearly to take the DNA approach to market.  And the market and perhaps institutions or even bigger Pharma that wants a head start on DNA technology will step up.  For now, the market put INO back under $2 a share.

All the listed biotechs in the Jones list are interesting, with possible catalysts approaching.

Often, stocks under $3 are called "penny stocks". One thing about the Jones report- sometimes we stay aware and open to the possibility and speculation on huge opportunity in stocks under $3 as we saw in the Quantum tech sector last year. However, the other side of the opportunity coin can be peril if not aware of the risk of "too much".  "If and When" speculating - NOT too much - keep it fun and manage expectations along the way.

Long term gain is the notion even when short term pain persists in the market.  

Stay Watchful.

- Jones Report

This site is just for fun and insight, with no sponsors and no affiliations. If you like this free Jones Report, tell a friend. Why not?

________

If interested - scroll back and view notes on other stocks, we watch here at the Jones report.  Why not? With the caveat that things change and we try to stay aware - It's all FREE to read and make your own calls and decisions.  Finally - maintain some dry powder and trade or invest according to your own due diligence.

______________

More later so ....Stay tuned, if you dare!

For now, we close by noting that any view on the market and stocks on any particular day may change in the days to come. That is why we watch and see how our views match up with reality.  Looking ahead a few months may be a way to do things - but thinking too deeply about world events and the recent alliances forming, can make projecting ahead a dicey endeavor. 

All in all - we use the word maybe "some", not "too much" and play it accordingly.  Never get arrogant in our notions because things do change - and individual stocks are subject to many factors outside our control. So, we try to -stay aware.

With all the above caveats and attempted prognostications, I will close this post. Stay tuned for more opining on the market and stocks to watch.

___________

ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more.  This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.

Market Talk — A Relief Rally, But What's Next? The Jones Way FOR NOW (**updated list 11/06)

 

Market Talk

The day after the midterm election presents an interesting day for market and stock watchers. Ancient Chinese curse: May All YOUR Days Be "Interesting". Regardless, today is a relief rally that some uncertainty has been removed. ahhh - but what's next?

As far as politics it's likely to mean daily back-and-forth retributions on TV.  Will that replace productive policies to advance America? Will a proper balance prevail between fiscal restraint and the need to keep America's defense strong against our adversaries and enemies? The possibility of gridlock for the next two years seems to increase.  Many say gridlock is a good thing because it stops morons in government from doing bad things.

The Democrats swept the midterms in a blue tsunami based primarily, it seems, on Trump Derision Syndrome (TDS). The bullshit con artists who are coming in may be worse than the ones going out. That's how this "Independent" views the election cycle — it's usually a choice between the lesser of two evils.

Those from the DSA party gained a foothold at the possible expense of the traditional U.S. Constitution, which has held up for 250 years through thick and thin. It will be up to moderates in both parties to constrain the radicals.

People seem to have lost their thinking minds, unable to separate future policy from their personal dislike of Trump's style. Granted, President Trump was NOT a help in making himself "likable" to many Americans. It actually made him more unpopular.

One thing that really didn't help was his more favorable tone toward Putin and less favorable tone toward Zelensky. WE Americans may think even more highly of Zelensky, and we certainly do NOT like Putin for what he is attempting — taking over Ukraine. And then what's NEXT, Putin? Forget it!

All in all? It looks like more jackasses are asserting themselves these days. NO wonder the people just wanted a change.

Regardless of personal views and party, the general market is responding positively today, except for some sectors involving tech and the typical AI trade. There is also rising concern about the repercussions of AI data-center growth in local communities across America. Meanwhile, some tech, like Apple and Microsoft are bouncing higher. 

If readers have followed the recent posts here, you may not be surprised by my following statement:

I don't give a RAT's ASS what "the market" does.

And why so, Mr. Jones? some readers may ponder ...

Because I have more dry powder than stocks, ready to deploy into companies where I've done enough due diligence (DD) to maintain conviction through the rough patches — adding or subtracting from positions as conditions evolve.

If you follow what is being put down here — read on, friends.

Stock Talk

To save time, the following is a new list of a few stocks of interest to the Jones Report with recent changing dynamics. There will be more to report on, but these companies have been posted here before and can be found by scrolling through these freely given reports.  If interested in any — remember the tenets here - maybe some, not too much, maybe start with small test positions even one or two shares or 100 shares if a speculative penny stock with big ideas.

**Update note 11/06 - Biopharma XERS and defense KTOS added to the watch list on developments and earnings progress.

Gold and Silver Miners:  KGC, HL and CDE

*Consumer stocks (w/dividend):   KMB , CLX,  MO

Semiconductors:   NVTS,  GFS,  LRCX,  KLAC (one or two shares?)

Defense:  VVX ... and back on the watch list — KTOS

**Speculative Biotech: XERS, CMPS, HELP, INO, ONCY

Anthropic IPO Play - maybe some SKM

There are many stocks that the Jones report follows. The above is not an exhaustive list.  The above are watch stocks, not necessarily a buy list.  Regardless of whatever stock you like, either here or elsewhere, perhaps trading with just a few shares to see what comes next - with less pressure on being always right in the near term — is the notion here.

Long term gain is the notion even when short term pain persists in the market.

Stay Watchful.

- Jones Report

This site is just for fun and insight, with no sponsors and no affiliations. If you like this free Jones Report, tell a friend. Why not?

________

If interested - scroll back and view notes on other stocks, we watch here at the Jones report.  Why not? With the caveat that things change and we try to stay aware - It's all FREE to read and make your own calls and decisions.  Finally - maintain some dry powder and trade or invest according to your own due diligence.

______________

More later so ....Stay tuned, if you dare!

For now, we close by noting that any view on the market and stocks on any particular day may change in the days to come. That is why we watch and see how our views match up with reality.  Looking ahead a few months may be a way to do things - but thinking too deeply about world events and the recent alliances forming, can make projecting ahead a dicey endeavor. 

All in all - we use the word maybe "some", not "too much" and play it accordingly.  Never get arrogant in our notions because things do change - and individual stocks are subject to many factors outside our control. So, we try to -stay aware.

With all the above caveats and attempted prognostications, I will close this post. Stay tuned for more opining on the market and stocks to watch.

___________

ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more.  This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.

Things Just Changed with New Treatments and FDA Approvals - watching INO and also ... ONCY

 

Breaking News

People are suddenly noticing-something interesting is happening in the biotech sector, and it deserves a closer look.

On October 30, the FDA granted accelerated approval to Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO) for VOCERYQ, a new DNA-based immunotherapy treating recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare and serious disease that causes recurring growths in the respiratory tract.

What makes this approval particularly interesting is the relatively small clinical study supporting it.

The study enrolled just 32 patients, with 26 included in the primary efficacy evaluation. Of those 26 patients, seven (27%) achieved a complete response, requiring no additional surgery during the 12 months following treatment.

Think about that.

The FDA granted accelerated approval based on encouraging results from a relatively small study, recognizing the medical needs of patients suffering from a serious disease. A confirmatory study will follow.

Now consider Oncolytics Biotech (ONCY).

ONCY is developing Pelareorep (Pela), an investigational immunotherapy being combined with chemotherapy and bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody, to treat patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

These aren't patients with early-stage cancer. They're patients whose cancer has progressed following initial treatment and who face limited treatment options.

ONCY has already received FDA Fast Track designation for its Pela combination in this patient population.

More importantly, the company has reported FDA feedback supporting a potential accelerated approval pathway based on objective response rates, provided future clinical evidence supports that approach.

Its ongoing randomized REO-033 study is designed to determine whether the encouraging results from the earlier REO-022 trial can be confirmed.

Initial clinical results are anticipated by the end of 2026.

Now here's where things get interesting.

INO just demonstrated that accelerated FDA approval can be achieved with a relatively small clinical study when the evidence supports meaningful treatment benefits for patients with serious unmet medical needs.

ONCY is pursuing a different disease and a different clinical endpoint, but there's an important parallel.

Both are developing innovative immunotherapies for patients with serious diseases who need better treatment options NOW.

INO has already demonstrated a path to FDA approval. ONCY has received FDA feedback supporting a potential accelerated approval pathway, but still needs convincing randomized clinical results.

Hmmmm???? —could ONCY's Pelareorep be approaching a similar opportunity for patients fighting ADVANCED CANCER?

The upcoming REO-033 results should help answer that question.

Now, As Far As Stocks?

Look at INO. The stock closed below $1 on Friday. Following the FDA approval announcement, it surged above $2, with some analysts now setting price targets around $5.

All that excitement in just ONE trading day!

Now look at ONCY, still trading under a buck, with skeptics and shorts banging their tables, impatient for clinical results.

The contrast is striking.

INO's FDA approval changed investor expectations almost overnight. Could positive randomized CRC results eventually produce a similar reassessment of ONCY?

It's a speculative possibility, not a guarantee.

But let's not lose sight of what's really important.

Pelareorep is being developed for patients fighting ADVANCED CANCER, people who NEED some help NOW.

The FDA's accelerated approval pathway exists precisely because certain patients facing serious diseases shouldn't have to wait years for potentially beneficial treatments when credible clinical evidence supports earlier access.

INO has just demonstrated that principle in action.

ONCY still has to deliver the clinical evidence, but the regulatory pathway is already part of the discussion.

In Closing

New immunotherapies and accelerated FDA approval pathways are creating opportunities for patients with serious unmet medical needs, and potentially for investors willing to accept the risks.

INO has just shown how quickly the investment landscape can change following an FDA approval.

Now I'll be watching ONCY's upcoming CRC results with considerable interest.

As this story unfolds, the clinical data and evidence ONCY brings forward will pave the way for what comes next.

Stay Watchful.

- Jones Report

This site is just for fun and insight, with no sponsors and no affiliations. If you like this free Jones Report, tell a friend. Why not?

________

If interested - scroll back and view notes on other stocks, we watch here at the Jones report.  Why not? With the caveat that things change and we try to stay aware - It's all FREE to read and make your own calls and decisions.  Finally - maintain some dry powder and trade or invest according to your own due diligence.

______________

More later so ....Stay tuned, if you dare!

For now, we close by noting that any view on the market and stocks on any particular day may change in the days to come. That is why we watch and see how our views match up with reality.  Looking ahead a few months may be a way to do things - but thinking too deeply about world events and the recent alliances forming, can make projecting ahead a dicey endeavor. 

All in all - we use the word maybe "some", not "too much" and play it accordingly.  Never get arrogant in our notions because things do change - and individual stocks are subject to many factors outside our control. So, we try to -stay aware.

With all the above caveats and attempted prognostications, I will close this post. Stay tuned for more opining on the market and stocks to watch.

___________

ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more.  This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.

More Market Talk — With an AI Tale from the Grassroots

 

Market  Talk

Trading Through the Fog

Well folks, in recent Jones Reports, I've tried to convey a more cautious approach to investing and trading based on market signals.

As a small investor and trader, I recognize that signals can be clouded by fog. But certain flags have appeared, suggesting that 2026, so far, has NOT been the same bullish trading environment we enjoyed in 2025.

We've seen modest climbs followed by sharp selloffs and endless sector rotations. One week the tech bulls are charging. The next week it's concerns about excessive AI spending, followed by rotation into the supposed "safety" of consumer stocks or energy stocks that can be just as fickle.

Even solid corporate earnings can't protect investors. Look at Lam Research, which reported strong earnings, only to undermine investor confidence with talk of "supply chain constraints," helping send an entire semiconductor sector lower.

For small investors holding too much of stocks being whipsawed, this can produce a serious case of agida!

And sometimes it feels like there's outright manipulation going on, with big money managers and hedge funds, or "hedgies," piling on short sales to exacerbate downside volatility.

Whether that's actually happening or not, these are the kinds of conditions that call for watchful caution.

Look, let me put it plainly.

2025 was a great year to trade and invest. But for many investors, 2026 has been a LOUSY trading climate — so far — even with major indexes bouncing around their highs!

That's why Jones continues to favor small "test positions" in selected stocks while keeping plenty of dry powder.

Now, in the coming days, the midterm elections will be completed. That's one uncertainty that will be checked off. What follows remains to be seen.

Perhaps the unstoppable growth of AI will erase recent doubts and bring the bulls charging back. The anticipated Anthropic IPO, for example, could reignite bullish enthusiasm for AI-related stocks and perhaps even help turn market sentiment around.

And those same hedgies who were shorting stocks could suddenly reverse course, screaming "Buy, buy, buy!"

And the game goes on. Until the next earnings warning, geopolitical crisis, expanding war, or another round of profit taking sends investors scrambling again.

Sometimes markets just can't be predicted.

If you made good money in 2025 and managed to hold onto it through this year's market fog, that's an accomplishment in itself.

Jones writes these reports freely, drawing on years of experience in science, engineering, and investing, with the hope of sharing useful observations with fellow small investors and traders. And if stopping by here helped you exercise a little caution, perhaps these reports have served their purpose.

Don't get me wrong. Jones still has a longer-term conviction in some stocks on his watch list. Scroll down through recent reports and you'll see them. But buying too much, or even holding too much through a downturn, is no damn fun!

That's why I favor keeping more dry powder, perhaps a small test position here or a few "fun bucks" in a speculative stock with big possibilities, always mindful of the risks of having too much on the table.

Even when we have conviction in our own due diligence, there's no room for arrogance. Too much remains beyond our control when it comes to stocks.

Having conviction, yet staying nimble when called for, is part of the dance we do.

Now, speaking of AI, here's a true story about Jones's recent experience with artificial intelligence.

Yikes!

---

Artificial Intelligence — When “Smart” Machines Meet Human Judgment

Well folks, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming part of everyday life, from financial research and medical information to engineering, national defense, and just about anything imaginable.

And Jones has been experimenting with it.

The results? Sometimes remarkable, sometimes downright impressive, and occasionally downright wrong.

Consider a simple experiment involving lawn grass.

Jones asked AI to recommend a fine-bladed zoysia variety for an attractive, low-maintenance lawn. AI confidently recommended a particular cultivar, and Jones purchased and planted 128 plugs.

But the grass looked considerably coarser than expected. After weeks of examining photographs and offering conflicting opinions, AI finally acknowledged that its recommended cultivar was actually classified as coarse-textured, not fine-bladed.

Oops!

Now Jones is left waiting until next summer to watch the grass spread and determine whether he wants to dig it all out.

One might dismiss this as a trivial mistake involving lawn grass. But consider the larger implications.

What happens when the subject isn't grass, but a stock investment, a medical diagnosis, an engineering problem, or a decision involving human lives?

When the Stakes Become Serious

Consider AI in military and national defense applications.

AI can analyze enormous amounts of intelligence, radar data, and satellite imagery at extraordinary speeds.

But suppose it misinterprets incomplete information, identifies a harmless aircraft as hostile, or mistakes routine military movements for preparations for an attack.

A commander relying on that assessment could authorize military action based on faulty assumptions.

The consequences could involve the loss of human lives or even trigger a wider war.

And here's the troubling part. The AI system might be functioning exactly as designed,yet reach the wrong conclusion because its information or underlying assumptions were flawed.

Of course, humans make mistakes too. But human oversight must mean more than approving whatever the computer recommends.

In Closing

Jones is not suggesting that AI should be avoided. And it's way too late for that anyway.

Its potential to advance science, medicine, engineering, and productivity is extraordinary.

But there's an important distinction between using AI to assist human thinking and allowing AI to replace it.

And consider what can happen when human emotion enters the picture, turning faulty AI conclusions—or information constrained by flawed initial assumptions—into bad decisions.

The danger isn't just artificial intelligence getting something wrong. It's human beings acting on those conclusions with fear, anger, or misplaced confidence.

Stay Watchful.

- Jones Report

This site is just for fun and insight, with no sponsors and no affiliations. If you like this free Jones Report, tell a friend. Why not?

________

If interested - scroll back and view notes on other stocks, we watch here at the Jones report.  Why not? With the caveat that things change and we try to stay aware - It's all FREE to read and make your own calls and decisions.  Finally - maintain some dry powder and trade or invest according to your own due diligence.

______________

More later so ....Stay tuned, if you dare!

For now, we close by noting that any view on the market and stocks on any particular day may change in the days to come. That is why we watch and see how our views match up with reality.  Looking ahead a few months may be a way to do things - but thinking too deeply about world events and the recent alliances forming, can make projecting ahead a dicey endeavor. 

All in all - we use the word maybe "some", not "too much" and play it accordingly.  Never get arrogant in our notions because things do change - and individual stocks are subject to many factors outside our control. So, we try to -stay aware.

With all the above caveats and attempted prognostications, I will close this post. Stay tuned for more opining on the market and stocks to watch.

___________

ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more.  This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.

Managing Market Silly Season: Where Conviction Is Challenged (updated 10/29 *)

 

Market  Talk

Market Silly Season

Well folks, I nearly skipped this update, with markets already rattled by midterm politics, wars, and rising energy costs.

Add to that the never-ending news cycle and financial pundits offering this strategy and that, often contradicting one another.

Sector rotations between energy, technology, consumables, and financials can cause one sector to drop precipitously while another jumps higher like a rabbit.

We've seen this in the multiweek selloff in chip stocks, while consumable stocks offering higher dividends attracted investors seeking refuge from risk in the comfort of dividends.

However, in these fickle times, when people seem to have no firm conviction in anything but self-preservation, nothing appears totally "safe."

Even gold and silver are hardly safe from near-term trading volatility. And the miners? They seem to be little more than pawns in the hands of fancy-pants money managers in New York City.

Without attempting some grand explanation for all of the above, I'll just call the effect "Market Silly Season."

And when it comes to my money, I'm not getting too silly.

I'm holding more dry powder while maintaining some small "test positions" in stocks I believe are worth watching.

Why? Because certain stocks have characteristics that could allow them to stand out, and even outperform the broader market, if they perform as they appear to be "set up" to do.

That said, I'll follow my instincts with a "not too much, if any" approach to stocks that keep meandering within a trading range, with little market conviction behind them just yet.

It's also up to these companies to answer market doubts by actually performing. And when they do, they need to provide clear guidance that doesn't spook investors into suddenly pulling the rug out from under their stocks. Good earnings alone aren't enough if management then undermines investor confidence with ambiguous or vague guidance.

After all, stocks worth watching don't necessarily require buying shares. Some aren't ready for that just yet. Others might merit buying just ONE share as a small test position in a Market Silly Season where conviction is hard to find in much of anything.

Here at the Jones Report, I've presented no personal illusions that this market can be trusted not to suddenly fall into corrective territories.  That is exactly why we say maybe 'some' and 'not too much,' and even just one share at a time, over time — if any.

With that preamble behind us, let's venture into the choppy waters beneath the ever-changing skies of Stock Talk...

Stock Talk

Let's start with an example. Take Lam Research (LRCX).

Lam reported strong earnings, but management then raised concerns about "supply chain constraints" without clearly explaining what those constraints were or their potential impact. The stock took a hit, dragging much of the semiconductor sector with it.

Good earnings followed by vague corporate doublespeak. Not exactly a confidence builder in an already nervous market.

And that's the problem with this market. Investor conviction is so fragile that even strong earnings can't protect a stock when uncertainty creeps into the conversation. Traders seem to be looking for reasons to sell rather than reasons to stay.

I first highlighted Lam and its excellent prospects here at the Jones Report when it was trading in the $60s.  Now it's just a small "test position" of ONE or two trading shares to keep the "feel" of the trading action.

After last week? Dang, glad it was just a test.

So watching stocks, perhaps holding a few small test positions while keeping more dry powder, is one way to survive Market Silly Season. Especially if mounting economic pressures and world conflicts add up to a more serious market correction.

Ultimately, it's up to you, as traders and investors, to study the possibilities and choose your own course.

For the Jones Report, I'll continue watching a list of prospects that I believe have the potential to outperform over time.

The following is not a comprehensive Jones Watchlist, but here are some of the more recent stocks mentioned with a hint of the sentiment.

• SKM — Holding some shares. Watching a potential catalyst associated with a future Anthropic IPO.

• GFS — Semiconductor plants in the US and global presence. The "chips of everything."

• NVTS — California-based power semiconductor designer collaborating with NVIDIA on data-center power efficiency and advancing electrical grid technology.

• LRCX — Watching.  Perhaps a small test position.

• KLAC — Watching. Perhaps a small test position.

• KMB — Consumer staples company offering a dividend.

• MO — Consumer staples/tobacco company with a good dividend and growing smoke-free products.

• VVX — * Reported here before.  VVX maintains several military aircraft (with so far, some quite impressive eps reports) in the U.S. and abroad - also positioned in developing rapid prototypes of defense systems for the free world.  shhhh - this company is a "secret" operating "under the radar" and "scrappy" like that Tempest in Ukraine we uncovered.  It's so quiet that I favor only a share or two at a time, if any, because it floats about in range. Is VVX ready to break out further?  I don't know, who does?  earnings may tell more.

• KGC — * Gold miner subject to Wall Street whims. Just watching. Yesterday's earnings beat didn't seem to help change the tide and its lower gold revenues and mining costs. KGC, one to maybe "just watch" for now from sidelines?

• HL — Silver miner. Just watching.

• ONCY — Speculative biotech penny stock.  Holding just 1,000 speculative shares, with some guarded conviction. The stock is trading under a buck, and I'm awaiting initial colorectal cancer (CRC) trial data, with hopes of seeing a repeat of the encouraging results from the earlier, smaller REO-022 CRC trial. For more on the potential see previous Jones Reports.

In Closing

This market feels like it's safer with more on the sidelines, perhaps smaller test positions, and more dry powder during Market Silly Season.

But markets can change, sometimes quickly. Just one major catalyst, such as a potential Anthropic IPO, could change the tone for technology stocks for the better.

The future remains to be seen.

Stay watchful.

- Jones Report

This site is just for fun and insight, with no sponsors and no affiliations. If you like this free Jones Report, tell a friend. Why not?

________

If interested - scroll back and view notes on other stocks, we watch here at the Jones report.  Why not? With the caveat that things change and we try to stay aware - It's all FREE to read and make your own calls and decisions.  Finally - maintain some dry powder and trade or invest according to your own due diligence.

______________

More later so ....Stay tuned, if you dare!

For now, we close by noting that any view on the market and stocks on any particular day may change in the days to come. That is why we watch and see how our views match up with reality.  Looking ahead a few months may be a way to do things - but thinking too deeply about world events and the recent alliances forming, can make projecting ahead a dicey endeavor. 

All in all - we use the word maybe "some", not "too much" and play it accordingly.  Never get arrogant in our notions because things do change - and individual stocks are subject to many factors outside our control. So, we try to -stay aware.

With all the above caveats and attempted prognostications, I will close this post. Stay tuned for more opining on the market and stocks to watch.

___________

ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more.  This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.