When the newsflow is running fast and furious, the relevance for typical metrics of market health can be buried. And that may be in play at the moment, with recent volatility evident in the VIX index, which last week hit a high above 23, quickly dropped down to 19, popped up again to 22, ended the week at 17, and now is at 16. Many headlines drove the action, but it was news that a deal is at hand to reopen the Strait of Hormuz that won the day -- with stocks zooming higher as a result. But before that (and turning back to those buried metrics), the insider-sentiment data from Vickers Stock Research showed that insiders were taking some cover in case it was bad news that won out at a time when stocks were at all-time highs (and thus vulnerable). Most notable was a pop in the NYSE One-Week Sell/Buy Ratio, which spiked to 10.02 on a scale where any reading above 6.00 is bearish. But that was then and this is now, so we'll see how insiders react this week to seemingly positive developments. Turning to Vickers' sector sentiment data, we note that four sectors sport a bullish one-week ratio (down from five last week), five are neutral, and two are bearish (Communication Services and Information Technology). Of the bearish two, the Information Technology ratio has continued to move deeper into bearish territory, with a one-week reading of 36.9 compared to 30.1 last week. While that remains below the extreme 173.0 that the sector saw in late April, the consistency of bearish one-week readings for the sector have resulted in an Information Technology Eight-Week Sell/Buy Ratio of 11.7. That makes IT the only sector to book a long-term bearish reading. Still, bright spots remain across the landscape, with bullish One-Week and Eight-Week Sell/Buy readings for the Energy, Financial, Healthcare, and Real Estate sectors. This week, analysts at Vickers highlighted insider transactions of interest at AST SpaceMobile Inc. (NGS: ASTS) and Republic Services Inc. (NYSE: RSG).

Bath and Body Works, Inc., based in Columbus, Ohio, sells personal care and beauty products. The company has over 1,900 company-operated Bath & Body Works locations. It also sells its products through franchises in over 535 locations worldwide, as well as on the company's website, and its app. The company's brands include Bath & Body Works and White Barn Candle Co. The company has approximately 9,100 full-time employees. Bath & Body Works shares are a component of the S&P 400 index.

Bath & Body Works is a specialty home fragrance and fragrant body care retailer operating under the Bath & Body Works, C.O. Bigelow, and White Barn brands. The company generates most of its business in North America, with just 4% of sales from international markets in fiscal 2025. For fiscal 2025, 77% of sales stemmed from the brick-and-mortar network of more than 1,900 retail stores, similar to 2024 levels, as consumer shopping patterns remained normal. Future growth is expected from store upgrades, digital and international channels, as well as adjacent category expansions like men's and lip.

Bath & Body Works is a specialty home fragrance and fragrant body care retailer operating under the Bath & Body Works, C.O. Bigelow, and White Barn brands. The company generates most of its business in North America, with just 4% of sales from international markets in fiscal 2025. For fiscal 2025, 77% of sales stemmed from the brick-and-mortar network of more than 1,900 retail stores, similar to 2024 levels, as consumer shopping patterns remained normal. Future growth is expected from store upgrades, digital and international channels, as well as adjacent category expansions like men's and lip.