Flex is the largest global provider of electronic manufacturing services (EMS) and related competencies. In addition to its printed circuit board (PCB) assembly and systems assembly businesses, the company provides design, logistics, components, enclosures and PCB manufacturing. Flex has expanded its customer base from OEM companies in traditional electronics and technology to nontraditional niches, such as consumer, medical and instrumentation, aerospace-defense, and automotive.

The major stock indices are generally flat at midday. Individual names, mostly impacted by earnings, are driving the action (with, for example, Amazon up 15% and Apple down 10%). This comes after two days of volatility, with stocks down broadly on Wednesday after the FOMC meeting and broadly higher on Thursday in a mood reversal. Argus' technical analyst, Mark Arbeter, CMT, notes that despite the recent carnage in many semi names and the inconsistent performance of the Mag 7 stocks, the S&P 500 remains in the middle of a three-month trading range, with little if any technical damage. The flat indices performance today closes out a generally flattish week, with the five-day data as of midday leaving the S&P 500 up 0.5%, the DJIA up 0.8%, and the Nasdaq up 0.7%. The 30-year Treasury bond yield spiked to its highest levels since 2007 this week.

In the first half of 2026, the S&P 500 popped 9%. The upside was realized in the second quarter, with a gain of 15% after a loss of 4% in 1Q. Driving the market was 29% growth in earnings for S&P 500 companies. Despite the gains, the second quarter saw plenty of challenges. First, oil prices spiked due to the war between Iran and the U.S. and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices in April hit a peak of $113 and were volatile the entire quarter. As well, concerns about the possible overvaluation of stocks tied to AI growth roiled markets. Finally, Wall Street considered the unknown impact of a new Federal Reserve chairman. In the Argus universe of more than 500 public companies, both BUY-rated and HOLD-rated, the average stock increased 11.4%, and the median stock gained 7.2%. The top-10 BUY-rated stocks rose 128% on average. Our list this week features the top-10 performers from the Argus universe during 2Q, and we note that all but one are in the Information Technology (IT) sector. That's no surprise as growth stocks led the 2Q rally, with the IWF growth index up 18%. Still, value was no slacker, with the IWD value index up 15%. We also list the bottom-five performers for 2Q. Why do we study past performance? We like to see which stocks weathered storms, review the mix of sector performance, and see if any new names popped up. The third quarter has started off with a sluggish performance from the IT sector, with ongoing concerns about the AI trade. But that signals that the rally might be set to broaden to other sectors, which could keep the bull run going. Argus expects growth to continue to lead and we do expect positive overall gains in 3Q.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.