The pressure on the stock market was released a bit on Wednesday, as energy prices only inched higher and Treasury yields across the curve were mostly flat. Both oil and yields have popped higher since August 26. DELL was the star of the day, surging 16% after the company reported a blowout quarter. The stock is very close to breaking out of a three-month consolidation that alleviated an extreme overbought momentum condition on a daily and weekly basis.

This should be another wild week for individual stock volatility, which seems like the norm of late. It will a heavy earnings week for IT once again as, by order of reporting, we have PLTR, TSEM, AMD, ANET, ALAB, LSCC, SHOP, SNDK, WDC, APP, EBAY, HUBS, TTMI, DDOG, NET, TWLO, TEAM, and AKAM all in play. Many Industrial, Healthcare, and Energy stocks also report. And then there is the July employment report, out on Friday morning.

Humana is one of the largest private health insurers in the US, and the firm has built a niche specializing in government-sponsored programs, with nearly all its medical membership stemming from Medicare, Medicaid, and the military's Tricare program. Beyond medical insurance, the company provides other healthcare services, including primary-care services, at-home services, and pharmacy benefit management.

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.