Vickers Stock Research, a subsidiary of Argus Research Group, tracks and analyzes insider trading and institutional stock ownership trends. Form 13-Fs, which institutions must file to report their holdings, are due 45 days after the end of calendar quarters, and have now come in for 2Q26. We like to review the 13Fs of the major investors -- including Two Sigma, Ark Investments, Citadel, and Berkshire Hathaway, among others -- in order to determine their core holdings and new purchases. Here are some recent new purchases and key holdings of some of the bigger institutional investors, according to Vickers. The ratings noted are the Argus rating.

New York Times Co. is a multimedia news and information company. The company has a dual-class ownership structure, and the founding Sulzberger family is effectively in control. Headquartered in New York, the company has 6,000 employees.

The major stocks indices are flat as midday approached on Friday. Drilling down, the Russell 2000 is up a bit, the Nasdaq and the Dow Jones Industrial Average are down a bit, and the S&P 500 is close to flat line. But it's hard to argue with the bigger picture, as the indices are on track to close higher for a third week in a row, with a general sigh of relief this week now that two big inflation reports have come and gone without leading to panic on that front. Meanwhile, individual earnings report still have power -- but tend to impact specific names more than groups of stocks. Earnings season is indeed winding down, but that's not to say it is done. For one, a company by the name of Nvidia has yet to weigh in -- and that won't happen until August 26. And, finally, the other topic that might grab headlines (and sentiment) remains the war in Iran, which seems to have officially reached deadlock status (a status that can change in a moment). Once all is said and done, all-time highs for stocks is where things stand right now, and that's not bad. But as the old saying goes, all-time highs are bullish -- except for the last one.

The markets soared in the first half of 2026, with the S&P 500 up 9%. Can the momentum continue? At Argus, we think the bull still has some life. In fact, in our "base case" for the second half of the year, we see the S&P 500 gaining another 5%-7%. We also have a "bullish case," where more goes right, and a "bearish case," where more goes wrong. As we start the back half of the year, we have tweaked our annual investment themes (originally publish in January), focusing on six that we expect will drive the stock market. Those six themes are AI Broadens Out; Energy Realignment; Upbeat Management Signals, Dividend Hikes; Upbeat Management Signals, Raising Guidance; Consumer Relief; and Rotation into Income. For this week's list, we dive into the first three themes and identify certain key stocks that we believe exemplify each theme.