In a mixed bag of results from the last week, The Numbers portfolio saw 12 equities traded, resulting in a razor-thin gain of 0.01%. The net performance was just shy of matching the S&P 500’s 0.05% rise, highlighting the challenge of outperforming the market benchmark in a week filled with variable outcomes.
Taking a closer look, Apple came out as a star performer with a 5.28% gain in our long position. This could be credited to its continued dominance in the tech sector, perhaps bolstered by buzz over new product releases or strong sales figures that placate investor anxiety amidst broader tech market volatility.
Similarly, our calculated optimism on NVIDIA Corporation paid off with a 1.30% uptick. Investors continue to rally behind NVIDIA owing to its leadership role in the semiconductor industry, fueled by burgeoning demand for its cutting-edge AI capabilities and gaming graphics cards.
The Nasdaq QQQ Invesco ETF also contributed positively, with a 2.93% rise, benefiting from the tech-heavy index’s buoyancy, likely driven by investor optimism in the sector as a whole.
In the finance sector, our long bet on Mastercard offered a steady return of 2.20%. This company reliably benefits from global increases in consumer spending and digital payment adoption—a trend that remains resilient despite fluctuating economic conditions.
Chevron’s modest 1.11% gain was a reflection of ongoing support within the energy sector. Geopolitical tensions and fluctuating oil prices can spur activities that elevate Chevron’s stock performance as global demand for energy remains robust.
Conversely, not all selections yielded prosperous returns. Our position in Eli Lilly and Company saw a slight stumble with a 0.32% loss. This might have been influenced by competitive pressures in the pharmaceutical sector or mixed news surrounding drug trials.
Coca-Cola, Honeywell International, and Amazon.com each grappled with fractional declines of 1.37%, 0.66%, and 1.27% respectively. Coke’s decline may relate to market saturation and economic caution influencing consumer discretionary to some degree, whereas Honeywell might be experiencing headwinds from industrial sector variances. Amazon’s stock could be reflecting investor uncertainty amidst evolving e-commerce trends and logistical challenges.
Oracle Corporation, with a 1.26% dip, may have faced skepticism over its enterprise technology solutions amid market shifts, while Netflix’s identical decline suggests reverberations from competitive streaming services impacting subscriber perceptions.
Lastly, Costco Wholesale Corporation underperformed notably with a 3.08% loss, possibly stemming from concerns over elevated operating costs or consumption trends affecting bulk retail giants.