Daily Summary
Q1 Best and Worst Performing ETFs
As we do each quarter, we will take today’s report to look across different asset classes and focus on the best and worst performing funds for the second quarter.
Morning Pulse
NDW Morning Pulse - July 7, 2026
NDW Morning Pulse – July 7, 2026.
- Markets pushed higher to start the week, with the S&P 500 rising 0.72% on Monday. Meanwhile, the "average stock," represented by the S&P 500 equal weight index, was relatively flat. Still, SPX remains on a sell signal, while SPXEWI completed its fourth consecutive buy signal last week.
- Technology was one of the day’s biggest winners, seeing the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rise 1.67%. Technology continues to sit at the top of DALI's sector rankings, but XLK lost its near-term market relative strength last week.
- Cryptocurrencies also lifted off on Monday, with the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) rising 3.58%, leaving the fund 10% above its late-June lows. That said, Bitcoin continues to lack long-term strength, demonstrated by IBIT’s weak fund score of just 0.18.
- Financials continued their recent hot streak, with banks leading the group higher. The Invesco KBW Bank ETF (KBWB) rose 1.92% on the day, and improvement within the subgroup has caused KBWB's fund score to increase to 5.70. The broader financials sector also climbed to fourth in DALI's rankings near the end of Q1.
- Commercial airlines have quietly been among the market’s best-performing areas, and Monday saw the U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS) rise another 0.42%. With fuel prices starting to creep down and strength returning, its fund score is also up to a near-perfect 5.82.
Below are highlights from the NDW Morning Update Video for the morning of 7/7/2026. Access the the video on the NDW Morning Update Video page.
- Markets pushed higher to start the week, with the S&P 500 rising 0.72% on Monday. Meanwhile, the "average stock," represented by the S&P 500 equal weight index, was relatively flat. Still, SPX remains on a sell signal, while SPXEWI completed its fourth consecutive buy signal last week.
- Technology was one of the day’s biggest winners, seeing the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rise 1.67%. Technology continues to sit at the top of DALI's sector rankings, but XLK lost its near-term market relative strength last week.
- Cryptocurrencies also lifted off on Monday, with the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) rising 3.58%, leaving the fund 10% above its late-June lows. That said, Bitcoin continues to lack long-term strength, demonstrated by IBIT’s weak fund score of just 0.18.
- Financials continued their recent hot streak, with banks leading the group higher. The Invesco KBW Bank ETF (KBWB) rose 1.92% on the day, and improvement within the subgroup has caused KBWB's fund score to increase to 5.70. The broader financials sector also climbed to fourth in DALI's rankings near the end of Q1.
- Commercial airlines have quietly been among the market’s best-performing areas, and Monday saw the U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS) rise another 0.42%. With fuel prices starting to creep down and strength returning, its fund score is also up to a near-perfect 5.82.
As we do each quarter, we will take today’s report to look across different asset classes and focus on the best- and worst-performing funds for the second quarter and year as a whole. Note, during our screen, we filtered out leveraged and inverse funds while implementing minimum volume and AUM requirements to focus solely on those funds most likely to come across your desk. We also did our best to avoid similar kinds of funds, when possible (to avoid the entirety of our tables being taken up by South Korea, for example), but there will likely be similar themes during our analysis.
We will start broadly by peering across all the different asset groups at once. As you might expect, our top ten performers were filled with technology names. Outside of those groups, other international names (South Korea and Taiwan) earned spots as top performers. On the flip side, cryptocurrency, precious metals, and India were among the worst performers.

Speaking of international options, our second table dives underneath the hood of that group specifically. Several global options flexed their muscles, with a few countries showing particularly constructive quarters. Strong performers include South Korea, Taiwan, and broad emerging markets. China and India were major detractors from a pure performance perspective for the year, while Brazil showed weakness in the second quarter.

The following tables focus on individual sectors and commodities, respectively. For the sectors, technology and AI-focused funds saw the sharpest improvement in Q2 and during the first half of 2026. Energy and miners showed the sharpest weakness in Q2. The worst performers in the first half were more mixed, with some software names alongside miners.

Among commodities, carbon futures funds and agriculture showed strength in the second quarter, while gasoline and broad commodities showing most of the strength for the first half. Precious metals were the major detractor over the quarterly and yearly numbers.

Our last set of tables below detail performance trends for the broader fixed income and currency markets. While fixed income as a whole remains a laggard within our longer-term rankings, there were points of strength within the asset class. Convertibles continue to be the strongest segment of fixed income from a relative strength perspective, remaining at the top in terms of performance. Municipals also showed some strength. Meanwhile, international bond funds showed weakness.

Across the currency space, crypto continues to see some of the most downside among any areas of the market. In terms of more traditional currencies, the US Dollar saw some improvement, with other some other specific currencies ending in the black.

Average Level
4.07
| < - -100 | -100 - -80 | -80 - -60 | -60 - -40 | -40 - -20 | -20 - 0 | 0 - 20 | 20 - 40 | 40 - 60 | 60 - 80 | 80 - 100 | 100 - > |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < - -100 | -100 - -80 | -80 - -60 | -60 - -40 | -40 - -20 | -20 - 0 | 0 - 20 | 20 - 40 | 40 - 60 | 60 - 80 | 80 - 100 | 100 - > |
| AGG | iShares US Core Bond ETF |
| USO | United States Oil Fund |
| DIA | SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF |
| DVY | iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend Index ETF |
| DX/Y | NYCE U.S.Dollar Index Spot |
| EFA | iShares MSCI EAFE ETF |
| FXE | Invesco CurrencyShares Euro Trust |
| GLD | SPDR Gold Trust |
| GSG | iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust |
| HYG | iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF |
| ICF | iShares Cohen & Steers Realty ETF |
| IEF | iShares Barclays 7-10 Yr. Tres. Bond ETF |
| LQD | iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corp. Bond ETF |
| IJH | iShares S&P 400 MidCap Index Fund |
| ONEQ | Fidelity Nasdaq Composite Index Track |
| QQQ | Invesco QQQ Trust |
| RSP | Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF |
| IWM | iShares Russell 2000 Index ETF |
| SHY | iShares Barclays 1-3 Year Tres. Bond ETF |
| IJR | iShares S&P 600 SmallCap Index Fund |
| SPY | SPDR S&P 500 Index ETF Trust |
| TLT | iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF |
| GCC | WisdomTree Continuous Commodity Index Fund |
| VOOG | Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF |
| VOOV | Vanguard S&P 500 Value ETF |
| EEM | iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF |
| XLG | Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF |
Long Ideas
| Symbol | Company | Sector | Current Price | Action Price | Target | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRMN | Garmin Ltd. | Leisure | $245.22 | mid 230s - mid 260s | 364 | 196 | 5 TA rating, LT pos trend and mkt RS buy, top 33% of LEIS sector matrix, buy-on-pullback, Earn. 7/29 |
| IBOC | International Bancshares Corporation | Banks | $76.11 | low-to-mid 70s | 93 | 63 | 4 for 5'er, favored BANK sector, LT pos peer & mkt RS, bearish signal reversal, R-R~2.0, 1.95% yield |
| LYV | Live Nation Entertainment Inc. | Leisure | $183.29 | low 160s to mid 170s | 202 | 142 | 4 for 5'er; Pos. Trend; Top Half of Leisure Matrix; Within one box of ATH, Earn. 8/6 |
| MO | Altria Group Inc. | Food Beverages/Soap | $71.88 | low-to-mid 70s | 91 | 62 | 4 for 5'er, top quartile of FOOD sector matrix, one box from RS buy, bullish triangle, 5.9% yield, Earn. 7/30 |
| CTRE | CareTrust REIT Inc | Real Estate | $41.39 | $38 - $43 | 62.50 | 34 | 5/5'er since Apr. '25, top quintile of Real Estate Matrix, pos. trend and buy signal since Jul. '23. |
| BTI | British American Tobacco Sp-Adr (United Kingdom) ADR | Food Beverages/Soap | $61.46 | hi 50s - low 60s | 92 | 51 | 4 for 5'er, top 25% of FOOD sector matrix, one box from mkt RS buy, buy on pullback, R-R~3.0, 5.3% yield, Earn. 7/30 |
| LAMR | Lamar Advertising Company | Media | $158.01 | mid 140 to mid 150 | 228 | 122 | 5 for 5'er, top third of Media Matrix, pos. trend, Reward-Risk > 11, current yield > 4%. |
| CM | Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | Banks | $115.36 | 100s | 165 | 90 | 5 for 5'er, top 10% of favored BANK sector matrix, LT pos peer RS, bearish signal reversal, R-R>3.0, 2.9% yield |
| EBAY | eBay Inc. | Retailing | $113.67 | mid 100s - low 110s | 161 | 93 | 5 for 5'er, top 10% of RETA sector matrix, buy on pullback, R-R~3.0, Earn.. 7/29 |
| F | Ford Motor Company | Autos and Parts | $13.83 | 14.50 - 16 | 27 | 12.50 | 5 for 5'er, top 20% of AUTO sector matrix, RS buy signal, spread triple top, R-R~5, 3.9% yield, Earn. 7/28 |
| HLT | Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc | Leisure | $339.41 | low 320 - low 340 | 452 | 284 | 5 for 5'er since Nov. '23, top half of Leisure sector matrix, pos. trend since Nov. '23, buy since April, Earn. 7/28 |
| MFC | Manulife Financial Corporation | Insurance | $41.36 | 37 - 42 | 63 | 32 | 5 for 5'er since 1/26, top quintile of Insurance matrix, 3rd buy and ATH on 6/16. |
| AVBP | ArriVent BioPharma, Inc. | Biomedics/Genetics | $34.48 | low 30s | 55 | 25 | 5 for 5'er, top third of Biotech matrix, pos. L-T Peer and Mkt RS, pos. trend. |
| AFL | AFLAC Incorporated | Insurance | $120.47 | hi 110s - low 120s | 136 | 104 | 4 for 5'er, top half of INSU sector matrix, LT pos mkt & peer RS, spread triple top, 2.1% yield, Earn. 8/6 |
| BUD | Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (Belgium) ADR | Food Beverages/Soap | $79.38 | low to mid 80s | 109 | 67 | 4 for 5'er, top decile of Food/Bev. matrix, pos. trend since Apr. '25, one box from Mkt RS buy, Earnings on 7/30. |
| AAP | Advance Auto Parts, Inc. | Autos and Parts | $56.33 | low-to-mid 60s | 80 | 54 | 5 for 5'er, top 20% of AUTO sector matrix, spread quad top, R-R~2.0, 1.8% yield |
| HWM | Howmet Aerospace Inc. | Aerospace Airline | $277.91 | $260s - hi $270s | 324 | 220 | 5 for 5'er and pos. trend since Aug. '22, L-T pos. peer and mkt RS, buy signal since April, R-R > 4. |
| RL | Ralph Lauren | Textiles/Apparel | $396.32 | 380s - 390s | 540 | 336 | 5 for 5'er, top third of TEXT sector matrix, LT pos peer & mkt RS, spread quad top, R-R>2.0, Earn. 8/6 |
| VIK | Viking Holdings Ltd | Leisure | $100.55 | hi 90s to 100 | 118 | 87 | 4 for 5'er, top 20% of Leisure matrix, buy on pullback, R-R > 3. |
Short Ideas
| Symbol | Company | Sector | Current Price | Action Price | Target | Stop | Notes |
|---|
Removed Ideas
| Symbol | Company | Sector | Current Price | Action Price | Target | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JCI | Johnson Controls International PLC | Building | $142.72 | upper 130s to lower 150s | 182 | 124 | JCI has fallen to a sell signal. OK to hold here. Maintain $124 stop. Earn. 7/28 |
Follow-Up Comments
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NDW Spotlight Stock
VIK Viking Holdings Ltd ($99.61) - Leisure - VIK has been at least a 3 technical attribute stock for more than 12 months and possessed a 4 TA rating since April of this year. Along with superior long-term market relative strength, the stock shows positive near-term strength against the market and its peer group, while ranking within the top quintile of the Leisure sector matrix. On the trend chart, VIK has maintained a positive trend since April and a buy signal since May. VIK closed out June by giving a third buy signal at $102 as shares rallied to a new chart high at $104. Prices have pulled back from those highs to kick off July, bringing the stock to within an actionable range. Okay to consider in the upper $90s to $100 range. The bullish price objective of $118 will serve as the price target, giving the stock a reward to risk ratio greater than 3. The initial stop loss point will be set for $87, which would violate the bullish support line and support from June.
| 104.00 | X | 104.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 102.00 | X | O | 102.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100.00 | X | X | O | 100.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 99.00 | X | O | X | 7 | 99.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 98.00 | X | O | X | 98.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 97.00 | X | O | X | 97.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 96.00 | X | O | 96.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 95.00 | X | 95.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 94.00 | X | 94.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 93.00 | X | X | 93.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 92.00 | X | X | O | X | 92.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 91.00 | X | O | X | O | X | X | 91.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 90.00 | X | O | X | 6 | X | O | X | Mid | 90.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 89.00 | X | O | X | O | X | O | X | 89.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 88.00 | X | O | X | O | O | • | 88.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 87.00 | X | X | O | X | • | 87.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 86.00 | X | O | X | X | O | X | X | • | 86.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 85.00 | X | O | X | O | X | O | X | O | X | • | 85.00 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 84.00 | X | O | X | O | X | O | X | O | X | • | 84.00 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 83.00 | X | O | X | O | X | O | O | X | • | 83.00 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 82.00 | X | O | X | X | O | X | O | X | • | 82.00 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 81.00 | X | O | X | O | X | O | X | O | • | 81.00 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 80.00 | X | X | O | X | O | X | O | • | • | 80.00 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 79.00 | X | O | X | O | X | 5 | • | 79.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 78.00 | X | O | X | O | • | 78.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 77.00 | X | X | O | X | • | 77.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 76.00 | • | X | O | X | O | X | • | 76.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 75.00 | X | • | X | O | X | O | • | 75.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 74.00 | X | O | 4 | O | X | • | 74.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 73.00 | X | X | O | X | O | X | • | 73.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 72.00 | X | O | X | O | X | O | X | • | 72.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 71.00 | X | O | X | O | X | O | X | • | Bot | 71.00 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 70.00 | X | O | • | O | X | O | • | 70.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 69.00 | X | • | O | • | • | 69.00 |
| BBY Best Buy Co., Inc. ($78.06) - Retailing - BBY broke a double top at $79 as shares rallied above $80, marking a fourth buy signal since May this year. The stock has been a 3 for 5'er since May and currently ranks within the top quartile of the Retailing sector matrix. From here, note resistance in the lower $80s. Initial support lies in the mid to lower $70s, while the bullish support line sits at $64. |
| DAL Delta Air Lines Inc. ($88.85) - Aerospace Airline - DAL broke a double bottom at $91 to initiate a shakeout pattern as shares fell to $89. DAL maintains a 5 technical attribute rating and currently ranks 2nd (out of 63) within the Aerospace Airlines sector matrix. The action point for the shakeout pattern would occur upon a reversal back into Xs - currently at $92 - while the pattern would be complete upon the triple top break at $96. Initial support now resides at $82, while additional can be foudn in the mid $70s. |
| KO The Coca-Cola Company ($84.13) - Food Beverages/Soap - KO inched higher to complete a double top break at $85, marking its fifth consecutive buy signal and a new all-time high. Still, the stock is rated a hold with its 3/5 technical attribute score. Continue to monitor for further technical improvement. Initial support is at $79, with additional support at $77. |
| LRCX Lam Research Corporation ($323.05) - Semiconductors - Like most other semiconductors companies, LRCX plummeted on Tuesday, moving to its second consecutive sell signal. Today's action also saw LRCX lose its near-term market relative strength, bringing it down to a 4 for 5'er. Despite recent selloff, LRCX continues to trade in a positive trend while maintaining long-term relative strength, making it one to hold onto for now. From here, initial support lies at $304 then $264. |
| MTRN Materion Corp. ($247.20) - Chemicals - MTRN gave an initial sell signal Tuesday when it broke a triple bottom at $256. The outlook for the stock remains decidedly positive as MTRN is a 5 for 5'er that ranks first out of 46 names in the chemicals sector matrix. From here, the next level of support sits at $220. |
| MU Micron Technology, Inc. ($921.00) - Semiconductors - MU continued its decline on Tuesday, moving to its second consecutive sell signal. Action earlier in July saw MU lose its near-term market relative strength, taking it down to a 4 for 5'er. Despite its recent selloff, the stock's long-term picture continues to hold up, and those with exposure should continue holding on for now. From here, initial support lies from $896 to $880, while previous resistance in the low $800s could also serve as future support. Investors should watch for further volatility with this name. |
| NVDA NVIDIA Corporation ($196.51) - Semiconductors - NVDA broke a double bottom at $192 for its third consecutive sell signal. The 2 for 5'er lost its near-term relative strength at the end of June, bringing it down into sell territory. The stock now sits right above its bullish support line at $188, below which it would move back into a negative trend. Despite being such a big name, those with exposure to the stock could look to sell it at current levels. From here, initial support lies at $190/. |
The option suggestions featured here are pulled from the NDW Options Ideas tool. These are just a sample of the ideas that can be found there. The Options Idea tool contains numerous additional income and speculative plays. It also offers relative strength-based screens targeting the highest (and lowest) relative strength stocks and ETFs that have recently moved counter to their longer-term trend. To access or subscribe to the Options Ideas tool, click here.
Call
Merck & Co Inc (MRK) Oct 16 $125 Call

Put
Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd (AEM) Oct 16 $170 Put

Income (Short Put)
CVS Health Corp (CVS) Aug 7 $97 Short Put

| Additional Data: | |
| Ann. Static Return | 28.65% |
| Bid/Ask Spread | 28.33% |
| Delta | 25.7 |
| Gamma | -2.58 |
| Implied Volatility | 39.04% |
| Expiry Date | 31 |
| Earnings Date | 8/5/2026 |