Small- and mid-cap stocks (SMID) have underperformed large-caps over the past 12 months, but may be in a better position to generate market-beating returns going forward. SMID companies tend to focus on domestic markets, so their businesses could be less disrupted by the fallout from global events. As well, the prices of SMID stocks generally are lower than the prices of large-caps. As well, there are long stretches in the record books when SMID stocks have outperformed large-caps. That said, SMID stocks can be risky. The standard deviation for monthly returns was 5.7% for SMID stocks over a 2003-2021 test period, versus 4.3% for large-caps. Still, despite the risks, diversified investors look to have exposure to small- and mid-caps based on the long-term performance record.

Management's ability to "raise guidance" can often be a catalyst for market-beating returns in the quarters ahead. The fourth-quarter earnings season has crossed the 95% mark and is wrapping up, with blended earnings (actual results and the consensus for those still to report) showing a year-over-year gain of almost 10%, according to Refinitiv. That is considerably better than the 4%-7% advance expected at the start of the earnings period. Leading the outperformance were strong gains in Communication Services earnings, up 53%. On the flipside, Energy (like last quarter) is performing the worst, down 22%. Our analysts are always on the lookout for companies that boost their outlooks during earnings season. Here is an initial list of BUY-rated companies in Argus' Fundamental Universe of Coverage at which management raised guidance or increased its outlook during the 4Q23 EPS reporting season.

Gen Digital is a pure-play provider of consumer cyber safety and security products. The company has made a series of transformational moves with the sale of its Veritas information backup and storage business to the Carlyle Group for $5.3 billion in January 2016, the $4.65 billion acquisition of Blue Coat in August 2016, the sale of its Enterprise Security business to Broadcom for $10.7 billion in November 2019, and its purchase of Avast for $8.69 billion and name change from NortonLifeLock in September 2022. The company's Norton cyber anti-malware brand is one of the most recognizable names in the software industry. Gen Digital derives 40% of its revenue from outside the U.S.

Stocks were higher on Thursday, with investors apparently moving beyond the panic that set in - for one day - earlier in the week after a hot CPI report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.91%, the Nasdaq 0.30% and the S&P 500 0.58% (and at a record closing high). Early in Thursday's session, worries kicked in after the U.S. Commerce Department reported that retail sales dropped 0.8% last month, the biggest decrease since last February. But that bad news also was quickly discounted as recent winter storms were cited as one-time events that likely negatively impacted the data.