It's frequently said that as Apple goes, so goes the market. So, it's not surprising that markets were mostly lower in a shortened trading week. Apple lost nearly $200 billion off its market capitalization as analysts forecast lighter iPhone sales in China, which accounts for about 20% of the company's total revenues. 

Next week, investors will get more inflation information when the latest consumer and producer price readings are released. These will be the first reports to include the rise in oil prices. However, it may still be a few months before those prices show up in the inflation numbers. 

After that, with earnings season winding down, all eyes will turn to the Federal Reserve's meeting in late September. Investors expect a pause on rate hikes but will pay close attention to what the Fed indicates about the possibility of future increases.  

When you put it all together, this market continues to be filled with contradictions. But that doesn't mean you still can't find opportunities. The MarketBeat team is here to help you find those opportunities. Here are some of our most popular stories from this week.  

Articles by Jea Yu 

Many investors leave room in their portfolio for seasonal performers. These are stocks that tend to shine brightest at specific times of year. As Jea Yu points out, even with all the negative history with stocks in September, there are three stocks that offer seasonal tailwinds. 

Another strategy that investors use is to benefit from sector rotation. The acceleration of the decarbonization movement has money piling into clean energy stocks. Yu analyzes the case for three clean energy stocks that investors can scoop up at a great value.   

And whether you want to believe it or not, it won't be long before we're into the holiday season. September and October are good months to identify potential holiday stocks to buy. Yu lays out a case for putting Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) on your watch list.  

Articles by Thomas Hughes 

Thomas Hughes had dividend stocks on his mind and wrote two different articles with analysis for investors. As Hughes notes, you don't have to decide between investing in artificial intelligence stocks and quality dividend stocks. Hughes offers up five dividend aristocrats (I.e., companies that have increased their dividends for at least 25 consecutive years) that give investors exposure to AI. 

When it comes to dividends, if aristocrats are good, kings are even better. Dividend kings are companies that have increased their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years. However, as Hughes notes, investors can look for an edge even among these blue-chip stocks. In this case, Hughes looks at three dividend kings that stand out by increasing their dividends at double-digit rates.  

Hughes was also looking at three stocks that are being underappreciated by investors for a variety of reasons. However, with these stocks trading at multi-year lows, they may offer opportunistic, risk-tolerant investors an opportunity to profit in this volatile market.  

Articles by Sam Quirke 

This week, Sam Quirke wrote about two stocks moving higher for similar but different reasons. DocuSign Inc. (NASDAQ: DOCU) has shed nearly 90% of its pandemic share price growth. But as it frequently does, earnings growth precedes share price growth. As Quirke writes, the company is showing investors that it can be profitable even in a higher interest rate environment.  

Quirke also wrote about Lululemon Athletica, Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU). The stock is up more than 30% in 2023. Yet, as Quirke writes, a strong earnings report is providing the fuel to send LULU stock even higher.  

Articles By Chris Markoch 

Artificial intelligence is raising questions in several areas. One of those is the issue of copyright protection. Chris Markoch recently wrote about the steps that Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) is taking to protect its customers from copyright infringement in the age of AI.  

Markoch also wrote about three growth stocks that may buck the September effect. Each of these blue-chip stocks has a bullish thesis that may not be fully priced into the stock at this moment.   

Articles by Kate Stalter  

Many investors have heard about the September effect. But do you know why the month has such a poor reputation among investors? And more importantly, what should you expect in 2023? Kate Stalter shares a perspective on both questions and reminds investors about another market indicator that is bullish for the rest of the year. 

Stalter also wrote about two news events that may offer long-suffering investors some hope in two beaten-down sectors. Do you remember when cannabis was as hot as AI? The market never developed as investors hoped. However, a recent recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services may change the legal status of cannabis, which could be bullish for the sector. 

Crypto investors are still waiting to see the green shoots that come after the crypto winter. That growth may come from the news that a Bitcoin ETF is closer to being a reality. Stalter offers perspective on what that means for the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (OTCMKTS: GBTC) and Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ: COIN). 

Articles by Ryan Hasson 

Ryan Hasson was pointing investors toward seasonal stocks. In this case, Hasson likes three autumn and winter stocks that are ideal as consumers make travel plans, layer up for the colder weather, and stock up for the cold and flu season. 

Hasson also looked at three stocks combining heavy institutional buying backed by bullish analyst sentiment. Since institutional money drives the market, this combination is almost always a winning combination for retail investors to consider.   

Turning his attention to the ever-expanding digital payment sector, Hasson compared three of the significant players in this space: Block, Inc. (NYSE: SQ), PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL), and Visa, Inc. (NYSE: V) and giving investors the bullish thesis for each stock.  

Articles by Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli 

Like many sectors, quality matters when looking at automotive stocks. This week, Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli helped investors understand why Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE: TM) stand out to investors for different reasons. In fact, as Osorio-Mazilli points out, that makes the investment thesis for each different.  

Osorio-Mazilli was also looking at the stock of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), which is underperforming the S&P 500 by more than 40% in the last twelve months. However, he sees both fundamental and technical reasons that DIS stock may be attractive to buy-the-dip investors.  

Shake Shack, Inc. (NYSE: SHAK) is another stock that Osorio-Mazilli sees as offering investors a buy-the-dip opportunity for investors. The stock dropped sharply after a strong earnings report. But with inflation likely to rise and new locations planned in the Asia-Pacific region, Osorio-Mazilli explains that Shake Shack is expected to have the pricing power that will help boost revenue and earnings growth.  

Articles by MarketBeat Staff 

The manufacturing sector is recovering from a two-year beat-down over supply chain disruptions. And Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) is one of the beneficiaries. The MarketBeat staff explains why the stock's 27% growth in the last twelve months may be just the beginning.  

On the other hand, the staff was writing about the earnings report from Chewy, Inc. (NYSE: CHWY). The report was strong, but investors still appear to be staying away from the stock. This article gives you the bullish and bearish case for CHWY stock.  

And like many analysts this week, the MarketBeat staff looked at dividend stocks, specifically three dividend kings that look like solid choices to outperform the market.