Ticker Reports for May 29th
3 Different Ways to Add Gold to Your Portfolio
Gold has been on a tremendously strong run since 2024. That momentum has accelerated in 2025 with the yellow metal cracking the $3,000 per troy ounce level. It hasn’t stopped there. Recently, the price of gold touched $3,500 before falling back.
Many investors may wonder if they should buy gold at these prices. The short answer is yes, and it’s because of the reason why the price of gold is rising so sharply.
Even though consumers can buy gold bars at Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST), retail investors haven’t turned into wide-eyed gold bugs. The driving force behind gold’s strong move is central banks around the world. They’re gobbling up as much gold as they can.
Demand is down from its peak levels between 2022 and 2024, but it’s still at historically high levels.
This modern-day gold rush started as a hedge against inflation and geopolitical uncertainty brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, in 2025, the move to gold is a calculated move by central banks against a devalued U.S. dollar. In fact, some governments may be hedging for a world in which the dollar may not be the world’s reserve currency.
Many technical signals show that the spot price of gold may be in a consolidation phase. That could be setting the stage for a jump higher. That's leaving some investors in a quandary. They may want exposure to gold, but they don’t want to own the physical metal.
Here are three ways to capture some upside in gold without dealing with the logistics of owning physical gold.
Gold Miners Still Look Undervalued
Gold prices have gone up, but prior to 2025, gold mining stocks have lagged behind other basic materials stocks. That’s because, much like oil companies, gold miners need gold to be at a certain price to make extracting it a profitable activity.
This is showing up in the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSEARCA: GDX), which is up 46.7% year-to-date. That's one way to play mining stocks. Another approach is to buy the best, which can lead investors to Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM). Newmont is one of the world’s largest gold miners. In fact, it’s a top holding of the GDX fund with a weighting of 11.5%.
In its most recent earnings report in April 2025, Newmont’s revenue came in 24% higher year-over-year (YoY). However, it was the earnings growth that really got investors' attention. Newmont beat analysts’ estimates by 37% and the $1.25 in earnings per share (EPS) was 127% higher YoY.
As of this writing, NEM stock was within 5% of the analysts’ consensus price. However, at least two analysts have raised their price target on NEM stock with a price target of over $60 per share.
Own Gold and Trade It Like a Stock
Fund investors have several options that give them exposure to gold. The GDX fund is one way. Another is the iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA: IAU). The fund owns gold that is transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust. It’s a way to own the right to physical gold without any of the logistics that come from owning the metal (i.e., storage and insurance).
Another obstacle to owning physical gold is what happens when investors want to sell. Owning shares of the IAU makes accessing your “gold” as easy as selling shares.
As you might expect, the performance of the IAU fund closely approximates the performance of gold (it’s up about 25% in 2025 as of May 28). Investors also benefit from an expense ratio of just 0.25%.
That means less money taken out by fees and a better total return over time.
A Strategic Way to Make Gold Even More of an Inflation Hedge
One of the most cited reasons to own gold is that it works as an inflation hedge. If you believe that, the Strategy Shares Gold-Hedged Bond ETF (NYSEARCA: GOLY) deserves close attention.
This is a fund that tracks an index that provides broad exposure to investment-grade corporate bonds (in U.S. dollars) while using near-term gold futures to hedge inflation risk. The mix is about 90% investment-grade corporate bonds with 10% in Treasury bills.
Fund manager David Miller explains the benefit of the fund in this way: "The idea behind this is we think we could make gold better by adding a yield, or we think we can make bonds better by making them inflation protected."
The GOLY fund is up about 18.75% in 2025, which lags gold slightly. Still, the fund is up 27.75% in the last 12 months and could be headed much higher if inflation does ratchet higher.
Elon's Silver Grab: What You Must Do Now
Elon Musk is back in the spotlight—this time for fueling a global scramble for silver.
Tesla's relentless production of electric vehicles and solar technology is driving demand for the precious metal to unprecedented levels.
Silver—critical for EV batteries, solar panels, and advanced electronics—is now at the center of a supply crisis.
Coca-Cola Stock Has Momentum, PepsiCo May Be the Better Buy
The stocks of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) and PepsiCo. Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) are a source of debate between value and growth investors. In 2025, KO stock clearly holds the upper hand. The stock is up 14.5%, which is above the sector average. PEP stock is down 13.5% and trading near 52-week lows.
However, while momentum is on the side of Coke, Pepsi may be a more refreshing choice for investors.
When evaluating these two category leaders, it’s important not to develop tunnel vision. The company’s flagship soft drinks are under fire from the Secretary of Health & Human Services (HHS) and GLP-1 drugs.
Both companies have been diversifying their respective businesses for years, which is why they continue to be a staple in many investors’ portfolios.
It’s also why many of the leading consumer staples ETFs hold both stocks. The companies have defensive qualities and prioritize shareholder value.
Coca-Cola Is Outperforming the Sector, But Is Growing Pricey
Just when consumer staples stocks started to break out of a two-year slump, a weakening economy pushed the sector lower. The iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF (NYSEARCA: IYK), a fund that provides broad exposure to the sector, is up about 8% in 2025, but it’s found resistance near its 52-week high.
That makes KO stock's performance that much more impressive. When you include its dividend yield of 2.86% in the stock price gain, it’s more than doubled the sector average. This is an earnings story.
The company’s revenue is down slightly year-over-year (YOY), but its ability to keep earnings steady is a testament to its pricing power.
However, in 2024, the word on every investor’s lips is valuation.
That’s where KO stock starts to look a little pricey. It’s trading at around 28x earnings and 24x forward earnings. Both are above the average for soft drink stocks of 20.4x, as compiled by Yardeni Research.
Perhaps more significantly, both are above the stock’s own historical average.
The Coca-Cola analyst forecasts on MarketBeat have a consensus price target of $75.08 on KO stock as of May 28. Several analysts raised their price targets after Coke reported earnings in April.
The King May Be Ready to Ascend Once More
One common trait of both Pepsi and Coca-Cola is their status as Dividend Kings. That means the companies have increased their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years.
That typically means investors can count on fortress balance sheets to support that dividend.
That’s not the case with Pepsi in 2025. In 2024, Pepsi paid shareholders $5.42 per share in dividends. However, it generated $5.28 per share in free cash flow. That means Pepsi had to dip into its ample cash reserves to cover its dividend.
The company’s financial performance is reflected in the stock price. PepsiCo stock is down 14% in 2025 and more than 24% in the last 12 months. The company is distinctly different from Coca-Cola because of its snack food division.
This has allowed Pepsi to offer investors a more diversified portfolio that’s been reflected in PEP stock’s total return of more than 224% in the last 15 years.
The company is being acutely impacted by GLP-1 drugs that lower patient cravings. However, the bigger impact now is inflation, which has been higher relative to food items.
Even with premium shelf space and pricing power, consumers appear to be making more savvy choices.
However, slower growth is still growth, and with the stock trading near five-year lows, it’s starting to look oversold. Analysts' forecasts and the stock’s relative strength indicator support this. Plus, at 18x earnings, it’s trading at a discount to itself and the sector.
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Hormel Stock Near Lows, But Tariff Relief Could Boost Outlook
Despite its status as a dividend king, many investors weren’t expecting much from Hormel Foods Corp. (NYSE: HRL) in its second-quarter earnings report for the 2025 fiscal year. The company didn’t disappoint, but mixed results sent the stock down 2.8% immediately following the report.
Revenue of $2.90 billion was a slight miss from the $2.92 billion expected. However, adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 35 cents were in line with expectations. More importantly, revenue was up slightly year-over-year (YOY). The company delivered $2.89 billion in the second quarter of its 2024 fiscal year.
However, earnings per share (EPS) were down about 10% YOY.
That speaks directly to tariff pressures that are impacting many consumer staples stocks. Add to that a recall on its beef stew and the announcement of a transition at the executive level, and there are a lot of reasons to stay away from the stock. But analysts have been viewing things differently.
That, combined with an attractive valuation, may make HRL stock worth a closer look.
Tariff Concerns Weigh on Earnings
Many companies are getting more precise in defining how tariffs impact their companies. For Hormel, that means using the phrase “supply chain issues.” The company isn’t wrong. The Trump administration tariffs include increased tariffs on processed meats, certain vegetables and packaging materials being imported from China, Canada, and Mexico.
The tariffs impact Hormel products such as Spam and other pre-packaged meals that rely on these imported ingredients. Those effects were reflected in the sector profits across the company’s verticals. Hormel’s retail sector posted a higher sector profit, but it was offset by declines in sector profit in its Foodservice and International verticals.
However, the company suggests that the worst may be behind it.
That’s because it effectively maintained its full-year guidance. The current projections are for net sales between $12 and $12.2 billion, with adjusted earnings per share coming in between $1.58 and $1.68. The high end has narrowed from $1.72 in the prior quarter.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the earnings report was already put together before the court ruling to strike down the Trump administration’s tariff plans. The final result is likely to take months to work out, but the return to 2024 levels may benefit Hormel in the current quarter.
A Change in the Marketing Ranks
About a week before the earnings report, Hormel announced two significant changes in its executive ranks. Scott Aakre, the current group vice president and chief marketing officer (CMO), announced his retirement at the end of the current fiscal year. Aakre will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors.
Hormel also announced that Jeff Baker, the current group vice president of retail marketing for value-added meats, will become the company’s new group vice president for retail marketing starting in fiscal 2026. Baker will assume some of the responsibilities currently under Aakre.
Analysts Issued Upgrades Ahead of Earnings
Despite the tariff overhang, analysts have been bullish on HRL stock heading into earnings. Since April 15, the Hormel analyst forecasts on MarketBeat show three analysts have upgraded the stock. Those upgrades included BNP Paribas, which took the stock from a Strong Sell to a Hold.
This is likely a case of a stock being different from a company. Analysts aren’t ignoring the uncertainty that Hormel faces from tariffs and a consumer that’s under pressure.
The stock is down 4.4% in 2025 and over 12% in the last 12 months. However, it must be noted that HRL stock is now trading near 10-year lows. That’s likely what analysts are looking at with a stock that’s trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 18x. That’s a slight discount to itself and the consumer staples sector.
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