Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>PulteGroup Inc.'s earnings report for the second quarter of 2025 reflects a complex but strategically managed operational landscape.</li><li>On the positive side, PulteGroup achieved a commendable 23% return on equity through resilient financial performance, alongside robust gross margins and effective overhead leverage.</li><li>The company's diversified operating model allows it to maintain strategic advantages in a challenging market, evidenced by strong responses to its active adult communities, like Del Webb, which contribute to high-margin closings.</li></ul>

PulteGroup Inc.'s earnings report for the second quarter of 2025 reflects a complex but strategically managed operational landscape.On the positive side, PulteGroup achieved a commendable 23% return on equity through resilient financial performance, alongside robust gross margins and effective overhead leverage.The company's diversified operating model allows it to maintain strategic advantages in a challenging market, evidenced by strong responses to its active adult communities, like Del Webb, which contribute to high-margin closings.

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We remain near-term bullish since our 4/22/25 Compass, and our intermediate-term outlook remains bullish as well (as of our 5/14/25 Compass). We will maintain our bullish outlook as long as...</li>
<li>...market dynamics remain healthy and the SPX is above 6028-6059. Short-term supports on SPX include 6400-6410, the 3-month uptrend (currently at ~6380), 6200, 6100-6150, and 6028-6059</li>
<li>Bullish Developments Continue: DJI and Russell 2000 Breakouts and Much More</li>
</ul>


We remain near-term bullish since our 4/22/25 Compass, and our intermediate-term outlook remains bullish as well (as of our 5/14/25 Compass). We will maintain our bullish outlook as long as...
...market dynamics remain healthy and the SPX is above 6028-6059. Short-term supports on SPX include 6400-6410, the 3-month uptrend (currently at ~6380), 6200, 6100-6150, and 6028-6059
Bullish Developments Continue: DJI and Russell 2000 Breakouts and Much More


DJI and Russell 2000 Breaking Out; Staying Bullish; Bullish Developments Continue

High Quality Stock Setups, Weekly Stock Bull Finder

Weekly Stock Bull Finder

High Quality Stock Setups

Finding high potential stock setups on quality companies

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The ITB US Home Construction ETF is now up 33% YTD and represents one of the biggest market surprises for me so far in 2023.</li>
<li>This group has flashed relative strength vs. the S&amp;P 500 since December 2022 and continues to one of the top performing groups.</li>
<li>After undergoing correction in 2022, the homebuilders sector has tons of weekly charts breaking out of long and healthy weekly bases in strong uptrends</li>
</ul>


The ITB US Home Construction ETF is now up 33% YTD and represents one of the biggest market surprises for me so far in 2023.
This group has flashed relative strength vs. the S&amp;P 500 since December 2022 and continues to one of the top performing groups.
After undergoing correction in 2022, the homebuilders sector has tons of weekly charts breaking out of long and healthy weekly bases in strong uptrends


<ul>
<li>We still recommend a tactical overweight to defensives (Staples, Utilities, Healthcare, and gold miners) as the SPX tests our 4165-4200 resistance range, and also resistance from the prior 1.5-month uptrend.</li>
<li>As we await Wednesdays FOMC announcement, the DJIA and Nasdaq Composite are testing 1-year resistances at 34,280 and 12,300, the DXY appears to be inflecting higher, and breadth remains weak.</li>
<li>While we still see a reach to 4300-4325 as possible, we believe playing for more upside is akin to picking up pennies in front of a steamroller.</li>
</ul>


We still recommend a tactical overweight to defensives (Staples, Utilities, Healthcare, and gold miners) as the SPX tests our 4165-4200 resistance range, and also resistance from the prior 1.5-month uptrend.
As we await Wednesdays FOMC announcement, the DJIA and Nasdaq Composite are testing 1-year resistances at 34,280 and 12,300, the DXY appears to be inflecting higher, and breadth remains weak.
While we still see a reach to 4300-4325 as possible, we believe playing for more upside is akin to picking up pennies in front of a steamroller.


S&P 500 Testing 4165-4200, DJIA Testing 34,280, Nasdaq Composite Testing 12,300; Stay Defensive

iShares Russell 2000 ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>The false breakout in the Russell 2000 (IWM) tells us that the mixed market environment is back, and we no longer see a broad-based bull market.</li>
<li>Key supports: 4545 on S&amp;P 500, $383 on NDX (QQQ), $208 on Russell 2000 (IWM), $135 on MicroCaps (IWC), $76.50 on MSCI EAFE (EFA), $54 on MSCI ACWI exUS (ACWX)</li>
<li>If supports hold we expect more consolidation and mixed markets ahead. However, if supports start to break we would turn bearish as we would expect a more significant correction.</li>
</ul>


The false breakout in the Russell 2000 (IWM) tells us that the mixed market environment is back, and we no longer see a broad-based bull market.
Key supports: 4545 on S&amp;P 500, $383 on NDX (QQQ), $208 on Russell 2000 (IWM), $135 on MicroCaps (IWC), $76.50 on MSCI EAFE (EFA), $54 on MSCI ACWI exUS (ACWX)
If supports hold we expect more consolidation and mixed markets ahead. However, if supports start to break we would turn bearish as we would expect a more significant correction.


U.S. Equity Strategy: Major Indexes Testing Critical Supports; Buying Consumer Discretionary Stocks

United States

PulteGroup Inc. sells and constructs homes, and purchases, develops, and sells residential land and develops active adult communities.  The Company also provides mortgage financing, title insurance, and other services to home buyers. Pulte has operations in various markets across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Pultegroup Inc (PHM US)

PulteGroup: Initiation of Coverage

PulteGroup Inc.'s earnings report for the second quarter of 2025 reflects a complex but strategically managed operational landscape. On the...

Baptista Research

DJI and Russell 2000 Breaking Out; Staying Bullish; Bullish Developments Continue

$DJI and Russell 2000 $IWM Breaking Out; Staying Bullish $SPX $QQQ; Bullish Developments Continue: DJI, IWM, $RSP Breakouts, RS on $XLP at new...

Vermilion Research

Weekly Stock Bullfinder - Week of 6/19

The ITB US Home Construction ETF is now up 33% YTD and represents one of the biggest market surprises for me so far in 2023.

Weekly Stock Bull Finder

S&P 500 Testing 4165-4200, DJIA Testing 34,280, Nasdaq Composite Testing 12,300; Stay Defensive

$SPX testing our 4165-4200 resistance range, $DJI testing 34,280 1-yr resistance, Nasdaq Comp $COMPQ testing critical 12,300 resistance. All while...

Vermilion Research

U.S. Equity Strategy: Major Indexes Testing Critical Supports; Buying Consumer Discretionary Stocks

Market dynamics have deteriorated along with the major averages, and many are testing critical supports; as long as supports hold we expect more...

Vermilion Research

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)