A Message From Behind the Markets

Fellow Investor,

Yesterday, the deadline hit.

The biggest energy deadline in American history...

And it's now aimed its full firepower at ONE company.

If you missed it, you're not too late.

Yet.

See, on July 4th, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act killed the federal tax credits that powered alternative energy for years.

But here's what almost nobody knows:

When the White House killed credits for solar, wind, EVs, and every other renewable energy source in America…

They left one untouched.

Not only that - they reclassified it alongside oil and nuclear...

And gave it eight years of credits.

Because in June 2025, a drilling crew working near the Grand Canyon...

Unearthed a well of clean energy producing almost 8 times the output of the largest oil well in Saudi Arabia...

Capable of powering civilization for two million years.

Right here on American soil.

Everything changed that day.

Google signed a 15-year contract...

Bill Gates wrote a $100 million check.

And on July 4th, the government handed this energy source its biggest advantage ever.

One company owns the entire chain.

Yesterday's deadline is behind us.

Now every day you wait, the "early investor" window gets smaller.

I recommend placing your trade before Monday's market open.

Go here now for the Grand Canyon breakthrough ticker >>

"The Buck Stops Here,"

Dylan Jovine, CEO and Founder
Behind the Markets

3 Pharmaceutical Stocks That Offer Safety and Growth

By Chris Markoch. Date Posted: 11/12/2026.

Market volatility is unpleasant, but investors shouldn't feel forced to choose between safety and growth. Over the last two years, technology stocks, particularly AI stocks, have driven strong portfolio gains for both active and passive investors.

In 2026, the story has changed. That doesn't mean the tech trade is over, but as the new year approaches, many investors are looking for places to wait out the volatility. This has renewed interest in dividend-paying stocks.

Finding the best options in this sector may require a more active approach to stock picking. One area to watch is pharmaceuticals. These companies have defensive qualities because patients will prioritize the drugs and therapies they provide in any economic environment.

Pharmaceutical stocks can also offer reliable, growing dividends. Skeptics may note that these companies often pay dividends to offset slower growth, which can lag the market. That's fair, but several names have growth catalysts, so investors don't have to sacrifice growth for safety.

AbbVie: The Dividend King That Continues to Earn Investor Trust

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is part of the exclusive category of stocks known as Dividend Kings. To qualify, companies must have increased their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years. AbbVie has done so for 53 years, including the dividend history of its former parent, Abbott Laboratories. The forward dividend yield of approximately 2.47% isn't the main story; it's the annualized payout per share, which will rise to $7.28 following the company's latest hike in October 2026. The higher quarterly payment begins in February 2027.

The safety of that payout comes from both current and future revenue. AbbVie has successfully navigated the Humira patent cliff with Rinvoq and Skyrizi. The company also has a deep pipeline in areas such as immunology and oncology, as well as the balance sheet to make strategic acquisitions, such as its acquisition of Apogee Therapeutics, that complement its core portfolio.

ABBV is up nearly 30% in 2026, with much of that growth coming in the last three months as investors have sought more defensive investments. But that tells only part of the story. AbbVie's total return, including reinvested dividends, is 590.11% over the last 10 years.

Merck: New Drugs Build a Bridge Beyond KEYTRUDA

Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) is another biopharma stock to consider. As with AbbVie, the case for Merck starts with a category-leading drug: its lung cancer treatment, KEYTRUDA. In Q3 2026, Merck reported that KEYTRUDA sales reached $8.6 billion, a 6% increase.

However, Merck is seeing newer drugs begin to gain traction. These include WINREVAIR, whose sales increased 94% to $694 million, and WELIREG, whose sales rose 58% to $307 million.

That's important because, like AbbVie's Humira, KEYTRUDA faces an upcoming threat from biosimilar competition. The sooner the company can replace KEYTRUDA revenue, the better for shareholders. To that end, Merck has a deep pipeline of drugs in various stages of clinical development.

Merck has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years. The current yield is near 2.3%, and the annual payout per share is $3.40.

Gilead Sciences: HIV Prevention Powers Growth and a Steady Dividend

As with AbbVie and Merck, the case for Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) starts with a franchise that leads its category: HIV. In the third quarter, the company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $2.55, compared with expectations of $2.19, and revenue of $8.3 billion, compared with expectations of $7.81 billion. Revenue rose 6.8% year over year. Management also raised its 2026 product sales outlook to roughly $31 billion–$31.3 billion on strong HIV demand.

Biktarvy remains the workhorse. Sales grew 10% to $4.1 billion, and its U.S. market share reached a record 53%. The bigger story is Yeztugo, Gilead’s twice-yearly prevention injection. It generated $305 million, compared with $39 million a year ago. Descovy sales rose 49% to $1 billion. Outside HIV, Trodelvy sales increased 42% to $506 million. That progress matters as Gilead works to reduce its reliance on a single drug.

The dividend is the anchor. Gilead has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years. The annual payout per share is $3.28, and the stock yields close to 2%. The yield is lower than AbbVie’s or Merck’s because the stock has run up. Shares recently reached a 52-week high, trading as high as $176.05. That leaves the stock near MarketBeat’s consensus target price of about $171. Investors are buying a quality business, but they should set realistic short-term expectations.

Investors Have Many Options in the Pharmaceutical Sector

Opportunities to combine dividend income with growth potential aren't limited to pharmaceutical manufacturers. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) offers a different approach through its health insurance and services businesses. UNH provides insurance coverage and pharmacy services that help patients access prescriptions from companies such as AbbVie, Merck, and Gilead Sciences.

While the company faces reimbursement and medical-cost pressures, a recovery in operating margins could provide an additional growth catalyst for investors willing to accept those risks.

A Message From Weiss Ratings

Dear Reader,

The GOP was wiped out in the election …and many are worried about what will now happen to the stock market.

But here’s the deal:

There’s a $3 trillion crisis coming which is an even bigger threat to the stock market.

And it’s highly unlikely the Democrats can stop it, because this crisis has already begun.

It’s a ticking "time bomb" sitting under your retirement account, your annuity, your pension, your stock and bond portfolio and your bank … even in places where you think your money is safe.

It could soon unleash a disaster bigger than what we all lived through in 2007–08 …

Reuters reports, “alarm bells echo 2007 subprime warnings.”

But nobody in power is listening.

Bestselling author Dr. Martin Weiss just recorded a free briefing on this coming crisis …

It reveals five specific steps you can take to protect your wealth and potentially come out ahead.

Go here now to see why there’s worse news for the markets than Democrat control of Congress …

Eliza Lasky
Weiss Advocate

Are These 2 Mid-Cap Growth Stocks Worth the Risk?

By Nathan Reiff. Originally Published: 11/9/2026.

As the AI sell-off continues to challenge many of the gains the tech sector made throughout the year, investors may be looking for opportunities outside that space—and even beyond large- or mega-cap names entirely.

Top mid-cap growth names like Affirm Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AFRM) and DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG) stand out not only for their individual performance but also for their roles in two industries capitalizing on changing consumer habits.

Both companies reported their latest earnings on Nov. 5, 2026, posting strong growth while also facing challenges that could weigh on their stocks. For investors willing to tolerate volatility, the question is whether their longer-term growth potential outweighs those risks.

Affirm: Buy-Now-Pay-Later Business Delivers 34% Growth

Affirm is a fintech firm that provides a buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) platform with flexible payment options for customers.

Amid inflation and concerns about consumer affordability, BNPL platforms have grown in popularity. A 2026 J.D. Power survey found that more than 37% of American consumers had used BNPL services within a 90-day period.

Affirm's Q1 fiscal 2027 earnings results reflect this growing engagement.

The company saw 34% year-over-year (YOY) gross merchandise volume (GMV) growth and established a full-fiscal-year floor of at least 30% growth in this area. At the same time, revenue climbed 35% YOY to $1.26 billion, beating the analyst estimate of approximately $1.21 billion. Earnings per share (EPS) came in more than nine cents above analysts' expectations.

Still, the market responded by sending AFRM shares down around 8% in after-hours trading following the report.

This suggests that, despite strong financial performance and broad support from Wall Street analysts, an earnings win does not necessarily lead to immediate price appreciation. On the other hand, this may be an opportunity to enter a position in AFRM at a discount if its growth trajectory remains steady.

DraftKings: Predictions Bet Adds Opportunity—and Execution Risk

Sports betting is a rapidly growing market made possible by regulatory changes, mobile accessibility, and increased customer interest. DraftKings is already one of the leading companies in the industry and has also recently launched a prediction market to capitalize on a related and highly popular trend.

Building out the predictions platform will require significant capital and time. Meanwhile, DraftKings' Q3 2026 earnings report highlighted the value and growth potential of its core operations.

Revenue increased by more than 16% YOY, though losses per share were wider than analysts had predicted. Sports revenue led the way, growing 31.5% YOY, while monthly unique payers increased 13% over the same period. This last metric, in particular, highlights that DraftKings may still have considerable room to grow its customer base.

The question for the company is how to translate that engagement into more revenue—average revenue per monthly unique payer increased by only 3% last quarter—and, crucially, into sustained profitability.

DraftKings' Predictions platform may be the missing piece that makes this possible. However, it will take time to scale further, and investors will likely have to contend with uncertainty around costs, performance, and profitability in the meantime.

Execution risk may overshadow the potential for some investors, although, like Affirm, Wall Street is quite bullish overall on DKNG stock.

Critically, DraftKings also trimmed its guidance in its latest earnings report, a move that is unlikely to reverse the 46% year-to-date (YTD) decline in its share price in the near term.

Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF: A Lower-Risk Alternative

Investors who see growth potential in mid-caps more broadly but are unwilling to accept the risk of either company above could consider a broader exchange-traded fund like the Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA: VO).

With a return of 12.6% YTD, this fund has solidly outperformed both individual stocks in 2026.

Investors get access to VO's 279 holdings for an annual fee of 0.03%, which is quite low even among the low-cost, broad-based ETFs increasingly common in the space.

The breadth of VO's portfolio—including the fact that no single position represents more than about 1% of the basket—may offer some of the growth potential of individual companies like those above while mitigating individual-stock risk. This gives less risk-tolerant investors an opportunity to pursue both goals with a single investment.