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Strategy Note<\/strong><\/p>\n The first three quarters of 2025 are now complete, and markets enter the final stretch of the year with a strong finish from key growth and international segments. GLDM<\/strong>, SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust, was the clear standout \u2014 up\u00a047% year-to-date<\/strong>, outperforming both equities and bonds. Gold\u2019s strength reflects ongoing diversification and hedging themes amid persistent geopolitical uncertainty and expectations for lower real yields.<\/p>\n Among equities,\u00a0EEM<\/strong>\u00a0(iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF) surged\u00a027.8% YTD<\/strong>, followed by\u00a0EFA<\/strong>\u00a0(iShares MSCI EAFE ETF) at\u00a023.5%<\/strong>, signaling the continued leadership of non-U.S. markets in 2025. The performance of\u00a0GLDM<\/strong>,\u00a0EEM<\/strong>, and\u00a0EFA<\/strong>\u00a0relative to U.S. benchmarks reinforces the\u00a0de-dollarization narrative\u00a0t<\/strong>hat has been increasingly discussed by global strategists.<\/p>\n In U.S. markets,\u00a0small caps<\/strong>\u00a0represented by\u00a0IWM<\/strong>\u00a0staged a notable rebound, gaining\u00a012.1%<\/strong>\u00a0in Q3 though still trailing large-cap benchmarks year-to-date.\u00a0Growth stocks\u00a0continued to outperform value, with\u00a0VUG<\/strong>\u00a0outpacing\u00a0VTV<\/strong>\u00a0across all periods (1-month, 3-month, and YTD), defying early-year expectations of value dominance.\u00a0Healthcare (XLV<\/strong>)\u00a0led all U.S. sectors this week with a strong\u00a06.6% gain<\/strong>, boosted by rotation into defensive growth areas.\u00a0Utilities (XLU<\/strong>)\u00a0also rallied over\u00a02%<\/strong>, while\u00a0Communication Services (XLC<\/strong>)\u00a0and\u00a0Consumer Discretionary (XLY<\/strong>)\u00a0lagged. Looking ahead, the focus turns to the\u00a0Q4 earnings season\u00a0with key reports due from\u00a0Constellation Brands (STZ<\/strong>),\u00a0McCormick & Company (MKC<\/strong>),\u00a0AZZ Inc. (AZZ<\/strong>),\u00a0Applied Digital (APLD)<\/strong>, and\u00a0Apogee Industries (APOG<\/strong>).<\/p>\n ValuEngine projects\u00a0APLD<\/strong>\u00a0as the standout, with a\u00a013.2% 12-month forecasted gain\u00a0versus\u00a03.2% for SPLG<\/strong> (S&P 500 ETF). While\u00a0APLD<\/strong>\u00a0earns a\u00a0VE Rating of 5 (Strong Buy), it also carries high volatility and overvaluation risks. Among larger caps,\u00a0UBS<\/strong> and Disney (DIS<\/strong>)\u00a0both receive\u00a0Strong Buy\u00a0ratings and are considered\u00a0undervalued\u00a0by our model. With the\u00a0fourth quarter now underway, market attention will center on earnings guidance, interest rate expectations, and the potential continuation of the rotation into defensive and international assets.<\/p>\n www.ValuEngine.com<\/a>\u00a0(Valuengine, Inc) is a stock valuation and forecasting service founded by Ivy League finance academics. VE utilizes the most advanced quantitative techniques and analysis available to analyze over 4,200 US stocks, 700 US ETFs, and 1,000 Canadian stocks. Fair market valuations, forecasted target prices, and buy\/hold\/sell recommendations are updated DAILY.<\/p>\n www.ValuEngineCapital.com<\/a>\u00a0(ValuEngine Capital Management, LLC) is a Registered Investment Advisory firm that trades a variety of different portfolios based upon the ValuEngine.com research models. Each portfolio has a different risk\/return profile, so clients can be placed in strategies that fit their specific investment needs.<\/p>\n BLOG.VALUENGINE.COM\u00a0<\/a>for the full history of ValuEngine.com financial blog posts<\/p>\n _______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n Existing subscribers alert: ValuEngine has launched a completely redesigned and new website! Please check it out at\u00a0www.Valu<\/a>E<\/a>ngine.com<\/a><\/p>\n Free trials available for new subscribers. Over 4,200 stocks and 600 ETFs covered.<\/p>\n Full Two Week Free Trial\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n 5,000 stocks, 600 ETFs, 16 sector groups, and 140 industries updated on\u00a0www.ValuEngine.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n