In any market decline like we've seen recently, there are some stocks that buck the trend. It shows that they have relative strength, and there are many reasons why a stock would hold up under pressure.
Here is a list of 15 stocks that have had a good week, in spite of the drubbing taken by the broader market.
Look for patterns, and I'll comment after the table.
The first thing that pops out from this list is the number of gold miners. Why is that? Because this time around, investors who were spooked sought refuge in gold. It's great to see this beaten-down group have a moment in the sun, but is it sustainable? Probably not, unless things go from bad to worse or even worser.
The biggest winner this week was a tobacco stock, Pyxus. I was a smoker for many years, and I can tell you that no matter what was happening in the economy or the market, I did not change my buying habits when it came to my addiction to nicotine.
The rest of the list is a mixed bag of different companies from various industries. I don't see much of a pattern here, but it's still instructive to look at a list of winners in an environment of losers.