Against the backdrop of the aggressive COVID-19 vaccination rollout and an improved outlook for the U.S. economy, Morningstar equity analysts increased their fair value estimates of cyclical stocks at a stepped-up pace during the first-quarter earnings season. These fair value estimate upgrades were led by basic-materials companies bolstered by a strong pricing environment; communications companies riding an improved advertising landscape; and asset managers buoyed by continued strength in the stock market. Morningstar equity analysts conduct fundamental analysis and create a financial model to determine a company's intrinsic value and a fair value for its stock. While our analysts stick to a long-term approach to investing, they monitor quarterly earnings results to update their assumptions and potentially their estimates.