With oil prices trending higher, among other factors, market participants are bracing for a renewed round of elevated inflation. That could stoke renewed interest in traditional inflation-fighting asset classes, but investors may not want to overlook the ability of Bitcoin to act as inflation protection.
Among U.S.-based original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) has a sizable, significantly profitable lead over the “big three” in the electric vehicle space, but on a global basis, the industry is evolving and close to a major inflection point.
Broadly speaking, large- and mega-cap tech stocks are far from bear market territory. But the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) closed 6% below its 52-week high last Friday.
With the widely followed Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index down almost 3% over the past month and in the red on a year-to-date basis, this might not be one of those times.
Following last year’s calamity in the bond market, it’s not surprising that advisors and investors are looking for new avenues through which to source income. That search is leading many market participants to options-based exchange traded funds, including covered call ETFs.
Undoubtedly, artificial intelligence (AI) is a disruptive technology. That implies some sectors and industries will be purveyors of disruption, while others could be adversely affected by it.
Prices of bitcoin and ethereum haven’t done much to spark enthusiasm in recent weeks. That lethargy could be belying significant appreciation potential.
Preferred stocks are what’s known as hybrid securities, meaning the asset class displays both equity and fixed income characteristics.
Small-cap stocks and related exchange traded funds are taking a back seat to large-cap counterparts this year. The Russell 2000 Index has shed almost 5% over the past month. However, some market observers remain constructive on smaller stocks.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is the form of artificial intelligence that’s generating the most buzz this year. Its applications in media/content generation and video, among other related uses, is making life easier and more efficient for scores of freelancers and gig workers.
It might be hard to believe after the crypto winter of 2022, but monetary tightening by global central banks could be supportive of Bitcoin upside.
Environmental, social, and governance policies and investing have become targets of political derision. That doesn’t dampen the need for corporations and governments to pursue agendas tied to climate change and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely viewed as the fuel for the rocket known as growth and technology stocks in 2023. While there is truth to that notion, there’s more to the story. Including the “magnificent seven” cadre of mega-cap growth names that are powering the market higher this year.
Many view growth stocks, including tech stocks, as sensitive to rising interest rates. Last year confirmed this thesis. That script has been flipped for the better this year as technology ranks as one of the best-performing groups in the S&P 500 despite multiple rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.
In arguably quiet fashion, active managers are performing admirably in 2023. An impressive percentage of active equity and fixed income funds beat their benchmarks in the first half of the year.
As the artificial intelligence (AI) investment thesis continues evolving, one benefit accrued by investors will be that it becomes easier to identify winners and losers.
Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market value, is mired in a slump. The decision in the Greyscale case stoked optimism that the SEC will eventually, finally approve spot bitcoin ETFs. Still, the bitcoin slump has erased all of the upside generated by the court ruling.
Recently, some clarity emerged on Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM) — two of the most important names in the semiconductor industry.
Growth stocks are getting the better of their value rivals this year. Still, that doesn’t mean exchange traded funds dedicated to value stocks are delivering losses. Rather, the opposite is true. It’s just that growth stocks are delivered better returns though the first eight months of the year.
An efficient avenue for asset managers and fund issuers to avoid regulatory scrutiny of products with the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) label is to ensure that those funds live up their ESG ETF billing. That can be accomplished with data-intensive approaches.
Though it encountered some hiccups last month amid fears the Federal Reserve isn’t done raising interest rates, tech remains one of this year’s best-performing sectors. Some analysts believe there’s more upside to come for the S&P 500’s largest sector weight.
A slew of recent polls, studies, and surveys confirmed the importance and relevance of ESG investing to younger investors.
Tuesday brought a decision felt throughout the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The United States Court of Appeals ruled that Grayscale can convert GBTC into a spot bitcoin exchange traded fund.
Broadly speaking, equity-based strategies fueled the initial boom in environmental, social, and governance exchange traded fund proliferation. As a result, criticism lobbed at ESG investing has focused on equity-based ESG funds.
Advisors and investors typically allocate to index funds and exchange traded funds linked to well-known benchmarks, such as the S&P 500, in the name of diversification. After all, these funds are homes to hundreds of stocks and those sizable rosters imply some level of diversity.
International stocks and the related exchange traded funds have accumulated bum reputations after lengthy spells of underperforming domestic equivalents.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) investing is taking the world by storm this year. With that, there are substantial, long-term investment implications.
Year-to-date, the largest exchange traded fund dedicated to real estate investment trusts (REITs) is saddled with a small loss, while the S&P 500 is higher by about 15%.
When it comes to large- and mega-cap stocks benefiting from the artificial intelligence (AI) craze, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) are among the obvious choices.
Approval of a spot bitcoin exchange traded fund in the U.S. is one of the most widely anticipated and delayed events in the roughly three-decade history of the ETF industry.
In 2023, it’s fair to say that artificial intelligence (AI) is one of this year’s most captivating investment themes. Add to that, from the perspectives of adoption, applications, and investing, AI is still in its infancy. This indicates market participants will be hearing about it for years to come.
For experienced and novice investors, there are myriad complexities associated with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings and scoring.
Broader domestic equity benchmarks turned in impressive showings through the first seven months of the year. A significant portion of that bullishness comes thanks to large- and mega-cap growth stocks.
Due to the energy-intensive nature of the bitcoin mining process, many consider miners and the digital currency itself detractors to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability objectives.
Wealthy market participants are flocking to this asset class in a significant fashion. Investors that have waded into the cryptocurrency space in incremental fashion and those building currently-small grubstakes may find this encouraging.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could finally change its tune regarding spot Bitcoin exchange traded funds. A notable rally in the largest cryptocurrency fueled speculation. And data indicate large institutional players are increasing their Bitcoin holdings.
With June being Pride Month, advisors and market participants are paying renewed attention to strategies relevant to the LGBTQ+ community.
Market news has always moved fast, but these days it moves faster than ever. The Monthly Market Tune Up Webcast Series is a monthly webcast where Tom Lydon and financial advisors break down the market news in real time and apply it to real portfolio construction strategies. Find out how the best strategists in the business are navigating the news of the moment.
Join VettaFi for a special webcast, Serving the Ultra High Net Worth Client - Insights and Opportunities, to hear stories from successful advisors serving the ultra-wealthy.
Opportunities and risk abound in the fixed income space as questions remain about whether or not the Fed will continue to tighten. With the long end of the curve starting to look appealing, but short end yields still being attractive, investors need to unpack how they are approaching the fixed income space. Join iMGP and VettaFi for a webcast that digs into how investors can capitalize on the return of fixed income.
Topics covered will include:
Interest rate volatility and inflationary pressures have continued to challenge income seeking investors. Rates may have topped out and where we’ll go from here remains to be seen. That’s why it’s important to understand where income opportunities may lie in our current markets while planning for the future. In this upcoming webcast you’ll hear from a fellow advisor who’s navigating these challenges for his clients, as well as from a fund manager that’ll outline factors to consider when evaluating income-focused investments.We invite you to join the experts at NEOS Investments and VettaFi as they highlight tax-efficient monthly income strategies across core portfolio exposures that may offer a compelling addition or alternative to current client allocations.
For more than a year now, there’s been ample discussion about whether or not the U.S. economy is in or approaching a recession. The surprisingly strong May jobs report out last Friday appears to have allayed some of those concerns.
According to the ICI, assets in money markets have ballooned to $5.3 trillion—the equivalent of the world’s 5th largest economy. And with so much cash sitting on the sidelines, a fundamental question persists. Are investors being compensated to wait? Find out why sitting in cash could be a risky proposition as inflation and economic growth show signs of slowing.
Don’t miss an in-depth conversation with fixed income experts from VettaFi and AllianceBernstein, who will share insights on how to position portfolios amid a challenging market environment.
Topics will include:
The two primary styles of dividend investing are growth and yield. In the latter, investors embrace stocks with what are deemed above-average yields — often from slower-growth sectors, such as utilities and real estate.
In this interactive session with three VettaFi Voices, you will learn where the money flowed into and out of in 2022, how advisors are utilizing ETFs in their practice to meet strategic and tactical client objectives, and what the focus will be in the year ahead. Get smarter about one of the most popular financial products and understand how they can help keep clients on the path to their financial goals.
Over the coming years, Direct Indexing is expected to grow at a faster rate than traditional financial products such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and separate accounts.* But what does it have to do with you and your clients?
Energy infrastructure has long attracted investors seeking income, but there are other notable investment benefits for today’s volatile markets. Energy infrastructure companies generate stable cash flows from fee-based businesses resulting in more defensive energy exposure.
