Pivotal Decisions
Ahead of a pivotal week of consequential decisions, U.S. equity markets posted a second-straight week of declines as investors parsed a relatively disappointing slate of employment and inflation data. The pivotal Nonfarm Payrolls report showed that the U.S. economy added just 12k jobs in October - the weakest month since 2020 - with notably weaker trends under the surface. Private employment declined by 28k during the month, fueled by the largest plunge in manufacturing employment since the pandemic shutdown, alongside job declines in retail, transportation, and hospitality.
Why I'm Loading Up on These 3 High-Dividend ETFs for Passive Income
These ETFs provide different types of income.
Lots of ETF Milestones to Celebrate
We love to celebrate ETF milestones at VettaFi, whether it is a well-established ETF hitting an even higher round number or newer products proving that age is not a factor. Last week, the first U.S.-listed ETF, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), crossed a new threshold.
A Time for Portfolio Reflection
For some people, the early days of the fourth calendar quarter is a good time for reflection. In life and certainly in portfolios.
An October Surprise
U.S. equity markets extended gains to a fourth-straight week despite a resurgence in benchmark interest rates after a critical slate of employment data showed surprisingly strong labor market trends. One of several strong employment reports, Nonfarm Payrolls data showed that the U.S. economy added 254k jobs in September - the strongest in six months and well above consensus estimates. Combined with a nearly 10% surge in crude oil prices driven by renewed Middle East tensions, markets reflected a significantly less aggressive Fed rate cut path in the months ahead.
7 Dividend Stocks I'm Buying As The Recession Debate Rages
The ongoing debate on whether the economy will face a recession or achieve a soft landing continues, with mixed opinions from experts. Despite my longstanding recession prediction, the economic expansion has been extended due to delayed deployment of pandemic-era savings. Tariffs have not benefited American manufacturing, leading to higher input costs, disrupted supply chains, and a slump in manufacturing jobs and output.
Bond ETF flows this year just topped annual record set in 2021
Investors are flocking to bond ETFs this year, according to State Street.
5 Most-Loved ETFs of Last Week
ETFs across various categories pulled in $8.6 billion in capital last week, with U.S. fixed-income ETFs leading the way.
Active, Crypto & Core ETFs, Oh My
Approximately 150 U.S.-listed ETFs gathered more than $1 billion in the first eight months of 2024. As I looked through the leaderboard, a few key themes jumped out.
Complement Your Core Bond Exposure With This Income ETF
Given the recent market volatility, investors have been flocking to bonds. With the expectation of rate cuts to come and subsequently falling yields, fixed income investors can complement their current core exposure with the NEOS Enhanced Income Aggregate Bond ETF (BNDI).
iShares Hits $1 Trillion in Fixed Income ETFs Globally
Fixed income ETFs continue to gain traction globally. As of August 2024, the asset category managed $2.5 trillion in assets, with iShares managing $1 trillion alone.
Rates Down, REITs Up
Rates down, REITs up? Two years of persistent rate-driven pressure on residential and commercial real estate markets appears to finally be abating as the worst of pandemic-era inflationary pressures subside. Since the "pivot' in early July, the REIT Index has outpaced the S&P 500 by 10 percentage points. Despite this rebound, REITs still have 35 percentage points of "catch-up" to do. REITs aren't quite as "cheap" now as they were at the end of June, but that's not such a bad thing: premium equity valuations are the "fuel" for REITs' external growth.
