ETFs
Top-ranked ETFs that outperformed the market in the first half
Wall Street ended the first half of the year on a high. The S&P 500 index gained 14.5% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 3.8%. The Nasdaq Composite Index outperformed, climbing 18.1%. The enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI), bets on rate cuts and strong corporate earnings growth were the main catalysts for the stock rally and will continue to do so for the rest of the year. Wall Street analysts have become more bullish on stocks, citing these factors as a strong combination of factors.
In the current scenario, investors should bet on ETFs that were winners in the first half of the year and have a solid Zacks ETF Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). VanEck Vectors Semiconductor Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) SMH, iShares Broader Technology Sector ETF IGM, SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth Exchange Traded Fund SPY, iShares Russell Top 200 Growth Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) IWY and Invesco ETF AI and Next Generation Software IGPT.
The Magnificent Seven were the biggest growth drivers for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. About 60% of the gains came from mega-cap tech companies: NVIDIA (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Meta Platforms (META), and Apple (AAPL). NVIDIA alone accounted for 31% of the market’s gain in the first half of the year. With this latest surge, NVIDIA, Apple, and Microsoft are in the race to become the world’s most valuable company, reaching a market cap of $4 trillion on the back of growing enthusiasm for AI capabilities. This tech-driven momentum is likely to continue through at least the summer (read: Tech Sector Leads First-Half Rally: Top 5 ETFs).
At the last FOMC meeting, U.S. policymakers forecast just one rate cut this year and four cuts by 2025. The Fed changed the wording of its statement, noting “modest further progress toward the committee’s 2 percent inflation target.” The statement had previously noted a “lack” of further progress. Low rates reduce the cost of borrowing, which is often needed to finance business expansion, thereby boosting economic growth. Low rates generally reduce the appeal of fixed-income investments like bonds, prompting investors to seek higher yields in stock markets.
Second-quarter earnings are expected to be strong. According to the Zacks Earnings Trends report, second-quarter earnings for the S&P 500 will be up 8.3% from the same period last year, driven by a 4.6% revenue increase. This is the strongest pace of quarterly earnings growth since the 9.9% growth in the first quarter of 2022 and would follow earnings growth of 6.7% on revenue gains of 3.2% in the first quarter of 2024.
Moreover, a strong first half for the S&P 500 index historically bodes well for the rest of the year. Since the early 1950s, when the index climbed more than 10% through June, it has risen an average of about 10% in the second half, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. However, high valuations, the U.S. presidential election in November and uncertainty about the path of interest rate cuts will weigh on stocks in the second half of this year.
We have introduced the above mentioned ETFs in detail below:
VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) – Up 49.3%
The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF provides exposure to companies involved in semiconductor manufacturing and equipment. It tracks the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index and holds 26 stocks in its basket. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF has $22.3 billion in assets under management and charges 35 bps in annual fees and expenses. SMH trades in an average daily volume of 7 million shares and is ranked #1 in the Zacks ETF.
iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) – Up 27.2%
The iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF provides broad exposure to the technology sector and technology-related companies in the communication services and consumer discretionary sectors. It tracks the S&P North American Expanded Technology Sector Index, holding 282 stocks in its basket. The iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF has $5 billion in assets under management and charges 41 bps in annual fees. It trades in an average daily volume of 397,000 shares and is ranked #1 in the Zacks ETF Rank.
SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF (SPYG) – Up 24.4%
The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF tracks the S&P 500 Growth Index, holding 231 stocks in its basket with a heavy concentration in the top three companies. It has a large exposure to the information technology sector with a 51.2% allocation, while communication services and consumer discretionary round out the next two spots. The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF has accumulated $28.9 billion in its asset base and charges investors 4 bps in annual fees. Volume is good, with 2.3 million shares traded per day on average. SPYG has a Zacks ETF Rank #2 (read: Growth ETFs Shine in H1: What’s in Store for H2?).
iShares Russell Top 200 Growth ETF (IWY) – Up 24%
The iShares Russell Top 200 Growth ETF provides exposure to large U.S. companies that are expected to grow at an above-average rate relative to the market. It tracks the Russell Top 200 Growth Index and holds 106 stocks in its basket. The iShares Russell Top 200 Growth ETF holds key holdings in information technology, communications, and consumer discretionary, with double-digit exposure to each of these sectors. The iShares Russell Top 200 Growth ETF has accumulated $12 billion in assets and trades in an average daily volume of 344,000 shares. It has an expense ratio of 0.20% and is ranked #2 in the Zacks ETF Rank.
Invesco AI and Next-Generation Software ETF (IGPT) – Up 22.8%
Invesco AI and Next Gen Software ETF groups companies with significant exposure to technologies or products that contribute to the future development of software through direct revenues. It holds 100 stocks in its basket and charges 60 bps of fees per year to investors. Invesco AI and Next Gen Software ETF has accumulated $382 million in its asset base and trades on average at a volume of 73,000 shares per day. It is ranked #1 by Zacks ETF (read: Can NVIDIA’s AI Chip Dominance Continue?).
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VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH): ETF Research Reports
iShares Expanded Tech Sector (IGM) ETF: ETF Research Reports
iShares Russell Top 200 Growth ETF (IWY): ETF Research Reports
SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF (SPYG): ETF Research Reports
Invesco AI and Next Gen Software ETF (IGPT): ETF Research Reports
ETFs
Missed the Bull Market Resumption? 3 ETFs to Help You Build Wealth for Decades
The market’s rebound from the 2022 bear market was not only unexpected. It was also bigger than expected. S&P 500 The stock price is up 60% from the bear market low, despite no clear signs at the time that such a rally was in the works. Chances are you missed at least part of this current rally.
If so, don’t be discouraged: you’re in good company. You’re also far from financially ruined. While you can’t go back and make up for the missed opportunity, for long-term investors, the growth potential is much greater.
If you want to make sure you don’t miss the next big bull run, you might want to tweak your strategy a bit. This time around, you might try buying fewer stocks and focusing more on exchange traded funds (or ETFs), which are often easier to hold when things get tough for the overall market.
With that in mind, here’s a closer look at three very different ETFs to consider buying that could – collectively – complement your portfolio brilliantly.
Let’s start with the basics: dividend growth
Most investors naturally favor growth, choosing growth stocks to achieve that goal. And the strategy usually works. However, most long-term investors may not realize that they can get the same type of net return with boring dividend stocks like the ones held in the portfolio. Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEMKT: VIG) which reflects the S&P US Dividend Growth Index.
As the name suggests, this Vanguard fund and its underlying index hold stocks that not only pay consistent dividends, but also have a history of consistently increasing dividends. To be included in the S&P US Dividend Growers Index, a company must have increased its dividend every year for at least the past 10 years. In most cases, however, they have been doing so for much longer.
The ETF’s current dividend yield of just under 1.8% isn’t exactly exciting. In fact, it’s so low that investors might wonder how this fund is keeping up with the broader market, let alone growth stocks. What’s being grossly underestimated here is the sheer magnitude of these stocks. dividend growthOver the past 10 years, its dividend per share has nearly doubled, and more than tripled from 15 years ago.
The reason is that solid dividend stocks generally outperform their non-dividend-paying counterparts. Calculations by mutual fund firm Hartford indicate that since 1973, S&P 500 stocks with a long history of dividend growth have averaged a single-digit annual return, compared with a much more modest 4.3% annual gain for non-dividend-paying stocks, and an average annual return of just 7.7% for an equal-weighted version of the S&P 500. The numbers confirm that there’s a lot to be said for reliable, consistent income.
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Then add capital appreciation through technology
That said, there’s no particular reason why your portfolio can’t also hold something a little more volatile than a dividend-focused holding. If you can stomach the volatility that’s sure to continue, take a stake in the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ).
This Invesco ETF (often called the “cubes” or the triple-Q) is based on the Nasdaq-100 index. Typically, this index consists of 100 of the Nasdaq Composite IndexThe index is one of the largest non-financial indices at any given time. It is updated quarterly, although extreme imbalance situations may result in unplanned rebalancing of the index.
That’s not what makes this fund a must-have for many investors, though. It turns out that most high-growth tech companies choose to list their shares through the Nasdaq Sotck exchange rather than other exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock ExchangeNames like Apple, MicrosoftAnd Nvidia are not only Nasdaq-listed securities. They are also the top holdings of this ETF, with Amazon, Meta-platformsand Google’s parent company AlphabetThese are of course some of the highest-yielding stocks on the market in recent years.
This won’t always be the case. Just as companies like Nvidia and Apple have squeezed other names out of the index to make room for their stocks, these current names could also be replaced by other names (although it will likely be a while before that happens). It’s the proverbial life cycle of the market.
This shift, however, will likely be driven by technology companies that are offering revolutionary products and services. Owning a stake in the Invesco QQQ Trust is a simple, low-cost way to ensure you’re invested in at least most of their stocks at the perfect time.
Don’t forget indexing, but try a different approach
Finally, while Triple-Q and Vanguard Dividend Appreciation funds are smart ways to diversify your portfolio over the long term, the good old indexing strategy still works. In other words, rather than risk underperforming the market by trying to beat it, stick to tracking the long-term performance of a broad stock index.
Most investors will opt for something like the SPDR S&P 500 Exchange Traded Fund (NYSEMKT:SPY), which of course mirrors the large-cap S&P 500 index. And if you already own one, great: stick with it.
If and when you have some spare cash to put to good use, consider starting a mid-cap funds as the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (NYSEMKT: IJH) instead. Why? Because you’ll likely get better results with this ETF than you will with large-cap index funds. Over the past 30 years, S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index significantly outperformed the S&P 500.
^MID Chart
The disparate degree of gains actually makes sense. While no one disputes the solid foundations on which most S&P 500 companies are built, they are in many ways victims of their own size: It’s hard to get bigger when you’re already big. This is in contrast to the mid-cap companies that make up the S&P 400 Mid Cap Index. These organizations have moved past their rocky, shaky early years and are just entering their era of high growth. Not all of them will survive this phase, but companies like Advanced microsystems And Super microcomputer Those that survive end up being incredibly rewarding to their patient shareholders.
Should You Invest $1,000 in iShares Trust – iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF Right Now?
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John Mackey, former CEO of Amazon’s Whole Foods Market, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, former director of market development and spokesperson for Facebook and sister of Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. James Brumley has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard Specialized Funds – Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Nasdaq and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a position in Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard Specialized Funds – Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Nasdaq and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. disclosure policy.
Missed the Bull Market Resumption? 3 ETFs to Help You Build Wealth for Decades was originally published by The Motley Fool
ETFs
This Simple ETF Could Turn $500 a Month Into $1 Million
This large-cap ETF offers investors the potential for above-market returns while minimizing risk.
It’s always inspiring to hear stories of people who invested in a company and made tons of money as the company grew and became successful. While these stories are a testament to the power of investing, they can also be misleading. That’s not because it doesn’t happen often, but because you don’t have to make a big splash on a single company to make a lot of money in the stock market.
Invest regularly in exchange traded funds (AND F) is a great way to build wealth. ETFs allow you to invest in dozens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of companies in a single investment. For investors looking for an ETF that can help them become millionaires, look no further than the Vanguard Growth ETFs (VUG 0.61%).
A history of outperforming the market
Since its launch in January 2004, this ETF has outperformed the market (based on S&P 500 Back), with an average total return of around 11.6%. The returns are even more impressive when looking back over the past decade, with the ETF posting an average total return of around 15.7%.
The ETF’s past success doesn’t mean it will continue on this path, but for the sake of illustration, let’s take a middle ground and assume it averages about 13% annual returns over the long term. Averaging those returns, monthly investments of $500 could top the $1 million mark in just over 25 years.
Assuming (emphasis on the word “assume”) that the ETF continues to generate an average total return of 15.7% over the past decade, investing $500 a month could get you past $1 million in about 23 years. At an annual return of 11.6%, that would take nearly 28 years.
There is no way to predict the future performance of the ETF, but the most important thing is the power of time and Compound profit. Earning $1 million by saving alone is a difficult and unachievable task for most people. However, it becomes much more achievable if you give yourself time and make regular investments, no matter how small.
So why choose the Vanguard Growth ETF?
This ETF can offer investors the best of both worlds. On the one hand, since it only contains large cap stocksIt offers more stability and less volatility than you typically find with smaller growth stocks. At the other end, the focus on growth means it is built with the goal of outperforming the market.
Investing involves a tradeoff between risk and return, and this ETF falls somewhere in the middle for the most part. That’s not just because it only contains large-cap stocks. It’s also because large-cap stocks are leading the way. Here are the ETF’s top 10 holdings:
- Microsoft: 12.60%
- Apple: 11.51%
- Nvidia: 10.61%
- Alphabet (both share classes): 7.54%
- Amazon: 6.72%
- Meta-platforms: 4.21%
- Eli Lilly: 2.88%
- You’re here: 1.98%
- Visa: 1.72%
The Vanguard Growth ETF is not as diversified as other broad ETFs, with the top 10 holdings making up nearly 60% of the fund and the “The Magnificent Seven” with stocks accounting for about 55%. However, many of these companies (particularly mega-cap technology stocks) have been among the best performers in the stock market over the past decade and still have great growth opportunities ahead of them.
Big tech stocks are expected to continue to see growth in areas such as cloud computing, artificial intelligenceand cybersecurity; Eli Lilly will benefit from advances in biotechnologyTesla is one of the leaders in electric vehicles, which are still in the early stages of development; and Visa is expected to be one of the forerunners as the world moves toward more digital payments.
ETF concentration adds risk, especially if Microsoft, Apple or Nvidia is experiencing a slowdownBut these companies are well positioned to drive long-term growth despite any short-term setbacks that may arise. Consistent investments over time in the Vanguard Growth ETF should pay off for investors.
Randi Zuckerberg, former head of market development and spokesperson for Facebook and sister of Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Stefon Walters has positions in Apple and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a position in shares of Apple and Microsoft. disclosure policy.
ETFs
Ethereum ETFs Could Bring in $1 Billion a Month
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Kraken’s chief strategy officer Thomas Perfumo predicted that Ethereum ETFs could attract between $750 million and $1 billion in monthly investments.
“Market sentiment is being priced in. I think the market has priced in something like $750 million to $1 billion of net inflows into Ethereum ETF products each month,” Perfumo said.
In the interviewPerfumo noted that if inflows exceed expectations, it could provide strong support to the industry and potentially drive Ethereum to new record highs.
This creates positive support for the industry, if we go beyond that, note that Bitcoin was at a rate above $2.5 billion
He said
Moreover, the hype around Ethereum ETFs has already sparked some optimism among investors. After the SEC approved the 19b-4 filing, Ethereum’s price jumped 22%, attracting investment into crypto assets.
This price movement shows how sensitive the market is to regulatory changes and the growth potential once ETFs are approved.
Perfumo also highlighted other factors supporting current market sentiment, including the upcoming US elections and a potential interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Recent US CPI data suggests disinflation on a monthly and annual basis, with some traditional firms predicting rate cuts as early as September.
These broader economic factors, combined with developments in the crypto space, are shaping the overall market outlook.
Regarding Kraken’s strategy, Perfumo highlighted the exchange’s goal of driving cryptocurrency adoption through strategic initiatives. When asked about rumors of Kraken going public, he reiterated that the company’s intention is instead to broaden cryptocurrency adoption.
Read also : Invesco, Galaxy Cut Ether ETF Fees to 0.25% in Competitive Market
ETFs
Kraken Executive Expects Ethereum ETF Launch to “Lift All Boats”
Kraken Chief Strategy Officer Thomas Perfumemo said: Ethereum ETFs (ETH) could help the crypto sector while commenting on political developments in the United States.
On July 12, Perfumo told Bloomberg that spot Ethereum ETFs would attract capital flows while drawing attention to crypto, noting:
“It’s a rising tide, which lifts the whole history of the boat.”
Perfumo further explained that the final value of Ethereum “depends on the Ethereum ETF.”
He said the cryptocurrency market is “pricing in” between $750 million and $1 billion in net inflows into Ethereum products on a monthly basis, which would imply that Ethereum could reach all-time highs between $4,000 and $5,000.
Perfumo also compared expectations to Bitcoin’s all-time high in March, which he called a “silent spike” that occurred without any evidence of millions of new investors entering the industry.
Political evolution
Perfumo also commented on political developments. At the beginning of the interview, he said that the results of the US elections “will set the tone for policymaking and the legislative agenda for the next four years.”
He also stressed the importance of legislative action and clarity and noted that recent developments show bipartisan support in Congress.
The House recently voted to pass the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21) and attempted to repeal controversial SEC accounting rules with the Senate. However, the president Joe Biden Chosen to veto The resolution.
Perfume said:
“Even if you encounter obstacles at the executive level, [there’s] “There is still good progress to come.”
He added that the Republican Party appears “more pro-crypto.” [and] “more progressive” on the issue, noting Donald Trump plans to attend the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville.
Trump has also made numerous statements in support of pro-crypto policy, including at recent campaign events in Wisconsin And San Francisco.
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