The markets responded to the upside during Monday’s trading session on the news that U.S. president Donald Trump returned back to the White House after being diagnosed with the coronavirus. One of the sectors ticking higher was materials, which fed into strength for certain exchange-traded funds (ETFs). “The materials Sector SPDR ETF rose 2% midday [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing has been of the few sectors that have been thriving amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and it’s causing energy investors to turn to ESG funds for returns. One of the subsectors of ESG they’re focusing on is clean energy. “After years of just bubbling under, the ESG megatrend has finally [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
Technology is one of the best-performing sectors this year and some market observers believe investors shouldn’t fret about how the results of Election Day will affect the sector. The First Trust Nasdaq-100 Tech Index (NasdaqGM: QTEC), which tracks the NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index, is one way for investors to position in technology stocks in preparation [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
Active non-transparent ETFs (ANTs) are increasing in number and some data points confirm the asset class is making inroads with financial advisors. With ANTs, active managers will be allowed to move from a mutual fund to an ETF wrapper, while allowing them to keep their strategies hidden from shareholders. These non-transparent ETFs would move the [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
With Election Day just a few weeks away, advisors may be examining avenues for reducing volatility within client portfolios. The Volatility Management Model Portfolio, which is part of WisdomTree’s broader universe of Modern Alpha model portfolios, can accomplish that objective. The Volatility Management Model Portfolio is “designed for investors who seek to incorporate alternative investments [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
Traditional energy stocks and the related exchange traded funds are being blasted this year, but some market observers see pockets of opportunity in the space. The VanEck Vectors Oil Refiners ETF (NYSEArca: CRAK) may one example. CRAK tracks the MVIS Global Oil Refiners Index. That index “is a rules-based, modified capitalization-weighted index intended to give investors [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
Regardless of what happens on Election Day, there could be looming changes to the Social Security system and that could put the Nationwide Risk-Managed Income ETF (NYSEArca: NUSI) in focus as income augmentation idea for investors. NUSI can act as a complement to traditional equity and fixed income allocations or as the ideal protective hedge [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
Over the past six months, the 3D Printing ETF (CBOE: PRNT), the lone ETF focusing on the 3D printing theme, is higher by an impressive 54%, but it the disruptive technology fund may not be getting the credit it deserves. What’s more important than the recent strength in PRNT is that there’s an increasingly strong [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
If small-cap stocks regain leadership roles, investors may want examine multi-factor exchange traded funds, including the Principal U.S. Small-Cap Multi-Factor Index ETF (NASDAQ: PSC). PSC’s underlying benchmark, the Nasdaq US Small Cap Select Leaders Index, “uses a quantitative model designed to identify equity securities (including growth and value stock) of small-capitalization companies in the Nasdaq [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
It’s going to take some time for S&P 500 dividends to return to pre-pandemic heights, but the FlexShares Quality Dividend Index Fund (NYSEArca: QDF) can help investors deal with a “new normal” for dividends. QDF’s underlying benchmark targets management efficiency or quantitative evaluation of a firm’s deployment of capital and its financing decisions. By using [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
There’s plenty of speculation regarding how the upcoming presidential election will affect the energy sector – both fossil fuels producers and renewables providers. The ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES) is an example of an exchange traded fund that’s already hot, but could gain even more momentum with a favorable Election Day result. Currently, consensus wisdom dictates that ACES [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
For many advisors, it’s hardly obvious what the next year holds. Looking beyond the short-term issues of political outcomes, we believe that advisors need to understand the broad themes that may continue to drive returns. In the upcoming webcast, A Better Pie: Asset Allocation for the Next 5 Years, Jim McDonald, Chief Investment Strategist, Northern [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
The development of environmental, social and governance based strategies could come against a wall after the U.S. Labor Department plans to make it more difficult for retirement plans to include socially responsible investments. The U.S. Labor Department in June proposed a rule that would make it more difficult for socially responsible funds that select securities [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
China country-related exchange traded funds have enjoyed a fast recovery after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted global economies, and the rebound in Chinese markets may still have legs. Over the past three months, the iShares MSCI China ETF (NASDAQ: MCHI), the largest China ETF by assets, increased 8.4% and the Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.
Natural gas futures and related exchange traded funds surged Monday on rising liquefied natural gas exports and on supply concerns as another hurricane threatens production off the Gulf of Mexico. The United States Natural Gas Fund (NYSEArca: UNG) increased 6.7% Monday as Nymex natural gas futures advanced 8.8% to $2.65 per million British thermal units. [...] Read more at ETFtrends.com.