Apple on Saturday said it has identified a few issues which can cause new iPhones to run warmer than expected, including a bug in the iOS 17 software which will be fixed in an upcoming update.
Meta Platforms stock put the broader market to shame in September with its standout performance, and the tech giant still looks like a top FAANG pick at current levels.
The iPhone has been the product that's driven Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) for 15 years, but it's now such a good product that new models are only slight upgrades from previous versions. Combine that with prices that make the iPhone extremely expensive, and you face a challenge growing a
Warren Buffett doesn't invest in what he doesn't understand, and he has readily admitted that he doesn't understand artificial intelligence (AI). So does that mean the legendary investor doesn't have any AI stocks in his portfolio? Nope.
The
iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (
NYSEARCA:IGM)
is a comprehensive ETF that gives investors exposure to the full spectrum of the North American tech sector, as it includes key tech-related stocks that aren't always included in tech ETFs. I believe this $3.1 billion ETF from BlackRock’s (
NYSE:BLK
) iShares is a good way to invest in a broad swath of the tech sector and an attractive investment opportunity overall. Let's dive in.
What is IGM ETF’s Strategy?
According to iShares, IGM seeks to give investors “broad exposure to the technology sector, and technology-related companies in the communication services and consumer discretionary sectors," and it invests in "hardware, software, internet marketing, interactive media, and related companies.”
This inclusion of “technology-related companies in the communication services and consumer discretionary sectors” is key, as it gives investors exposure to stocks that are often conspicuous in their absence from other tech ETFs, as we’ll discuss below.
IGM's Top Holdings
As the name implies, IGM invests in an expanded swath of the tech sector. The ETF holds 280 positions, and its top 10 holdings account for 54.2% of the fund. Below, you’ll find an overview of
IGM’s top 10 holdings using TipRanks’ holdings tool.
As you can see, Alphabet (
NASDAQ:GOOGL
) is the fund’s top holding, followed by other blue-chip technology stocks like Apple (
NASDAQ:AAPL
), Microsoft (
NASDAQ:MSFT
), Nvidia (
NASDAQ:NVDA
) and Meta Platforms (
NASDAQ:META
).
The inclusion of Alphabet and Meta Platforms is notable. While these are often some of the first names that come to mind when we think of technology stocks, they are not always found in other leading tech ETFs.
This is because many indices classify these stocks within the communications services sector. Because of this, you’ll find that top tech ETFs like the
Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (
NYSEARCA:XLK)
eschew Alphabet and Meta Platforms. These stocks are instead found in the
Communication Services Select Sector SDPR Fund (
NYSEARA:XLC)
, which groups them with companies like AT&T (
NYSE:T
) and Verizon (
NYSE:VZ
).
Other top tech ETFs like the
Fidelity MSCI Information Technology ETF (
NYSEARCA:FTEC)
and the
iShares Global Tech ETF (
IXN)
also pass over these types of stocks. These are all good ETFs, but they all have different ways of classifying what is and isn't a technology stock.
Meanwhile, the
Invesco QQQ Trust (
NASDAQ:QQQ)
, another top tech ETF, gives investors access to all of these stocks. However, it’s important to note that QQQ simply invests in the Nasdaq 100 (
NDX
) index, which is not exclusive to tech stocks, so the fund has large positions in non-tech stocks like Pepsi (
NASDAQ:PEP
) and Costco (
NASDAQ:COST
).
This isn’t a bad thing per se, but it’s important to note that this means QQQ isn’t a pure play on technology, even though the name QQQ has, in many ways, become synonymous with tech investing.
Because IGM's underlying index, the S&P North American Expanded Technology Sector Index, includes technology-related stocks in the communications services and consumer discretionary sectors, these stocks are present here, which in my view, gives investors a more holistic, all-encompassing picture of the tech sector.
My only qualm about IGM’s portfolio is that while it gives investors broad exposure to the tech sector, it doesn’t own Amazon (
NASDAQ:AMZN
), even though this would seem to fit the definition of a technology-related company in the consumer discretionary sector.
Overall, this strategy results in a strong group of holdings, as evidenced by the fact that seven out of IGM’s top 10 holdings feature Outperform-equivalent Smart Scores of 8 or above. The
Smart Score is a proprietary quantitative stock scoring system created by TipRanks. It gives stocks a score from 1 to 10 based on eight market key factors. A score of 8 or above is equivalent to an Outperform rating.
IGM itself features an Outperform-equivalent ETF Smart Score of 8 out of 10.
As you’ll see below, the analyst community is optimistic as well.
Is IGM Stock a Buy, According to Analysts?
Turning to Wall Street, IGM earns a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 218 Buys, 60 Holds, and two Sell ratings assigned in the past three months. The
average IGM stock price target of $462.96 implies 21.3% upside potential.
Performance
How has IGM performed over time? Pretty well. IGM has returned 38.8% over the past year. Over the past three years, the fund’s annualized return stands at 7.8% (as of the end of August). Zooming out to five years, IGM has returned a more exciting 14.6% on an annualized basis, and over the past 10 years, it has returned an even better 18.9% on an annualized basis.
These results compare favorably with those of the broader market. For context, the
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (
NYSEARCA:SPY)
, has returned 10.4% over the past three years, 11.0% over the past five years, and 12.7% over the past 10 years.
It’s also worth comparing IGM to other leading tech-specific ETFs like the aforementioned XLK and QQQ. QQQ’s annualized returns over the past three, five, and 10 years come in at 9.3%, 16.0%, and 18.6%, respectively, meaning that IGM trails QQQ over the past three and five years but slightly outperforms it over the past 10 years.
Meanwhile, XLK has outperformed IGM over the past three years with an annualized return of 13.4%, over the past five years with an annualized return of 19.6%, and over the past 10 years with an annualized return of 20.5%.
Ultimately, IGM has slightly outperformed QQQ over a 10-year period and slightly underperformed XLK over the same horizon. But overall, all three of these ETFs have been good performers.
Investing in a fund that is putting up returns of nearly 20% over the course of 10 years will really grow the value of one’s portfolio over time. To illustrate this point, an investor who put $10,000 into IGM in August of 2013 would have $56,400 as of the end of August 2023.
Lastly, IGM has been around for a long time and has generated a near double-digit annualized return of 9.6% since its inception in 2001, turning an initial investment of $10,000 into almost $80,000.
One Notable Downside
The most notable downside of IGM is its expense ratio of 0.41%. While this is a reasonable expense ratio, it’s also higher than that of some of the major aforementioned tech ETFs like XLK and QQQ, which charge 0.10% and 0.20%, respectively.
An investor putting $10,000 into IGM would pay $41 in fees during year one versus $10 for an investor putting the same amount into XLK and $20 for an investor allocating the same amount into QQQ.
The difference in these fees becomes more apparent over time. Assuming that each fund maintains its current expense ratio and returns 5% per year going forward, the same IGM investor would pay $518 in fees over the course of 10 years versus $128 for the XLK investor and $255 for the QQQ investor.
Looking Ahead
IGM gives investors all-encompassing exposure to the technology sector, including stocks like Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and others that many top tech ETFs pass on because they do not classify them as technology stocks. The fund is fairly diversified and has generated strong returns for a prolonged time frame, making it an attractive investment option for investors. The primary downside is that its expense ratio is a bit higher than some of its major competitors, but it's not an egregious fee.
Disclosure
Surging bond yields are rattling U.S. stocks, and some investors worry the richly valued shares of giant technology and growth companies may be another weak spot.
The NASDAQ 100 After Hours Indicator is up 19.43 to 14,734.67. The total After hours volume is currently 103,599,857 shares traded.The following are the most active stocks for the after hours session: Pfizer, Inc. (PFE) is unchanged at $33.17, with 6,785,971 shares traded. PFE's
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose on Friday after a softer-than-expected reading on a crucial inflation metric kept alive hopes of a pause in the Federal Reserve's rate hikes, though all three main Wall Street indexes were on track for quarterly declines.
September certainly lived up to its reputation as the worst month for stocks. Will the first month of Q4 bring any relief - or will the dreaded "October effect" be at play?
Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the Invesco MSCI USA ETF (Symbol: PBUS) where we have detected an approximate $169.1 million dollar inflow -- that's a 5.8% increase week over week in o
Comparing units outstanding versus one week ago at the coverage universe of ETFs at ETF Channel, the biggest inflow was seen in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, which added 22,900,000 units, or a 2.5% increase week over week. Among the largest underlying components of SPY, in m
Bankers and investors are embracing a degree of optimism for the IPO market following a slew of major market debuts in September that made for one of the busiest months since the start of 2022.
U.S. stocks rose on Friday after a softer-than-expected reading on a crucial inflation metric kept alive hopes of a pause in the Federal Reserve's rate hikes, though main indexes were on track to log quarterly declines.
Wall Street's main indexes were set to open higher on Friday after a softer-than-expected reading on a crucial inflation metric kept alive hopes of a pause in the Federal Reserve's rate hikes.
These three stocks have sold off hard, but analysts think there's plenty of room to run higher from here. If you're on the hunt for cheap growth stocks, check out Wall Street's optimistic forecasts for these names.
In the current environment, where the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY) has faced a weekly downturn and is nearing an alarming 5% monthly loss, investors might perceive a glimmer of hope amid the turbulence.
The recent wave of selling pressure has sent shockwaves across the broader
Investing is a long-term game. No one really knows what is about to happen to any given stock. But after a year-long slump, Nio (NYSE: NIO) shares could be ready to turn the corner.
U.S. stock index futures advanced on Friday as Treasury yields eased from multi-year highs and powered gains in growth stocks, while investors awaited a crucial inflation metric to assess the outlook for the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.