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Taiwan's exports fell more than expected in June, slumping the most in almost 14 years, as the island struggled with persistent weakness in demand from the U.S. and China for its hi-tech products.

If you like the JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF ( NYSEARCA:JEPI) then you’re going to love its 11.8%-yielding counterpart, the JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF ( NASDAQ:JEPQ) . What’s the difference between JEPI and JEPQ, and is JEPQ a strong choice for investors to build their portfolios around? Let’s find out.  What’s the Difference Between JEPI and JEPQ? JEPI is JPMorgan’s well-known and much-discussed covered-call ETF that yields about 10.5% and pays a monthly dividend that has taken the market by storm since its 2020 launch. With $10 billion in net inflows this year as of late June, it is now the market’s most popular actively-managed ETF. JEPQ takes a similar approach to JEPI, selling one-month, out-of-the-money call options to generate income and paying a monthly dividend to its holders (investors should be aware that these distribution payments can vary from month to month). JEPQ sports an even larger dividend yield than JEPI at 11.8%. The ETF is much smaller than JEPI, with about $4 billion in assets under management compared to $28 billion for JEPI. JEPQ is also newer than JEPI, having launched in May of 2022. The key difference is that while JEPI invests in large-cap U.S. stocks and seeks to deliver a significant portion of the total returns of the S&P 500 ( SPX ) with less volatility, JEPQ takes a similar approach but instead uses the Nasdaq 100 ( NDX ) as its investment universe. Like JEPI, JEPQ sports a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than that of many of the popular passively-managed index funds but isn't bad for an actively-managed fund. Lastly, note that JEPI and JEPQ are run by the same team of portfolio managers. JEPQ's "Magnificent" Portfolio JEPQ holds 81 stocks, and its top 10 holdings account for 58.7% of assets. Therefore, JEPQ is much more concentrated than JEPI, where the top 10 holdings make up just 17.5% of assets. For instance, its top two holdings, Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) and Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ), combine to make up almost 25% of the fund. Below is an overview of JEPQ’s top 10 holdings using TipRanks’ holdings tool. Because it is investing in Nasdaq stocks, JEPQ’s portfolio is much more tech-centric than JEPI’s. The much-discussed "magnificent seven" (the aforementioned Microsoft and Apple, plus Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ), Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ), Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ), Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META ), and Tesla ( NASDAQ:TSLA )), which have driven much of the overall market’s gains this year, are all present within JEPQ’s top 10 holdings and combine to comprise roughly half of the fund.  Beyond the magnificent seven, the rest of the fund includes many other large-cap growth stocks, including plenty of software names and semiconductor companies. There are also positions in a few Nasdaq-listed consumer staple stocks, such as Costco ( NASDAQ:COST ), Pepsico ( NASDAQ:PEP ), and Mondelez ( NASDAQ:MDLZ ). Is JEPQ Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Turning to Wall Street, JEPQ has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, as 70.6% of analyst ratings are Buys, 26.6% are Holds, and 2.8% are Sells. At $50.46, the average JEPQ stock price target implies 5.3% upside potential. JEPQ's Performance JEPQ only launched in May of 2022, so it doesn’t yet have a long track record that potential investors can evaluate. However, it has a strong total return of 24.9% year-to-date and 16.4% over the past year.  No Free Lunch As is the case with JEPI, investors should consider the fact that to achieve this high yield, some sacrifices need to be made. By selling covered calls to generate income, JEPQ likely forgoes some upside when the stocks it holds are surging. You can see this dynamic playing out in real time this year, using a basic Nasdaq 100 ETF like the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF ( NASDAQ:QQQ) as an easily-investable proxy for the Nasdaq. QQQ has a total return of 40.4% year-to-date, while JEPQ’s total return for 2023 is 24.9%, outperforming JEPQ by a wide margin. QQQ is also outperforming JEPQ over the past year, with a total return of 26.4% versus JEPQ's total return of 16.4%. A total return of 24.9% just over halfway through the year is not something many investors will complain about, but it has to be said that it lags the total return of a simple Nasdaq ETF like QQQ by a significant margin. The same can be said for the trailing-12 month returns. We don’t know if this gap will persist over time, but for now, it seems fair to say that JEPQ is underperforming the Nasdaq during a bull market. In fairness to JEPQ, part of its strategy is to mitigate volatility and downside, so it's also possible that we could see JEPQ outperform vanilla Nasdaq ETFs like QQQ during the next bear market. The tech sector and the Nasdaq were in a bear market last year, but JEPQ only launched in May of 2022, nearly midway through the year, so we don't yet know how it would perform during a full market cycle. Nevertheless, JEPQ's counterpart, JEPI, held up better than the broader market last year, so it does seem likely that JEPQ would be able to do the same. However, this might be something many investors are okay with. There are many investors out there who like the downside protection that JEPQ offers and are okay with forgoing some capital appreciation in order to achieve this. Furthermore, some income-oriented investors are satisfied with the idea of a double-digit dividend yield and a monthly dividend payment that they can rely on.  Investor Takeaway For these reasons, whether an investment in an ETF like JEPQ suits your portfolio depends on your individual preferences and investment goals. Because it gives less exposure to the long-term upside of the market, I wouldn’t make JEPQ my only holding or the largest piece of my portfolio. However, I am intrigued by the idea of adding the power and ingenuity of many of the world’s top technology companies, like Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla, to my portfolio with an ETF that also comes with an 11.8% dividend yield. Because of this combination, JEPQ can fit in nicely as one component of a well-rounded portfolio. JPMorgan explains that JEPQ's role in a portfolio is to add income and provide diversified equity exposure with lower risk while also "maintaining prospects for capital appreciation," and this is a sensible way to look at a vehicle like JEPQ. While it might not surpass the Nasdaq in terms of total returns, viewing it as a unique asset that substitutes the fixed income component in a portfolio could be worthwhile. This asset can generate income and possibly offer some distinctive exposure in case of a market downturn, making it an attractive option. Disclosure

Roblox ( NASDAQ:RBLX ) stock has been stuck in a funk ever since shares fell in late 2021 and early 2022. It was a steep sell-off that set the stage for a broader pullback across various high-tech growth companies. At its worst, the stock shed more than 80% of its value. Now that the stock has had over a year to settle, putting a halt to its initial free-fall, I do believe it's a good time to give the video-gaming play a second look as it settles near the $40 range while most investors overlook the longer-term potential of the Metaverse. With so much hype and expectation now squeezed out of the stock, I'm inclined to take a more bullish stance on Roblox as we all start talking a bit more about the Metaverse and its longer-term potential. Renewed Metaverse Enthusiasm Could be Hugely Beneficial for Roblox Stock Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META ) helped spark initial metaverse hype when it decided to shift gears and go after the new medium of growth. Though Meta still seeks to become a pioneer in the Metaverse (or spatial computing), a lot of enthusiasm has shifted over to other trends, including AI. Undoubtedly, AI seems so much closer to entering its prime, and with that comes monetization (or money-saving) opportunities that may be realizable over a nearer-term time horizon. As for the Metaverse, it's tough to tell when the "gold rush" will begin. It's this uncertainty that's kept the broader basket of metaverse (or VR/AR) stocks from blasting off. Should the Metaverse become a hot topic again, though, Roblox is one of the names that could quickly heat up. In any case, Roblox is still investing with growth in mind. The mentality in this high-rate environment has been all about cost cuts and driving up efficiencies. When it comes to the Metaverse, I do not believe there is time to follow the herd with regard to capital allocation. The Metaverse may be much closer to "taking off" than many realize. Don't Count on a Sudden "Tipping Point" for the Metaverse and Spatial Computing Just look back to a year ago when many people were oblivious to LLMs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT. These days, LLMs (or AI-powered chatbots) are the talk of the town, with many firms that need to get in on the action or risk being left behind as the so-called "Fourth Industrial Revolution" plays out. It's never easy to tell when the tipping point will be. For the Metaverse and spatial computing, I don't think there will be one. Instead, the adoption of devices could take place steadily over time. Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ) and its Vision Pro spatial computer may be the device that advances the field by leaps and bounds over the next two to three years. Doubt Apple, if you will, but the company seems to know when to bet big on a specific emerging technology. Though I don't expect Apple Vision Pro will be the device that propels spatial computing to the forefront, I do believe that successors to the headset (cheaper and more capable iterations) could. That could kick off a gradual trend that lifts all boats in the VR/AR waters. Roblox seems like one of the ships that could ascend well before we're all "plugged into" some sort of metaverse. Roblox Stock: An Undercover Metaverse Story Last month, Roblox stock got a bid of confidence for Canaccord Genuity analyst Jason Tilchen, who started the stock as a "Buy" alongside a $48 price target. Roblox "has evolved to become one of the leading destinations for immersive gaming and social interactions in persistent virtual worlds," stated Mr. Tilchen in his bullish note. He also praised the company for investing in future growth. I think Tilchen is right on the money -- Roblox is a metaverse story, perhaps one of the most intriguing. If Apple is the hardware way to play VR/AR, Roblox is likely the way to play it from the software side. For now, the stock is being punished for posting ugly losses. In a rise-rate world, these losses seem that much more disgusting. As interest rates eventually come down (most likely) and the masses become increasingly interested in spatial computing, I expect Roblox may be on the cusp of a multi-year cycle of impressive growth. If that's the case, the 10.4 times price-to-sales (P/S) multiple doesn't do the stock justice -- not when you have Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ), an AI and omniverse play, going for over 40 times P/S. Rather than a traditional value play, I consider RBLX stock a misunderstood growth story, which may as well be as good as a value stock through the eyes of investors who seek to maximize the bang for their investment buck. Is RBLX Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Turning to Wall Street, RBLX stock comes in as a Moderate Buy. Out of 18 analyst ratings, there are 11 Buys, four Holds, and three Sells. The average Roblox price target is $43.67, implying upside potential of 9.2%. Analyst price targets range from a low of $23.00 per share to a high of $55.00 per share. Conclusion Given the growth potential in the Metaverse arena, it's a mystery as to why Roblox stock has dragged its feet. Perhaps investors are placing too much emphasis on near-term financials than the longer-term prospects that seem to be improving with time. Unsurprisingly, Roblox also stands to gain from the rise of AI. The Roblox platform, supercharged with AI, could give its developers a real shot in the arm. AI can help lower barriers to entry, helping Roblox gain more developers. Further, AI will provide developers with more capability and efficiency, allowing them to create more immersive experiences. Altogether, AI looks to be a force that can accelerate growth and possibly be the driving force that helps bring spatial computing to the forefront. Disclosure 

In this podcast, Motley Fool Chief Investment Officer Andy Cross and senior analysts Jason Moser and Ron Gross discuss:

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