ETF Database

Gold/Silver/Critical Minerals Content Hub Long viewed as an emergency brake for macroeconomic panic, gold is starting to prove itself as much more than a crisis asset. Key Takeaways: Gold is often viewed as a defensive investment amid uncertainty, but Sprott’s John Hathaway, MBA, CFA, argued it has merits as an “all-weather strategy.” Hathaway also noted that now may be a good time for investors to consider allocating assets towards gold equities, regardless of whether gold’s price moves up.

Thematic Investing Content Hub The Procure Space ETF (UFO ) continues to demonstrate space sector resilience. Despite a 2.8% dip in September, the fund was propelled by select performers across its Media & Communications and Technology holdings. This includes satellite operators and hardware pioneers contributing to the space economy’s growth. UFO is up about 9% year to date and over 16% across the trailing 12 months.

Bitcoin consolidated this week as the market sharply reduced its expectations for another near-term rate hike. The catalyst was New York Fed President John Williams, who argued that September’s 25bp hike had reduced the urgency for further tightening and that the Fed now has time to assess incoming data. The implied probability of an October hike fell from roughly 75% to around 50%, and subsequent data pushed it lower still, to roughly 37%.

Portfolio Strategies Content Hub Bonds slid in the third quarter as sticky inflation and heavy corporate borrowing pushed yields higher, Morningstar’s Sarah Hansen reported Wednesday. Key Takeaways: Treasury yields climbed to levels last seen during the financial crisis after the Fed raised rates in September. Long-dated bonds took the biggest hit in Q3, while shorter-duration bonds held up better. Thornburg’s multi-sector ETF runs a shorter duration and a higher yield to worst than its benchmark.

Yesterday’s cooler-than-expected PCE print finally gave the bond market a breather, pulling Treasury yields down from their brief 5.3% peak. For financial advisors, this recent whiplash brings fixed income duration conversations back to center stage — specifically, balancing the hunt for long-term yield with the safety of ultra-short cash alternatives.

10-year Treasury yields modestly retreated on the first trading day of October, but those yields still reside near 24-year highs. Add to that, there are routs occurring in ex-U.S. bond markets, confirming that fixed income investors have their hands full. Elevated yields on 10- and 30-year Treasury yields coupled with turbulence in other bond markets may be all some investors need to see, prompting them to eschew fixed income assets for the foreseeable future.

Thematic Investing Content Hub This week, I appeared on Schwab TV for the New York Stock Exchange. Here’s a brief recap. Key Takeaways: VettaFi index-based American Century Quality Growth ETF (QGRO B) and VictoryShares Free Cash Flow ETF (VFLO B+) recently rebalanced to reflect updated fundamentals. There is growing advisor demand for active fundamental ETFs. Two such funds are iShares Large Cap Core Active ETF (BLCR B) and T Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Equity (TCAF B+).

Leave it to Nvidia to create buzz. This week, the company’s announcement of a massive, history-making, $150 billion stock repurchase plan put buybacks back in the limelight. Truth be told, stock buybacks have expanded significantly in recent years, especially among S&P 500 names, thanks to record earnings, robust free cash flow, and good capital management.

ETF Strategist Content Hub What rising correlations could mean for portfolios A mix of stocks and bonds typically helps diversify a portfolio, since stock prices often rise when bond prices fall and vice versa. But lately, that diversification benefit has weakened. While that may seem like bad news, it may actually suggest strong underlying support for both asset classes moving forward.

Sector Investing Content Hub September proved to be a fairly tumultuous month for many equity sectors outside of tech, and the materials sector was no exception. Key Takeaways: With the exception of tech, many equity sectors struggled to perform well in September. Despite this setback, the materials sector is still positioned well for the long-term due to its crucial role in the AI buildout.