VettaFi ETF Trends

From America’s founding to GDX’s 20th anniversary, gold has remained a constant store of value, and VanEck has helped investors access it for nearly 60 years. Twenty years ago, the launch of our Gold Miners ETF (GDX) marked the start of VanEck’s ETF business. Two decades later, GDX remains a cornerstone of our investment solution offering, and its anniversary falls in a year that invites a much longer look back: 2026 also marks America’s 250th birthday.

I have a lot of short conversations about dividend stocks. They go something like this: “Oh, your specialty is dividend stocks? What do you think about XYZ?” It’s almost always a stock that yields 2% or less.

VIDEO In this month’s View From the EDGE® Chief Investment Strategist Fritz Folts and Deputy CIO Eric Biegeleisen present our latest outlook for the global capital markets. A printable summary is available on our website, or you can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

The S&P 500 started and ended the week on a sour note, ultimately resulting in a 1.6% loss. Key Takeaways The S&P 500 posted a 1.6% weekly loss. The index is currently sitting 2.0% below its record close reached on June 2nd, 2026. The S&P 500 is currently up 8.9% year-to-date, while the S&P Equal Weight is up 11.4% year-to-date. Here is a snapshot of the index from the past week: The index is currently sitting 0.5% below its record close reached on June 2nd, 2026.

The yield on the 10-year note finished July 17, 2026 at 4.55% while the 2-year note ended at 4.18%. The chart below overlays the daily performance of several Treasury bonds, starting from the pre-recession equity market peaks, along with the Federal Funds Rate (FFR) since 2007. This next table shows the highs and lows of yields and the Federal Funds Rate (FFR) since 2007.

Those who have been keeping an eye on geopolitical developments likely know that rare earths are an increasingly valuable resource for both China and Western countries. After all, tensions continue to escalate on this front. The United States is seeking to build its own rare earths supply chain while China extends its arsenal of sanctions.

It may be hard to believe, with global markets still pressured by ongoing conflict over the Strait of Hormuz, but now could be the time for emerging markets. Emerging markets can help investors diversify away from AI hyperscalers that already constitute big parts of portfolios. What’s more, those stocks have their own appeal and advantages worth considering.

Markets are embracing the idea that we are in an AI supercycle. Investors are betting on a multi-decade technological shift, similar to the internet, that will transform industries, computing, and infrastructure. And similar to the internet buildout, a massive capex cycle accompanies AI. According to Bloomberg estimates, hyperscalers like Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon (via Amazon Web Services), and Meta are expected to spend over $600 billion in aggregate this year on the AI buildout.

With well over 170 ETFs on the market covering diverse investment strategies, State Street offers a prime window into which funds — and market trends — are leading the pack in the near term. Key Takeaways: Across State Street’s 170+ ETFs, the top five performers this past month are all tied to the healthcare industry.

Real estate investment trusts are in the middle of a rebound. The FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index returned 14.9% through mid-year 2026, outperforming the Russell 1000 by 4.6 percentage points, according to Nareit. Key Takeaways: RDOG has gained 22.1% year to date, ETF Database data show. National Storage Affiliates surged 66.16% on its Public Storage buyout. Postal Realty and RLJ Lodging Trust each refinanced debt this year. The ALPS REIT Dividend Dogs ETF (RDOG) is outpacing even that rebound.