MoneyShow

Small caps led the US market at the halfway point for the first time since 2021 – and only the second time in the past decade. Meanwhile, we believe the AI trade remains a long-term secular growth story, a view echoed in our recent Retail Investor Beat survey, writes Bret Kenwell, US investment analyst at eToro US. The rally builds on the Russell 2000’s strong second half of 2025, when it also outpaced the S&P 500 Index (^SPX), Nasdaq, and Dow.

Stocks are mixed in early trading, while crude oil, Treasuries, and the dollar are mostly flat. Gold and silver are modestly lower, while Bitcoin is trading back in the mid-$60,000 range. South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix became the latest tech company to launch a US mega-deal. It raised $26.5 billion selling American Depository Receipts (ADRs) on the Nasdaq, the biggest US offering by a foreign company ever. Its 177.9 million ADRs were sold at a price of $149.

The universe of closed-end funds (CEFs) attracts investors because of the high yields many pay. The Amplify CEF High Income ETF (YYY) is a fund of funds giving you exposure. Structured as an ETF, it holds a select portfolio of CEFs, observes Tim Plaehn, editor of The Dividend Hunter. I’ve been known to call the CEF world the “junkyard of Wall Street.” Closed-end fund sponsors do not redeem shares from investors; rather, once shares are issued, they trade only on stock exchanges.

Gold is coming off its worst quarter since 2013. But finally, FINALLY, it seems precious metals are stabilizing after a sharp drawdown. An easy way to play a potential rally is to buy a basket of junior miners with the VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ), suggests Sean Brodrick, editor at Weiss Rating Daily. Gold remains roughly 20%-25% below its January highs. But it just logged a roughly 2%-3% weekly gain, while silver rallied about 6%-7% on short-covering and macro relief.

Everybody talks about Big Tech. But “Big Finance” is going to have its day in the sun sooner this earnings season. So, where do things stand with banks, brokers, insurers, and specialty lenders heading into next week’s Q2 reports? Let’s start with the MoneyShow Chart of the Day. It shows how four different sector ETFs have performed year-to-date.

Goldman Sachs’s volatility desk just noted that the CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) is back to its lowest levels in more than a month, while one-month S&P 500 Index (^SPX) implied correlation is near its lowest level in 20 years. While a low VIX can convey a sense of market calm on the surface, implied correlation tells a different story, writes Lance Roberts, editor of the Bull Bear Report. The VIX, based on option trading data, measures the implied volatility of the S&P 500.

In this timely and actionable MoneyShow MoneyMasters Podcast episode, Anastasia Amoroso shares her perspective on today's rapidly shifting investment landscape – and the major trends creating opportunities for investors in private and public markets. The conversation explores the forces driving markets right now, from the AI boom and technology sector leadership to interest rates, inflation, and the evolving role of alternative investments in modern portfolios.

Strife is picking up again in the Strait of Hormuz. That is the primary reason for the more risk-off mode in global stocks this week. Now, there are several potential levels oil traders will be monitoring, writes Eoin Treacy, editor of Fuller Treacy Money. Brent crude spent most of February ranging just below $70 a barrel. It broke higher as an immediate response to the beginning of hostilities with Iran.

Warren Buffett famously remarked that, “A truly great business must have an enduring moat that protects excellent returns on invested capital.” In ETF form, perhaps the best-known example to invest in those businesses is the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT), observes Tony Dong, lead ETF analyst at ETF Central. Many value investors spend their careers searching for companies trading below their intrinsic value. The logic is straightforward.

Stocks are swooning, while crude oil is surging amid worries the US-Iran ceasefire is unraveling. Treasury yields and the US dollar are rising modestly, while gold and silver are falling. Cryptocurrencies are broadly weaker as well. The last 48 hours have gone poorly in the Middle East. Iran struck multiple ships in the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to re-assert control over the oil shipping chokepoint.