4 Quality ETFs in Focus Amid Growing U.S.-China Trade Tensions

Group 1: Trade Tensions and Market Reactions - President Trump indicated that trade tensions with China remain elevated, despite Treasury Secretary's suggestion of a possible tariff pause [1] - Trump announced plans to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting Nov. 1, leading to a significant market crash [2] - Markets briefly rallied after hints of easing tensions, but optimism quickly eroded following China's sanctions on U.S. companies [3] Group 2: Market Predictions and Volatility - U.S. stocks could fall by as much as 11% if trade tensions are unresolved before the November deadline, according to Morgan Stanley [4] - Continued trade uncertainty could drive the S&P 500 index down to 5,800-6,027 points, representing an 8-11% decline from the previous close [5] - A measure of market volatility, VXX, has gained 5.9% over the past month and surged 10.9% over the past week, indicating increased market uncertainty [5] Group 3: Quality Investing - Quality stocks are characterized by healthy balance sheets, high return on capital, low volatility, and stable earnings growth, making them less volatile during market swings [6] - Several quality exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past month, highlighting the importance of quality investing in the current market environment [7] Group 4: Performance of Quality ETFs - BetaShares S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (QUS) increased by 3.0% over the past month and 0.6% over the past week [8] - Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ) rose by 1.28% over the past month but fell by 0.73% over the past week [8] - iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) gained 4.13% over the past month and 0.28% over the past week [9] - iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (IQLT) increased by 1.22% over the past month but decreased by 0.76% over the past week [10]