Core Viewpoint - The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF remains a solid long-term investment despite its weaknesses, as it has historically generated strong returns over time [10]. Group 1: Historical Performance - John Bogle launched the Vanguard S&P 500 Index Fund in 1976, which passively tracked the S&P 500 and charged lower fees than actively managed funds [2]. - An investment of $1,000 in the index fund at inception would be worth nearly $240,000 today, reflecting an annual return of over 11% [4]. - The S&P 500 index has generated an average return of more than 10% annually since its inception in 1957 [10]. Group 2: ETF Characteristics - The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF was launched in 2000 to provide a more accessible investment option, allowing for active trading throughout the day and charging a low expense ratio of 0.03% [5]. - The ETF allocates 34% of its portfolio to the information technology sector, with major holdings in Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple, which can lead to reduced diversification [7]. Group 3: Market Conditions and Valuations - The S&P 500 currently trades near all-time highs with a historically high price-to-earnings ratio of 30, raising concerns about potential market pullbacks [8]. - The ETF has underperformed the Invesco QQQ Trust over the past 10 years, suggesting that it may not be the best growth-oriented investment [9]. Group 4: Investment Strategy - Despite current valuations and potential market shifts, it is suggested that investors should accumulate the ETF for long-term gains, as timing the market is challenging [12].

Warren Buffett likes to buy shares of well-run businesses when they look attractively priced, like Pool Corp. is today. But the next step he takes is more important.Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A 0.66%) (BRK.B 0.63%), is one of the richest men in the world. He is also one of the most famous investors to ever work on Wall Street. And this billionaire and his investment team is buying shares of Pool Corp. (POOL -1.33%).Here's why buying this stock could be a good idea, but only if you do ...

Broadcom is scheduled to report earnings on Sept. 4.Over the past several weeks, investors have been bombarded with a wave of updates as companies reported earnings results for the second calendar quarter. For technology investors, artificial intelligence (AI) remains the dominant theme fueling the sector higher.As I write this (mid-day on Aug. 27), all of the "Magnificent Seven" have posted earnings -- with the lone exception being Nvidia (NVDA -3.38%), which reports later today. Still, the breadcrumbs lef ...

Group 1 - First United Corporation (FUNC) has seen a stock increase of 22.1%, indicating positive performance for shareholders [1] - The company is based in Maryland and operates as a small bank [1] Group 2 - Crude Value Insights provides an investment service focused on oil and natural gas, emphasizing cash flow and growth potential [1] - The service includes a 50+ stock model account and in-depth cash flow analyses of exploration and production (E&P) firms [2]

The electric air taxi company has large ambitions. It currently generates zero revenue.The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) era led to the hype and eventual fall of hundreds of different startups that entered the public markets through reverse mergers. From 2020 through the end of 2022, over 1,000 new stocks went public, with most severely underperforming the indices. In 2025, a few are starting to mount a comeback.Enter Archer Aviation (ACHR -2.55%). An electric air taxi innovator that aims to al ...

Eagle Point Income Co., Inc. ( EIC ) has been drawing the eye of investors who want a strong yield in what is clearly a difficult market.Mr. Mavroudis is a professional portfolio manager specializing in institutional and private portfolios. He focuses on risk management, which is accompanied by in-depth financial market analysis (fundamental, macro and technical) to control the risk undertaken by the portfolios. He invests in all financial instruments globally (stocks, bonds, fx, commodities), restructuring ...

Both Meta and Apple could spend billions per year with this AI giant.The "Magnificent Seven" have been the driving force behind the current bull market. The seven companies currently make up over one-third of the total market cap of the S&P 500, wielding a huge amount of influence over the benchmark index.This year's results have been mixed for the "Magnificent Seven." While Nvidia and Meta Platforms (META -1.69%) are posting another year of market-beating returns, others like Apple (AAPL -0.19%) and Amazon ...

Companies that have increased their dividends annually for 25 consecutive years are a rare breed. These three also stand out for their attractive yields.One of the highest honors among dividend stocks is to be a Dividend Aristocrat®, which requires 25 consecutive years or more in annual increases. The title Dividend Aristocrat is such a big deal that the term is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.This highly elite list of companies is a great starting point for dividend inves ...

Meta Platforms is still one of the market's top growth stocks.The S&P 500 has risen about 10% this year and is hovering near its all-time highs. That rally was largely driven by the tech sector's robust growth rates, big buybacks, earnings beats across the market, easing trade tensions, and hopes for deeper interest rate cuts. But with a price-to-earnings ratio of 30, the S&P 500 also looks historically expensive. However, some of the S&P 500's top stocks are outperforming the benchmark index by a wide marg ...

Walmart is a retail giant that is slowly working its way to a trillion-dollar market cap, a scale that it seems the company will inevitably achieve.The Motley Fool just updated its report on the world's largest consumer staples companies. Walmart (WMT 0.88%) tops the list by a wide margin, with a market cap of around $767 billion. It seems inevitable that the giant retailer will eventually grow its business in the future and achieve a trillion-dollar market cap.Here's what you need to know.What does Walmart ...