Core Insights - Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF (VPU) has shown strong performance since the beginning of the year, driven by the increasing electricity demand from data center infrastructure [1] Group 1: Performance Analysis - The strong performance of VPU is attributed to the growth in electricity demand, particularly from data centers [1]

Investors have piled into growth stocks, particularly those involved in artificial intelligence (AI), over the past three years, and that's driven the S&P 500 higher -- in fact, the index increased 78% over that time period. These days, investors are still excited about AI, but they've hesitated, on occasion, to leap into these players. Why? AI stocks -- and the stock market as a whole -- have become expensive. And investors worry that any hiccup in the AI story could spark a sell-off. In fact, in recent ...

Quick Read Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA) surged 37% over the past year versus 16% for the S&P 500. The Vanguard ETF benefited from capital rotating out of U.S. stocks following Trump’s April 2 tariffs. Over 10 years the S&P 500 returned 252% compared to 106% for the Vanguard ETF. The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks. Get them here FREE. Since President Donald Trump rolled out his landmark “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2 last year, U.S. equities hav ...

The Vanguard Mega Cap Value Index Fund ETF ( MGV ) is positioned for outperformance in 2026, and signs of MGV doing better than a broad growth play like SPY have already started emerging. As markets started to consolidate last October, MGV has continuedI am a stock analyst with over 20 years of experience in quantitative research, financial modeling, and risk management. My focus is on equity valuation, market trends, and portfolio optimization to uncover high-growth investment opportunities. As a former Vi ...

International stocks roared back in 2025 with many major global indexes returning more than 20% last year. Some countries even gained more than 50%. That's not to say there's no more opportunity for international investors, though.As countries continue to focus on growth, and as government spending picks up around the world, supporting their local economies, there's plenty of opportunity left for stock market growth. Investors should be selective in choosing an international ETF. Avoid those with high fees, ...

Peter Mallouk, the billionaire CEO of wealth management firm Creative Planning, says AI isn't like any past technology cycle — it's far more transformational, and that calls for investors to take action in their portfolios. Mallouk told Business Insider that he's convinced AI is more impactful than other technological advancements by a long-shot, and the change it creates will likely be permanent. "I think it's more than the internet, where the internet made everybody more efficient, or Microsoft with all t ...

A 20-year-old who just landed their first real job recently posed a simple question online: “Is the ‘S&P 500 and Chill’ strategy still viable in 2026, or am I missing something?” With $500 a month ready to invest, the young worker said on Reddit’s r/investingforbeginners that their dad advised dumping everything into a low-cost S&P 500 fund like Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE:VOO) or State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and forgetting about it for 30 years. But with AI reshuffling the biggest compan ...

Apple (AAPL) is once again at the center of institutional investors’ portfolio rebalancing. From George Soros to BlackRock (BLK) and Vanguard, some of the biggest players on Wall Street have increased their exposure to the iPhone maker in recent weeks. However, some high-profile investors, such as Warren Buffett and Ray Dalio, have also reduced their stakes in the tech giant. The question is, will 2026 be the year investors should bet more on Apple stock? The macroeconomic environment is also adding to the ...

Quick Read Schwab Dividend ETF (SCHD) surged 13.6% year-to-date on rotation from growth to its 100 value stocks. Vanguard International Dividend ETF (VYMI) gained 39% over the past year as the dollar fell. iShares Treasury ETF (TLT) surged from $90 to above $120 during the Great Recession as a recession hedge. The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks. Get them here FREE. We're looking at a surge of retirees in the 2020s due to the Baby Boom's peak in the 1960s, turni ...

Recession fears are on the rise, and many investors are beginning to lose confidence in the market. Weekly surveys from the American Association for Individual Investors show that investors are becoming less optimistic about the future. In mid-January 2026, around 50% of survey participants felt "bullish" about the market. That figure has steadily dropped since then, now with only 35% of investors feeling optimistic. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the on ...