As much as the world likes to talk about REITs being a smart investment, they are still pretty overlooked, as they are not flashy enough for financial media and don't generate the kind of volatility that keeps day traders interested. This quiet indifference is creating an opportunity for investors that should not be overlooked. While everyone debates whether tech stocks are overvalued and whether bond yields will settle lower, an entire sector of income-producing real estate companies is paying 5% yields ba ...

Key Takeaways Enterprise Products secures stable, fee-based income through long-term, inflation-protected contracts.EPD's 50,000 miles of pipelines and 300M barrels of storage are booked to move and store energy products.EPD plans to lift cash flow from projects like Athena and Mentone West 2 by 2026.Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD) secures stable, fee-based income through long-term contracts with shippers who book its diverse midstream assets capacity, ensuring predictable cash flow. The midstream a ...

Core Insights - The article discusses the performance of three ETFs in 2025, highlighting their underperformance in the current market conditions while emphasizing the importance of understanding the reasons behind this performance [2][4][14] Group 1: ETF Performance Analysis - The ASA Msei USA quality factor ETF, which focuses on large to midcap companies with high profitability and low leverage, lagged its category index by six percentage points from January to October 2025, despite lower volatility [4][5] - The Avantis US small cap value ETF, which employs a profitability screen to avoid distressed stocks, trailed its category index by over six percentage points in the year-to-date period ending October 2025, contrasting with its strong performance in previous years [9][10] - The Vanguard short-term inflation protected securities ETF, which invests in TIPS, has seen a downward trend in 2025, with credit spreads favoring riskier bonds over its high-quality, low-duration portfolio [13][14] Group 2: Market Conditions and ETF Strategies - The quality tilt of the ASA ETF did not help during the current market rally, as it excluded major market leaders that did not meet its quality criteria [5] - The Avantis ETF's focus on small-cap stocks negatively impacted its returns during market volatilities, although it still outperformed its category index by 4.5% annually since its inception in 2019 [10][11] - The Vanguard ETF is designed to protect against unexpected inflation and has historically outperformed its category average during stress markets, such as in 2022 and March 2020 [14][15]

Core Insights - Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD) has a robust pipeline network exceeding 50,000 miles and over 300 million barrels of liquid storage capacity, which contributes to stable cash flows [1][8] - Approximately 90% of EPD's long-term contracts have inflation-linked fee increases, providing protection against inflation and ensuring consistent cash flow generation [2][8] - EPD anticipates additional cash flows from $5.1 billion in key capital projects, including the Bahia pipeline and fractionator 14, enhancing its attractiveness for income-seeking investors [3][8] Business Model and Performance - EPD's business model is primarily inflation-protected, allowing it to maintain cash flow stability across various market conditions [2][8] - Other midstream energy companies, such as Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) and Enbridge Inc. (ENB), also exhibit stable cash flow characteristics due to their fee-based earnings from midstream assets [4] - EPD's units have increased by 7.2% over the past year, contrasting with a 5.6% decline in the broader industry composite [5] Valuation and Earnings Estimates - EPD's current enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio stands at 10.52X, slightly below the industry average of 10.56X, indicating a potentially attractive valuation [7] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EPD's 2025 earnings has been revised downward over the past month, with current estimates at $2.62 per unit for the year [10][11]

Group 1 - The Schwab U.S. TIPS ETF (SCHP) provides protection against inflation through U.S. Treasury bonds denominated in dollars [1] - The ETF is part of the fixed income market, which offers various investment options to hedge against inflation [1]

Core Argument - The article discusses the growing trend among social media influencers advocating for early Social Security benefits at age 62, contrasting with traditional advice to delay benefits until age 70 for a larger monthly payout [1][2]. Group 1: Early Claiming vs. Delayed Benefits - Social media influencers suggest that claiming Social Security at 62 and investing the funds could yield higher returns than waiting for a larger benefit [1][3]. - Traditional financial advice recommends delaying benefits until age 70 to maximize monthly payouts, which can increase by approximately 8% for each year of delay [2][4]. - Claiming early can result in a reduction of benefits by up to 30% compared to the amount received at Full Retirement Age (FRA) [4]. Group 2: Investment Returns and Risks - The S&P 500 has returned about 14% in the current year, with a decade-long average annual return of over 12%, leading to the argument that investing early benefits could compensate for lower Social Security checks [5]. - However, the article emphasizes that future investment returns are uncertain, while delayed Social Security benefits provide a guaranteed, risk-free income with annual inflation adjustments [5][6]. Group 3: Importance of Inflation Protection - Social Security benefits are highlighted as the primary source of income for most retirees, with annual cost-of-living adjustments serving as a crucial protection against inflation [6].

Core Viewpoint - The current market environment is characterized by a transition into a new cycle, driven by recent Federal Reserve rate cuts and a shift in market leadership towards emerging markets and real assets, suggesting a need for portfolio evolution away from large-cap tech stocks [1][2]. ETF Market Trends - The ETF industry has experienced record inflows, with $1.2 trillion in inflows this year, while mutual funds have seen $1 trillion in outflows, indicating a significant shift in investor preference towards ETFs [1][2]. - Over 900 new ETFs have been launched this year, reflecting ongoing innovation and growth within the ETF space [1]. Investment Strategies - Investors are advised to diversify their portfolios by including asset classes and sectors that benefit from higher inflation, such as gold, which is up 54% year-to-date, and emerging markets, which are also up 27% [1][2]. - Leveraged ETFs are gaining popularity, but caution is advised due to their complexity and the high costs associated with accessing leverage, which can lead to underperformance compared to benchmarks [1][2]. Market Performance Insights - The S&P 500 has been outperformed by sectors such as industrials and banks, which have seen gains of 16% and 19% respectively, compared to the S&P's 12% increase [1]. - The weakening dollar has been identified as a catalyst for non-U.S. markets outperforming the U.S., with historical trends showing that a weaker dollar typically benefits gold and emerging markets [2]. Future Outlook - The ETF industry is expected to continue its growth trajectory, with predictions of more crypto-related ETF launches and innovations in share class structures that could further drive flows from mutual funds to ETFs [9][12]. - The complexity of the ETF market is increasing, necessitating more due diligence from investors as new products are introduced [11].

Core Viewpoint - The company aims to generate a 7%+ income yield by investing in a portfolio of energy stocks while minimizing the risk of principal loss [1] Group 1 - The service offers subscribers access to exclusive investment ideas earlier than they are released to the general public, with many ideas not being released at all [1] - Subscribers receive more in-depth research compared to what is available to the general public [1] - A two-week free trial is currently being offered for the service [1]

Core Viewpoint - The U.S. government shutdown is impacting the release of inflation data, which may lead to a workaround by the Treasury for calculating the index that underpins the $2.1 trillion market for Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) for the first time since their inception in 1997 [1][2][6] Group 1: Impact of Government Shutdown - The Bureau of Labor Statistics has ceased all data collection and publishing during the shutdown, except for the September Consumer Price Index (CPI) [2] - The ongoing government standoff is now the second-longest on record, with the White House indicating that no inflation data will be published next month, affecting the scheduled release of the October CPI report [2] Group 2: TIPS Market Implications - The value of TIPS is directly linked to the CPI index, which determines the principal amount that adjusts with inflation [3] - Recent increases in TIPS yields, or "real yields," may reflect market uncertainty due to the absence of CPI data, as yields rise when bond prices fall [4][5] - A high risk premium in TIPS is noted, leading to cheaper trading conditions for these securities [5] Group 3: Treasury's Workaround Plan - The Treasury has a contingency plan to produce a fallback index based on the last available 12-month change in the CPI if the October CPI is not reported by the end of November [6] - This would mark the first time the fallback index is utilized since TIPS were launched [6] - Current yields on 10-year TIPS are around 1.7%, with five-year yields slightly higher at 1.249% [7]

gold south korea, gold rally, gold buy,. Photo by BeInCrypto South Korea's central bank is contemplating a return to gold buying for the first time since 2013, signaling a potential shift in its reserve management strategy. The move comes amid growing demand for the precious metal, as investors seek protection from inflation and currency weakness. Bank of Korea Weighs Buying Gold Again According to the latest data by the World Gold Council (WGC), as of October, the Bank of Korea held 104.4 tons of gold, ...