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The purpose of this article is to evaluate the broader market backdrop and focus on why US markets - in particular equities - have continued to push higher in 2025. After a reasonable start toI've worked in Financial Services since 2008 and that is essentially when I started my investment journey. The first half of my career was spent in New York, working professionally after college (BS - Finance and D1 Men's Tennis), but I have since relocated to North Carolina, obtaining my MBA and then working in the Ba ...

Core Insights - The article discusses investment strategies focusing on Vanguard ETFs, highlighting their potential for significant long-term returns [4][11]. Investment Opportunities - Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) has risen over 200% in the past decade and offers exposure to a broad range of sectors, with a focus on technology, which constitutes nearly 40% of its holdings [6][7][8]. - Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (VOOG) has outperformed the Total Stock Market ETF with a return of approximately 315% over the past 10 years, compared to 210% for VTI [13]. Performance Metrics - VTI has an expense ratio of 0.03% and has performed similarly to the S&P 500, which has averaged around 10% annual returns [8]. - VOOG has a slightly higher expense ratio of 0.07% and focuses on growth stocks, with tech stocks making up about 44% of its portfolio [11][15]. Investment Strategy - Regular investments of $300 per month in either ETF could potentially grow to over $1 million in 34 years, assuming continued performance similar to historical trends [10][12].

Core Insights - International equities have provided significant returns amid U.S. market uncertainties, suggesting continued engagement with global markets is beneficial [1][4] - U.S. equities, particularly large-cap tech companies, are performing well due to strong demand for AI and semiconductors, supported by recent interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve [3] Group 1: International Equities - International equities face challenges such as ongoing tariff negotiations and potential supply chain disruptions due to geopolitical uncertainties [2] - Despite these headwinds, it is premature to withdraw from international equities; diversification with U.S. exposure is recommended for stronger returns [4] Group 2: Active Management Strategies - Active management, such as that employed by the BNY Mellon Concentrated International ETF (BKCI), can be advantageous in navigating changing geopolitical conditions [5] - BKCI focuses on fundamental analysis when selecting stocks, resulting in a well-distributed sector allocation, with a tilt towards information technology, healthcare, consumer discretionary, and industrials as of October 31, 2025 [6] - The ETF typically holds 25 to 30 companies, allowing for easier monitoring and management compared to broader equity strategies [7]

Core Insights - The holiday season is a significant driver for the U.S. retail sector, with expectations of retail sales exceeding $1 trillion from November 1 to December 31, presenting investment opportunities [2][7] - Investing in Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) that encompass a range of retail stocks is suggested as a more diversified approach compared to single stock investments [2][10] Retail Performance - Historical data shows leading retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Costco have consistently performed well during the holiday season, with Amazon reporting record sales during its Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday events in 2024 [4] - Walmart experienced a 20% year-over-year increase in online sales for the period from November 2 to December 26, 2024, while Costco reported a 7.5% sales growth for the twelve weeks ending November 24, 2024 [5] - Shopify merchants achieved record sales of $11.5 billion over the Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend, marking a 24% increase from the previous year [6] ETF Recommendations - **VanEck Retail ETF (RTH)**: With net assets of $256.76 million, it provides exposure to 25 major retailers, including Amazon (21.07%), Walmart (9.32%), and Costco (7.65%), and has gained 13.2% year to date [12] - **Global X E-commerce ETF (EBIZ)**: This fund has net assets of $55.98 million and focuses on 41 e-commerce companies, with top holdings including Shopify (5.12%) and Amazon (4.07%), and has surged 21.7% year to date [13] - **Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC)**: With net assets of $7 billion, it includes 106 consumer staple stocks, featuring Walmart (14.11%) and Costco (12.78%) among its top holdings, and has risen 0.3% year to date [14]

Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway reported earnings per share of $5.74, slightly exceeding estimates, but revenue of $95.62 billion fell short of expectations [2] - The company's operating profits increased by 34% year-over-year, reaching $13.5 billion, driven by strong performance in insurance and railroads [3] - Berkshire Hathaway's cash reserves reached a record $381.7 billion, providing flexibility for acquisitions and protection against market downturns [3][4] Financial Performance - Earnings per share were reported at $5.74, above the estimated $5.73 [2] - Revenue was $95.62 billion, below the expected $98.70 billion [2] - Operating profits increased by 34% year-over-year, totaling $13.5 billion [3] Sector Performance - Strong performance in the insurance underwriting and service/retail segments contributed to the operating earnings [2] - The insurance and railroad sectors were key drivers of profit growth [3] Valuation Metrics - The company has a P/E ratio of 16.38 and a price-to-sales ratio of 2.78, indicating attractive valuation [4] - A low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19 and a strong current ratio of 7.72 reflect conservative financial management [4]

Group 1: Amazon - Amazon shares surged after reporting a strong quarter, with a projected $300 billion increase in market cap due to the fastest cloud unit growth in nearly three years [1][16] - AWS data center power capacity has doubled since 2022 and is expected to double again by 2027, with AWS revenue growth reported at 20% [2][6] - The Tranium 2 chip business has become a multi-billion dollar segment, experiencing a 150% increase quarter over quarter [7] Group 2: Apple - Apple forecasts a strong holiday season for iPhone sales, with expectations of double-digit growth in the current quarter [2][12] - iPhone sales account for about half of Apple's revenue, and the company is experiencing strong demand, leading to shipment challenges [12][13] - The Mac and wearables division also performed better than anticipated, contributing to overall positive sentiment around Apple's earnings [3][11] Group 3: Exxon and Chevron - Exxon and Chevron both exceeded earnings estimates, with Exxon's adjusted earnings per share 7 cents above forecasts and Chevron's 20 cents above [3] - Increased oil production has contributed to the companies outperforming in the latest quarter, despite Brent crude facing its worst annual decline in 50 years [4][3] Group 4: Market Trends - The Nasdaq is expected to lead gains with a projected increase of about 1.25% at the open, driven by strong tech earnings [5] - Overall market sentiment is positive, with optimism around big tech earnings contributing to a favorable outlook for October [16][21] Group 5: Netflix - Netflix announced a 10-for-1 stock split to make shares more accessible to employees and retail investors, as the stock trades above $1,000 per share [37][38] - The company is considering a bid for Warner Brothers Discovery's studio and streaming businesses [39] Group 6: Roblox - Roblox reported a 70% year-over-year growth in bookings and daily active users, generating over $440 million in free cash flow [44][45] - The company is investing in AI technologies, running over 400 AI systems, and plans to release generative creation features in the next quarter [51][52] - Safety remains a top priority, with the introduction of new facial recognition technology aimed at enhancing user safety on the platform [60][63]

Group 1 - The Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF (SCHB) is a diversified, low-cost, passively managed exchange-traded fund that provides broad US equity exposure across small-, mid-, and large-cap companies [1] - The ETF has a low expense ratio of 3 basis points (bps) and offers a modest payout [1] - The investment strategy considers the entire investment ecosystem rather than evaluating a company in isolation [1]

Group 1 - CVS Health has returned $31 billion to shareholders over the past ten years through dividends and buybacks, achieving an 81% year-to-date return in 2025 after a 42% decline in 2024, indicating a strong recovery in the healthcare sector [2][6] - The company maintains a steady quarterly dividend of $0.665 per share, resulting in an annual dividend of $2.66, which yields approximately 3.64% [3] - In 2024, CVS repurchased approximately 40 million shares and distributed $3.3 billion in dividends, reflecting a disciplined capital allocation strategy [4] Group 2 - CVS stock ranks as the 90th highest total return to shareholders in history, highlighting the effectiveness of its shareholder return strategy [6] - The total capital returned to shareholders as a percentage of market capitalization is inversely related to growth possibilities for reinvestments, with CVS demonstrating a balance between returns and growth potential [9] - CVS has experienced significant declines in the past, including over 62% during the Dot-Com Bubble and around 45% during the Global Financial Crisis, emphasizing the importance of strong fundamentals [10] Group 3 - CVS reported a revenue growth of 5.0% for the last twelve months and an 8.1% average over the last three years, with a free cash flow margin of nearly 1.6% and an operating margin of 2.9% [13] - The stock trades at a P/E multiple of 19.4, offering a lower valuation compared to the S&P while providing higher three-year average revenue growth [13]

Core Insights - Dell Technologies has seen a 17% increase in stock price over the past month, but Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) may present a more attractive investment opportunity due to its superior revenue growth and profitability metrics [2] - Regular assessment of investment alternatives is essential for a robust strategy, with HPE showing better performance indicators compared to Dell Technologies [2] Company Performance Comparison - HPE's revenue growth over the last 12 months was 14.0%, while Dell's was 10.5%. Over the past three years, HPE's average revenue growth was 5.9%, significantly outperforming Dell's -1.3% [6] - HPE's three-year average margin stands at 7.6%, compared to Dell's 6.1%, indicating stronger profitability for HPE [6] Business Segments - Dell operates in various segments including infrastructure, client devices, and VMware, offering a range of products such as desktops, workstations, software, multi-cloud solutions, networking, security, and digital workspace solutions [4] - HPE focuses on data solutions, general and workload-optimized servers, and networking hardware, including wired and wireless components like Wi-Fi access points, switches, routers, and sensors [4]