Core Viewpoint - The bull market, which began in October 2022, has seen a shift in leadership from tech stocks to sectors like Energy and Materials, indicating a potential new phase in the market driven by cyclical and value companies [1][17]. Sector Performance - Energy and Materials sectors have led the U.S. market with double-digit returns through early February, while Consumer Staples and Industrials are also performing well [1]. - Concerns have arisen regarding late-cycle industries and defensive sectors outperforming as the bull market matures [2]. Upcoming Corporate Events - Several non-tech blue-chip firms are scheduled for investor events that may provide insights into the manufacturing and Main Street economies, following a strong ISM U.S. Manufacturing PMI reading [4][10]. - Notable upcoming events include: - Xcel Energy's Analyst Day on February 5, focusing on power generation and a more aggressive capex plan [5][6]. - Williams Company's Analyst Day on February 10, which will discuss a $5.1 billion power innovation capex initiative [7][8]. - FedEx's Investor Day on February 12, where the company is expected to present an upbeat outlook following a significant share price increase [11][12]. - JPMorgan Chase's Business Update on February 23, which will include an operational overview and a Q&A session [13][14]. Market Sentiment - The bull market is broadening, with capital rotating towards cyclical, value, and real-economy sectors, suggesting a potential strengthening of economic momentum beyond the tech sector [17].

[music] Welcome to Stocks and Translation, Yahoo Finance's video podcast that cuts through the market mayhem, the noisy numbers, and the hyperbole to give you the information you need to make the right trade for your portfolio. I'm Jared Blickery, your host. And with me is my co-host, Yahoo Finance senior reporter Brooke Depalma, who's here to connect the dots and to be that bridge between Wall Street and Main Street.Today we're going to be talking about market technicals, reading the tea leaves and charts ...

But movements under the surface tell a clearer story of market winners and losers. Tech is the worst-performing sector in the S&P 500 so far this year, down about 4%. There, concerns that AI will disrupt the software industry have offset big stock gains for the makers of memory chips and data storage devices. Key Takeaways It might be hard for investors to feel upbeat while the major indexes are being hammered by tumbling tech stocks. But that's exactly how some experts are reacting to the rout. "I actually ...

Vi e w p o i n t | 30 Jan 2026 01:08:59 ET │ 14 pages China Property Two-way debate on policy easing expectation & fundamental sales & prices — The market in Jan has proven that our view on the physical property market is too skeptical. Sector share price gains in Jan reflected positive expectations after messages in an article in CPC official publication, Qiushi Journal (1 Jan), easing policy (incl. VAT cut; commercial property downpayment), local policy easing (NJ, BJ, SH, etc), eased "three red lines" an ...

Polen Capital Management Llc released its "Polen Focus Growth Strategy" Q4 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In Q4 2025, the Polen Focus Growth strategy delivered a -1.37% gross return, underperforming the Russell 1000 Growth Index (+1.12%) and the S&P 500 (+2.66%), as concentrated mega‑cap leadership and AI valuation concerns drove market volatility. The fund faced headwinds from market rotation and valuation pressures but remained disciplined in its investment approach, fo ...

Core Insights - Professional investors often struggle to consistently outperform the S&P 500, but certain ETFs may present better investment opportunities [1][2] ETF Performance and Characteristics - **VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH)**: - AUM/net assets: $31.55 billion - Dividend yield: 0.33% - One-year performance: 39.61% - Expense ratio: 0.35% - Sector/style: Technology/semiconductors - Potential for outperformance due to strong one-year performance and AI market tailwinds [6] - **iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM)**: - AUM/net assets: $19.38 billion - Dividend yield: 0.92% - One-year performance: 15.66% - Expense ratio: 0.15% - Sector/style: U.S. large- and mid-cap stocks with recent high price momentum - Likely to outperform if market leaders maintain momentum [7] - **Invesco S&P 500® Quality ETF (SPHQ)**: - AUM/net assets: $15.04 billion - Dividend yield: 1.07% - One-year performance: 7.74% - Expense ratio: 0.15% - Sector/style: U.S. large-cap stocks with strong fundamentals and consistent returns - May outperform if market breadth widens and investors favor consistent revenue streams [8]

Core Insights - 2026 is anticipated to be a challenging year for investments, with sector rotation expected to be a significant theme influencing market movements [1] Group 1 - Investors are becoming fatigued with high valuations in certain sectors, indicating a potential shift in investment strategies [1] - The experience of analysts in both technology and startup environments provides valuable insights into current industry trends [1]

Core Insights - 2026 is anticipated to be a challenging year for investments, with sector rotation expected to be a significant theme influencing market movements [1] Group 1 - Investors are becoming fatigued with high valuations in certain sectors, indicating a potential shift in investment strategies [1] - The experience of analysts covering technology companies and working in Silicon Valley provides valuable insights into current industry trends [1]

Group 1 - The lifting of uncertainty regarding a potential military strike on Iran by President Trump has positively influenced market sentiment [1] - Futures markets stabilized after Trump indicated a possible halt to military action, contributing to a more optimistic outlook [2] - Strong jobs data did not deter investor enthusiasm, with initial claims data better than expected and reduced odds for an interest rate cut in early April [2] Group 2 - Sector performance showed improvement, with eight sectors in positive territory, indicating broadening market strength [3] - Technology sector led gains with a 1.38% increase, while energy sector showed signs of stabilization after earlier losses [3] - ASML Holding experienced a significant gain of over 6% following TSM's announcement of larger-than-expected capital spending [4] Group 3 - TSM's earnings beat led to a rally in memory chip stocks, with notable increases in shares of SanDisk (8%), Western Digital (over 6%), Micron Technology (more than 2%), and Seagate Technology (over 4%) [5]

Core Insights - Investors are increasingly using ETFs for exposure to growth stocks, with Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG) and Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG) being popular choices due to their diversification and cost efficiency [1] Group 1: ETF Overview and Composition - VONG tracks the Russell 1000 Growth Index, comprising approximately 500 large-cap U.S. companies with significant exposure to technology, consumer discretionary, and healthcare sectors, with top holdings including Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon [2] - SCHG tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index, holding around 120 names, providing broader diversification and lower relative weighting in mega-cap tech compared to VONG, while still maintaining stakes in major companies like Alphabet and Nvidia [3] Group 2: Sector Concentration Differences - VONG has a technology weighting near 50%, making it sensitive to tech performance, while SCHG's technology allocation is around 40%, offering more balance and higher exposure to healthcare and consumer discretionary mid-caps [4] - The ongoing sector rotation trend in early 2026 sees investors moving away from mega-cap tech stocks towards small- and mid-cap growth names, which may lead to increased volatility for VONG compared to the more diversified SCHG [5] Group 3: Performance Comparison - As of January 10, 2026, VONG has returned approximately 14.8% year-to-date, while SCHG has returned 13.5%, indicating VONG's slight outperformance but with higher sector concentration risk [6] - Over the past five years, VONG averaged an annual return of 16.2%, compared to SCHG's 15.6%, showing closely matched long-term growth potential but with VONG exhibiting higher volatility [7] Group 4: Expense Ratios and Costs - VONG has an expense ratio of 0.04%, while SCHG is slightly lower at 0.03%, both being low-cost options that may impact long-term returns [8] Group 5: Liquidity and Trading Considerations - VONG averages around 300,000 shares traded daily, while SCHG averages 450,000 shares, indicating that SCHG may offer tighter bid-ask spreads and easier trading for larger quantities [9] Group 6: Market Conditions and Investor Preferences - In early 2026, market conditions favor SCHG for investors seeking balanced exposure amid sector rotation, while aggressive investors may prefer VONG for concentrated tech exposure [10] - The decision between VONG and SCHG depends on risk tolerance, investment horizon, and portfolio composition, with both ETFs positioned to benefit from U.S. equity market growth [11]