Investors looking for stocks in the Insurance - Multi line sector might want to consider either Principal Financial (PFG) or Prudential (PUK) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The Zacks Rank is a proven strategy ...

Core Insights - The stock market performed well in 2025, with the S&P 500 index achieving a total return of 17.9%, while the retail sector lagged with a return of only 5.6% [1] - Target and Kohl's are highlighted as potential value stocks due to their recent share price declines [1] Target - Target has differentiated itself by offering exclusive brands, but has recently faced sluggish sales, with fiscal third-quarter same-store sales dropping 2.7% [4] - The decline in sales is attributed to lower customer traffic and decreased spending, with inflation impacting discretionary spending [5] - The incoming CEO, Michael Fiddelke, aims to return to a differentiated merchandising strategy, update stores, and invest in technology to enhance customer experience [6] - Target's sales have also been affected by boycotts related to management's rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives [7] - Despite a 26% decline in stock price over the past year, the current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 12 presents a more attractive valuation compared to the S&P 500's P/E of 31 [9] Industry Outlook - The challenges faced by the retail sector may present long-term investment opportunities [8] - Target's new leadership is expected to steer the company back to its traditional merchandising roots after recent struggles [8]

Key Points Chevron can thrive even with oil prices hovering around four-year lows. Growing U.S. energy consumption and exports are great news for Kinder Morgan. Kimberly-Clark’s results have been poor, but the stock is too cheap to ignore. 10 stocks we like better than Chevron › 2025 brought another year of record highs for the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. But the energy sector gained just 4.4%, and the consumer staples sector lost 1.2% compared to a 16.4% jump ...

Core Viewpoint - The Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF (VIOV) is a passively managed ETF that aims to provide broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market, with assets exceeding $1.50 billion, positioning it as an average-sized ETF in this category [1]. Group 1: Investment Potential - Small cap companies, defined as those with market capitalizations below $2 billion, present significant investment potential but also come with higher risks [2]. - Value stocks typically exhibit lower price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, along with lower sales and earnings growth rates. Historically, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in long-term performance, although growth stocks may excel in strong bull markets [3]. Group 2: Costs and Performance - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.1%, making it one of the least expensive options in its category, and it offers a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.65% [4]. - VIOV aims to match the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index, having gained approximately 2.1% year-to-date and about 8.32% over the past year, with a trading range between $71.94 and $101.69 in the last 52 weeks [7]. Group 3: Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF's largest allocation is to the Financials sector, comprising about 22.3% of the portfolio, followed by Consumer Discretionary and Industrials [5]. - Borgwarner Inc (BWA) represents about 1.28% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 6.26% of total assets under management [6]. Group 4: Risk and Alternatives - VIOV has a beta of 1.02 and a standard deviation of 21.68% over the trailing three-year period, categorizing it as a medium-risk investment with effective diversification across 463 holdings [8]. - The ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating strong potential for investors seeking exposure to the Small Cap Value segment, with alternatives like the iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN) and Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR) also available [9][10]. Group 5: Market Trends - Passively managed ETFs are gaining popularity among both institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency, making them suitable vehicles for long-term investment strategies [11].

Core Viewpoint - Three stocks are highlighted with a buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider, all carrying a Zacks Rank 1 and showing significant increases in earnings estimates over the last 60 days [1][2][3]. Group 1: O-I Glass, Inc. (OI) - O-I Glass, Inc. has a Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing by 8.8% over the last 60 days [1]. - The company has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 7.94, which is lower than the industry average of 9.80 [1]. - O-I Glass possesses a Value Score of A, indicating strong value characteristics [1]. Group 2: Maximus, Inc. (MMS) - Maximus, Inc. has a Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing by 15.8% over the last 60 days [2]. - The company has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 10.56, compared to the industry average of 13.90 [2]. - Maximus also possesses a Value Score of A, reflecting its strong value characteristics [2]. Group 3: Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) - Allegiant Travel Company has a Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing by 8% over the last 60 days [3]. - The company has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 13.12, which is lower than the industry average of 14.60 [3]. - Allegiant Travel possesses a Value Score of A, indicating strong value characteristics [3].

Core Insights - The Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF (SCHB) provides broader market coverage, while the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) focuses on value stocks with higher income potential [1][2] Cost & Size Comparison - SCHB has an expense ratio of 0.03% and assets under management (AUM) of $38.0 billion, while VTV has a slightly higher expense ratio of 0.04% and AUM of $215.5 billion [3][10] - The one-year return for SCHB is 11.9%, compared to VTV's 10.2%, and SCHB has a dividend yield of 1.1% versus VTV's 2.0% [3][4] Performance & Risk Metrics - Over the past five years, SCHB experienced a maximum drawdown of 25.36%, while VTV's maximum drawdown was 17.04% [5] - An investment of $1,000 in SCHB would have grown to $1,779, while the same investment in VTV would have grown to $1,646 over five years [5] Holdings & Sector Exposure - VTV holds approximately 315 stocks, with significant allocations in financial services (25%), healthcare (15%), and industrials (13%), featuring top positions like JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway [6] - SCHB, on the other hand, leans heavily into technology (34%), financial services (14%), and consumer cyclicals (11%), with major holdings including Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft [7] Investment Strategy Implications - SCHB offers a comprehensive approach to market exposure, capturing around 2,400 companies across various market caps, making it suitable for investors seeking broad market representation [8][9] - VTV's strategy is more selective, focusing on large-cap value stocks, which may appeal to income-focused investors looking for higher dividends [11]

Explore how differences in sector exposure and dividend focus shape the risk and income profiles of these two popular ETFs.Both the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV +0.95%) and iShares Core S&P Total US Stock Market ETF (ITOT +0.32%) aim to give investors diversified access to U.S. equities, but their approaches differ: VTV focuses on large-cap value stocks, while ITOT tracks nearly the entire U.S. stock market, spanning growth and value, large and small companies. Here’s how these two popular low-cost options stack ...

Core Viewpoint - The Invesco QQQ Trust, despite being one of the best-performing ETFs since its inception, is viewed critically by some investors who prefer quantitative analysis and value stocks with growth potential [1]. Group 1: Investment Strategy - The focus has shifted from individual stocks to ETF strategies that may outperform the market or provide better risk protection [1]. - The analyst emphasizes the importance of quantitative analysis and believes that mathematical insights drive investment success [1]. Group 2: Investment Preferences - The investment approach includes a diverse range of assets such as large caps, midcaps, small caps, international stocks, gold miners, and REITs [1]. - There is a notable skepticism towards sell-side analysis, which is often considered inadequate [1].

Key Points The U.S. market has been dominated by tech and growth stocks for the past three years. As parts of the economy show signs of slowing, a rotation from growth to value stocks may be in the cards. Investing in value now means capturing attractive opportunities in financials, healthcare, and industrials. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard World Fund - Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF › It's no secret that the market has been dominated by tech, growth, and the "Magnificent Seven" stocks ove ...

On Dec. 30, 2025, Boeing led industrials as major U.S. indexes drifted in quiet, year-end trading near record territory.S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.14%) slipped 0.13% to 6,896.45, Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.24%) fell 0.24% to 23,419.08, and Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.20%) eased 0.20% to 48,367.05 in quiet, year-end trading near record territory.Market moversIndustrial bellwether Boeing (BA +0.57%) gained around 0.6% as industrials outperformed, while healthcare insurer Molina Healthcare (MOH +2.47%) jumped ro ...