Core Insights - Schwab is recognized as a leading provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), offering passive exposure to various asset classes including equities and fixed income [1][2] ETF Offerings - Schwab's fund offerings are extensive, covering nearly every index, sector, trend, and asset class, making it a versatile choice for investors [2] - Three notable ETFs from Schwab include: - Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF (SCHB) - Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF (SCHX) - Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) [7] Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF (SCHB) - SCHB tracks the total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index, encompassing over 2,400 stocks across virtually all sectors, providing significant diversification [4][6] - The ETF features an ultra-low expense ratio of 0.03%, which is among the lowest in the market, maximizing cost efficiency for investors [5] - SCHB has a low turnover rate and offers a payout ratio of around 30%, resulting in a dividend yield of 1.1%, which is competitive compared to other index funds [6]

Core Insights - Dividend growers are considered some of the best long-term investments due to their ability to provide a lucrative and growing income stream alongside rising share prices, historically outperforming non-dividend payers and companies that do not increase dividends significantly [1] Company Summaries - **Brookfield Asset Management**: - A leading alternative investment manager with over $1 trillion in assets under management (AUM) and a current dividend yield of 3.3%, which is approximately three times the S&P 500's level [4] - The company has demonstrated strong dividend growth, increasing its payout by 19% in early 2024 and by another 15% the following year, with expectations of around 20% annual earnings growth over the next five years [5][6] - Brookfield is capitalizing on trends such as the shift towards alternative investments and AI infrastructure, supporting continued dividend growth of over 15% annually [6][8] - **MPLX**: - A master limited partnership (MLP) focused on energy midstream assets, currently yielding 8.1% [7] - MPLX has consistently raised its distribution by 10% or more for four consecutive years, with stable cash flow supported by long-term contracts and a conservative leverage ratio of 3.7 times [8] - The company generates enough cash to cover its payout comfortably by 1.3 times, providing flexibility for acquisitions and organic expansion projects [9] - **Prologis**: - Has delivered a compound annual dividend growth of 13% over the past five years, making it another strong candidate for dividend growth investment [8]

Core Insights - Brookfield Business Partners will host its Fourth Quarter 2025 Conference Call & Webcast on January 30, 2026, to discuss results and current business initiatives [2] - Results will be released on the same day prior to 8:00 a.m. (ET) and will be available on the company's website [2] - Brookfield Business Partners is a global business services and industrials company focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that provide essential products and services [2][3] - Investors can invest in Brookfield Business Partners through either a limited partnership (NYSE: BBU; TSX: BBU.UN) or a corporation (NYSE, TSX: BBUC) [2] Company Overview - Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed vehicle of Brookfield Asset Management's Private Equity Group [3] - Brookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion of assets under management [3]

Core Viewpoint - Invesco Ltd. is a publicly owned investment manager with a market cap of $12 billion, set to announce its fiscal Q4 earnings for 2025 soon [1] Financial Performance - Analysts expect Invesco to report a profit of $0.57 per share for the upcoming quarter, reflecting a 9.6% increase from $0.52 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For the current fiscal year ending in December, a profit of $1.94 per share is anticipated, which is a 13.5% increase from $1.71 per share in fiscal 2024 [3] - Earnings per share (EPS) is projected to grow by 34% year-over-year to $2.60 in fiscal 2026 [3] Stock Performance - Invesco's shares have increased by 52.6% over the past 52 weeks, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index's return of 16.9% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF's increase of 13.9% during the same period [4] Recent Developments - On December 9, Invesco's shares rose by 2.8% following the announcement of a $500 million buyback of preference shares at an 18% premium, indicating management's confidence in the company's financial strength [5] - A new partnership with LGT Capital Partners aims to enhance U.S. investors' access to private markets, further boosting sentiment [5] Analyst Sentiment - Wall Street analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" rating for Invesco, with four out of 14 analysts recommending "Strong Buy" and ten suggesting "Hold" [6] - The mean price target for Invesco is set at $27.69, indicating a potential upside of 2.8% from current levels [6]

Core Viewpoint - The report highlights the performance of public "fixed income + equity" products from various wealth management companies, focusing on their annualized returns and risk metrics, with a specific emphasis on two standout products from 招银理财 and 农银理财 [4][5]. Group 1: Product Performance - The ranking includes products with an investment cycle of 1-2 years, with 7 wealth management companies represented, and 8 products achieving an annualized return exceeding 5% [4]. - 杭银理财's two products topped the list with annualized returns over 7%, while 招银理财 and 农银理财 had products with the lowest maximum drawdown, indicating strong risk-adjusted performance [4]. - The "招睿量化稳健多策略14个月持有日开1号" product achieved an annualized return of 5.87% since its inception, with a significant increase in asset size from 2.12 billion units to 5.21 billion units within a quarter [6]. Group 2: Asset Allocation and Strategy - The "招睿量化稳健多策略14个月持有日开1号" product maintains over 80% in bond investments, with a cash and bank deposit allocation of 9.7%, and a minor equity investment of 6.67% [6][7]. - The product's strategy involves actively adjusting bond positions to mitigate risks associated with longer durations while capturing opportunities in short to medium-term interest-bearing assets [7]. - The "农银匠心·灵珑固收增强第56期(共同富裕)" product, with a lower risk rating, focuses on fixed income assets and selectively participates in equity markets through mixed and stock funds, achieving an annualized return of 4.98% [8]. Group 3: Risk Metrics - The report indicates that both highlighted products have high Calmar ratios, suggesting a favorable balance between returns and drawdowns, with 招银理财's product being particularly noted for its risk management [4][5]. - The "农银匠心·灵珑固收增强第56期(共同富裕)" product has a significant allocation to non-standard assets, which contributes to its performance, despite its smaller asset size of 7.81 million yuan [8].

Market Reaction to Venezuela Developments - The market response to the political developments in Venezuela has been notably restrained, indicating modest hedging rather than a flight-to-safety [3][19] - Investors are assessing whether the situation in Venezuela will lead to a systemic impact on markets or if it will be a temporary shock [2][19] Oil Market Analysis - The current oil market structure is more critical than spot prices; as long as Brent crude remains around $60 and the forward curve is in contango, there is ample supply and limited concern about disruptions from Venezuela [4][8] - A shift to backwardation would signal a real supply issue, but this is not currently happening, suggesting that the market does not view the Venezuelan situation as a threat to global energy supply [5][7] Volatility and Risk Pricing - The Volatility Index (VIX) currently stands at 14.5, indicating low market stress and complacency despite geopolitical tensions [9][10] - Real yields in the U.S. remain elevated, reflecting the country's heavy debt burden, and inflation expectations are stable, suggesting no significant change in the economic outlook [11][12] Precious Metals Performance - Gold prices have increased over 2% to $4,419 per ounce, benefiting from the geopolitical developments in Venezuela, with expectations for further appreciation [2][14] - Silver prices have also risen over 3% to $75.2733 per ounce, indicating a knee-jerk reaction to geopolitical risks [14] Long-term Political Implications - The situation in Venezuela may influence political behavior in other regions, particularly concerning Taiwan, although immediate military action is not anticipated [15][18] - The developments in Venezuela are viewed as a tactical shock rather than a regime shift, with investors focusing on potential geopolitical risk premiums rather than structural changes in the market [19]

ESG may be the most controversial acronym in finance, but don’t tell that to ETF investors. Environmental, social and governance exchange-traded funds reached a new milestone, with global assets climbing to $799 billion through the end of November, according to ETFGI data. The category pulled in $5.7 billion in November alone, bringing year-to-date inflows to almost $49 billion, a 25% increase over the prior year. But it also comes at a pivotal time, as asset managers continue to downplay ESG labels and c ...

Core Insights - Asia's equity capital markets are projected to have a strong performance in 2026, continuing the momentum from 2025, which saw significant growth in share sales across the region [1][2] Group 1: Market Performance - In 2025, share listings, placements, and block trades in Asia Pacific raised $262.7 billion, marking the highest total in four years [2] - For the first time, four of the world's five busiest deal venues were located in Asia, driven by a rebound in Hong Kong and record IPOs in India [2] Group 2: Upcoming IPOs - Major IPOs expected in 2026 include Baidu Inc., Zepto Ltd., ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc., and Coca-Cola's India bottling unit [3] - Hong Kong listings of Chinese firms already traded in mainland China are anticipated to continue contributing to the IPO pipeline [3] Group 3: Regional Highlights - Hong Kong listings may raise up to $45 billion in 2026, potentially the largest amount in six years, while Indian IPOs are expected to achieve a third consecutive annual record [4] - Jio Platforms Ltd. is preparing for what could be India's largest-ever IPO, while A.S. Watson Group is considering a listing that could raise over $2 billion [8] Group 4: Notable Companies and Their Plans - Syngenta Group is in preliminary talks for a potential listing in 2026 after previously withdrawing a $9 billion plan [8] - Baidu's AI chip unit has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong IPO, valued at a minimum of $3 billion [8] - Other companies like Luxshare Precision Industry Co. and Muyuan Foods Co. are also pursuing significant IPOs in Hong Kong [8] Group 5: Indian Market Developments - PhonePe Ltd. has filed for an IPO that could raise up to $1.5 billion, valuing the fintech firm at approximately $15 billion [13] - Flipkart is exploring an IPO after moving its holding company to India, while Zepto aims to raise about $500 million through its IPO [13] Group 6: International Listings - SK Hynix Inc. is considering a potential New York listing to align its valuation with global peers [13] - Shein Group Ltd. has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong IPO, pending approval from Beijing [13]

Core Viewpoint - Larson Financial Group has increased its position in the JPMorgan Active Bond ETF (JBND) by purchasing 167,756 shares, reflecting a strategic shift towards income generation and active bond selection in a volatile market environment [2][3][11]. Fund Purchase Details - Larson Financial Group disclosed the purchase of 167,756 shares of JBND in its quarterly report, raising its total holdings to 547,165 shares valued at $29.63 million as of September 30 [3][7]. - The purchase resulted in an estimated position increase of $9.30 million [2][7]. Fund Performance Metrics - As of the latest report, JBND represents 1.0% of the fund's assets under management (AUM), which totals $4.26 billion [4][5]. - The current price of JBND shares is $54.00, reflecting a 3% increase over the past year, while the S&P 500 has gained 17% in the same period [4]. Investment Strategy - JBND aims to outperform the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index over a 3–5 year market cycle through active bond selection and portfolio management, with a policy to invest at least 80% of its assets in bonds [9][10]. - The fund is characterized as an actively managed ETF with an annualized dividend yield of approximately 4% [10][12]. Portfolio Composition - The fund's portfolio includes over 1,300 investment-grade holdings with an average duration of just over six years, focusing on Treasuries and agency mortgage-backed securities for stability while incorporating corporate exposure for additional income [12][13]. - JBND is positioned to serve institutional and income-oriented investors, emphasizing broad diversification and active risk management [10][12].

Core Insights - A significant number of elderly investors are not taking required minimum distributions (RMDs), leading to potential tax penalties [1][8] - The IRS mandates RMDs starting at age 70.5, with penalties for non-compliance ranging from 10% to 25% of the RMD amount [2][8] Summary by Sections RMD Compliance - In 2024, 585,000 Vanguard clients with individual retirement accounts (IRAs) failed to take RMDs, representing 6.7% of RMD-age clients [3] - Among those who did not take RMDs, the average amount was $11,600, resulting in potential penalties between $1,160 and $2,900 [3] Withdrawal Patterns - 24% of clients withdrew amounts below the RMD threshold, while 69% met or exceeded the RMD level [4] - Investors with smaller account balances are more likely to miss RMD deadlines, with 56.8% of those under $5,000 failing to meet requirements [4] Penalty Insights - Average penalties for clients with account balances of at least $1 million were reported at $8,792 [5] - A concerning trend is that 55% of those who missed RMDs in one year are likely to miss them again the following year [6] Recommendations - Vanguard suggests automating distributions and consolidating retirement accounts to help investors comply with RMD rules [7][8]