BlackRock is ramping up its digital asset strategy with a wave of new hires aimed at expanding its crypto and blockchain-related products globally, amid growing institutional interest in tokenized and onchain assets. In a job posting board, the $10 trillion asset manager said it is hiring for seven digital asset positions, six based in the United States and one in Singapore. The move follows BlackRock's head of digital assets, Robert Mitchnick, posting about the open roles on LinkedIn last week. One of ...

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Core Viewpoint - The financial sector is experiencing a significant breakout, indicating renewed momentum and potential leadership as capital rotates into financials, with the XLF ETF serving as a key vehicle for investors to gain exposure [5][24]. Group 1: XLF ETF Overview - XLF currently manages approximately $54 billion in assets, has a dividend yield of 1.33%, and a net expense ratio of 0.08%, making it an efficient sector ETF [1]. - The ETF provides broad exposure to the financial sector, tracking the Financial Select Sector Index and including major companies like Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan Chase, Visa, Mastercard, and Bank of America [2]. - XLF has seen positive inflows of 2.38% over the past month and 3.76% over the past three months, with a total of $27.9 billion in inflows over the past year, indicating strong institutional confidence [9]. Group 2: Technical Developments - XLF rose 2.37% last week and decisively cleared the $54 resistance level, marking a potential inflection point after a prolonged consolidation [4][8]. - The financial sector has broken out of a multi-month consolidation, signaling improved sentiment and early signs of sector leadership [5][7]. Group 3: Individual Stock Performances - JPMorgan Chase, the second-largest holding in XLF, has a weighting of approximately 10.8% and recently posted Q3 EPS of $5.07, exceeding estimates, with revenue rising 8.8% YOY to $47.12 billion [11][12][13]. - Bank of America, with a weighting of roughly 4.8%, confirmed sector strength by breaking out to fresh 52-week highs, reporting Q3 EPS of $1.06, beating estimates, and a revenue increase of 10.8% YOY [14][16]. - Charles Schwab, with a market capitalization of $171 billion, is positioned for a potential breakout, currently trading less than 3% below its 52-week high, with a Moderate Buy rating from analysts [17][18][19]. - Robinhood has shown exceptional growth, with a YTD increase of 220% and a three-year surge of nearly 1,200%, reporting Q3 EPS of 61 cents and revenue doubling YOY to $1.27 billion [21][22]. Group 4: Market Sentiment and Future Outlook - The financial sector's breakout reflects shifting expectations around interest rates and improving sentiment, suggesting that financials may lead into year-end and beyond [24][25]. - Analysts maintain a favorable outlook on leading financial stocks, indicating that the sector is becoming increasingly relevant for investors [10][24].

Core Insights - The Morningstar 2026 Global Outlook Report highlights intermediate bonds as a potential solution for fixed income investors seeking additional yield in 2026 as rate cuts are anticipated [1][2]. Fixed Income Advantages of Intermediate Bonds - Intermediate bonds, maturing in five to ten years, provide a balance between mitigating rate risk and enhancing yield potential in a changing economic environment [2][3]. - These bonds offer yields comparable to cash rates and benefit from capital appreciation as they approach maturity, especially if central banks cut rates [3]. Investment Options - The Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF (BIV) is recommended for those seeking exposure to intermediate bonds, tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 5–10 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index [3]. - For investors willing to accept more credit risk for higher yields, the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT) focuses on high-quality corporate bonds with similar maturity dates [4]. - The Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT) is suitable for those wanting to maintain a low-risk profile while still pursuing yield potential from intermediate bonds [6]. Market Conditions - The report notes that US investment-grade bonds have historically offered an extra 132 basis points of yield over US Treasuries, but the current spread is near historical lows at just over 70 basis points, despite deteriorating company fundamentals [6]. - The tightening credit spreads between corporate bonds and Treasuries are a consideration for fixed income investors evaluating corporate bond exposure [5]. Fund Characteristics - All three mentioned funds (BIV, VCIT, VGIT) feature a low expense ratio of 5 basis points or $5 per every $10,000 invested [7].

Core Insights - T. Rowe Price has launched two new ETFs: the T. Rowe Price Active Core U.S. Equity ETF (TACU) and the T. Rowe Price Active Core International Equity ETF (TACN), which aim to blend passive indexing with active management strategies [1][3] - Both ETFs will waive fees for the first 13 months, with TACU and TACN charging 0.14% and 0.20% respectively after the waiver period [5] ETF Details - TACU focuses on U.S. large-cap stocks with approximately 550-650 holdings, while TACN targets international stocks with a portfolio of about 400-500 holdings [2][6] - The launch of these ETFs expands T. Rowe Price's ETF suite to 30, including 20 equity ETFs and 10 fixed income ETFs [6] Management Strategy - The Active Core ETFs leverage T. Rowe Price's active management expertise and quantitative research to provide investors with potential for benchmark outperformance while maintaining disciplined risk controls [4][7] - The combination of low-cost, low-tracking-error portfolios aims to enhance core equity holdings for investors [7]

PME, a Dutch pension fund overseeing about $70 billion, has severed ties with BlackRock based on an assessment that the world’s largest money manager no longer acts in its best interests on issues such as climate risk https://t.co/gSZdRQviCh ...

You can find original article here WealthManagement. Subscribe to our free daily WealthManagement newsletters. Raymond James Investment Management, the asset management subsidiary of Raymond James, has Jeff Ringdahl, a former asset management executive who previously worked at a registered investment advisor, as president. Raymond James announced that Ringdahl will start in the role on Jan. 5, leading strategy and key initiatives for the $118.5 billion asset management division. He steps into a role vac ...

JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s asset management arm is launching its first ever tokenized money market fund built on Ethereum, joining a growing list of Wall Street firms pushing into blockchain-based finance https://t.co/DHmlWHHk2D ...

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Vanguard's risk and compliance teams signed off on multiple XRP ETFs after years of hesitation—a stamp of approval driven by regulatory clarity following the August 2025 SEC settlement. XRP now fits within mainstream investment models, shifting from a speculative asset to approved allocation inside retirement accounts and diversified portfolios.The real impact centers on distribution. Vanguard advisors can now allocate XRP exposure through regulated ETFs with zero extra approvals or workarounds. Suddenly, t ...