Market Overview - The S&P 500 has experienced a strong performance, gaining over 14% in the past year and 0.3% so far in 2026, following three consecutive years of returns above the long-term average of approximately 10% [1] - Major Wall Street firms are optimistic about the S&P 500, with forecasts predicting the index to reach between 7,500 and 8,000 by the end of 2026 [4] Economic Conditions - The U.S. economy is showing signs of a "K-shaped" recovery, with higher-income households driving spending while labor market concerns persist [2] - GDP growth has accelerated and inflation has eased, but there are lingering worries about high equity valuations and risks in private credit and corporate debt [3] Investment Predictions - Elevated multiples are expected to drive stock market gains, supported by anticipated above-trend earnings growth, an AI-led capital spending boom, and rising shareholder payouts [5] - S&P 500-based ETFs such as Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) are highlighted as balanced investment options [6] Commodities Outlook - Commodities, particularly metals, had a standout year in 2025, with gold and silver reaching all-time highs and copper hitting record levels due to supply-chain disruptions [7] - Industrial metals are expected to continue thriving in 2026, with ETFs like iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and United States Copper ETF (CPER) in focus [8] Banking Sector - Banks are entering a favorable period with falling benchmark rates and strong deal activity, leading to expectations of strong performance in 2026 [11] - The Invesco KBW Bank ETF (KBWB) has already outperformed the S&P 500, indicating positive momentum in the banking sector [11] Technology Sector - The tech sector remains robust, with a projected 30% year-over-year increase in global semiconductor sales, pushing the industry past the $1 trillion revenue mark in 2026 [12] - ETFs like First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL) and WisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund (WCLD) are expected to benefit from this growth [12] Renewable Energy - The solar energy sector is experiencing a resurgence, driven by falling costs of photovoltaic panels and battery storage, making it a more attractive investment option [15][16] - Clean energy ETFs such as Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) and Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW) have shown significant gains, reflecting the positive outlook for the sector [16] International Markets - International markets outperformed U.S. markets in 2025, driven by cheaper valuations and aggressive stimulus in Europe and Asia [17] - The trend of international equities delivering better performance than U.S. markets is expected to continue into 2026 [17]

Thinkstock Quick Read Point72 and Tudor Investment increased SPY positions to 5.89% and 4.19% of portfolios respectively. QQQ gained 21.67% year-to-date with over 50% allocation to technology and 53% in top 10 holdings. Ray Dalio raised his IVV stake by 4.83% to over 1M shares representing 10.62% of his portfolio. A recent study identified one single habit that doubled Americans’ retirement savings and moved retirement from dream, to reality. Read more here. Hedge funds continued to make buy a ...

Key Takeaways The S&P 500 is up 18% YTD and could extend gains into early 2026.JPMorgan, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, and Deutsche Bank forecast the index near 7,500-8,000.ETFs like VOO, VUG, RSP and IJR offer diversified ways to play the market rally.Though much of 2025 was clouded by tariff fears, geopolitical tensions and AI bubble concerns, the S&P 500 looks poised to end the year with solid double-digit growth. The broad market index is up 18% year to date and about 1.7% month to date, placing it on course fo ...

BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund IBIT, has emerged as a notable outlier on the 2025 ETF flow leaderboard, ranking sixth by year-to-date inflows despite posting a negative return for the year, according to data highlighted by Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Eric Balchunas. IBIT is currently the only ETF among the top flow leaders showing a year-to-date loss, with returns down roughly 9.6%. Yet the fund has still attracted approximately $25.4 billion in net inflows, placing it ahead of a range o ...

Top 10 Creations (All ETFs) Top 10 Redemptions (All ETFs) ETF Daily Flows By Asset Class   Net Flows ($, mm) AUM ($, mm) % of AUM Alternatives -82.50 109,943.15 -0.08% Asset Allocation 10.42 32,254.48 0.03% Commodities E T Fs 723.30 325,806.98 0.22% Currency -511.12 142,717.73 -0.36% International Equity 9,891.93 2,201,750.18 0.45% International Fixed Income 178.97 366,546.60 0.05% Inverse -159.63 12,993.47 -1.23% Leveraged 31 ...

A hundred billion is the new hundred million. State Street’s SPYM fund surpassed $100 billion in assets last week, making it the fastest to grow from $50 billion to $100 billion, taking just 283 trading days, according to State Street. The ETF is the latest entrant to the core S&P 500 cast and represents the firm’s efforts to access growing retail markets via low fees; SPYM’s is just two basis points. But it may be the last core S&P 500 product breakthrough for a while because of all the funds already tra ...

SCARLETT: WELCOME TO ETF IQ WE HAVE SOME BIG ECONOMIC DATA POINTS TO GET THROUGH. KATIE: LET'S GET TO THE BIGGEST STORIES RIGHT NOW. 19 TRILLION DOLLAR GLOBAL ETF INDUSTRY AND IS THE LAST FULL TRADING WEEK FOR THE YEAR WITH STOCKS WIPING OUT THEIR GAINS ON THE SESSION AS PEOPLE PREPARE FOR THAT DELAYED U.S. JOBS REPORT.SCARLETT: BLACKROCK'S JEFFREY ROSENBERG WILL HAVE HIS EYES ON THAT. KATIE: PLUS IN A MOMENT WE WILL SPEAK WITH SOMEONE FROM RBC CAPITAL MARKETS ABOUT THE VIEWS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE UNITED S ...

Core Insights - The iShares Core Dividend ETF (DIVB) was previously rated a "hold" due to its solid diversification, value, and dividend yield features, but had an unappealing factor mix [1] Analyst Background - The Sunday Investor specializes in U.S. Equity ETFs and has a strong analytical background, holding a Certificate of Advanced Investment Advice and completing educational requirements for the Chartered Investment Manager designation [1] - The Sunday Investor has developed a proprietary ETF Rankings system that evaluates nearly 1,000 ETFs based on various factors, resulting in a composite score from 1-10 [1] ETF Rankings System - The ETF Rankings system assesses factors such as costs, liquidity, risk, size, value, dividends, growth, quality, momentum, and sentiment [1] - Individual factor scores contribute to an overall understanding of ETF performance and suitability for investors [1]

Core Viewpoint - The S&P 500 Index and its ETFs, such as SPY, IVV, and VOO, are trading within a narrow range close to their all-time highs as investors respond to decreasing expectations for interest rate cuts in upcoming meetings [1] Group 1 - The S&P 500 Index remains near all-time highs, indicating strong market performance [1] - ETFs like SPY, IVV, and VOO are closely tracking the S&P 500 Index, reflecting investor sentiment [1] - Investor reactions are influenced by the changing outlook on interest rate cuts, which are now seen as less likely in the near term [1]

Core Insights - ETF inflows are experiencing unprecedented growth, with total inflows reaching $13 billion in a single day and $40 billion over the past five days, leading to year-to-date inflows of $1.16 trillion, a record for the industry [1][2] Group 1: ETF Inflows - The majority of capital is directed towards equity ETFs, particularly broad-market funds like Vanguard's VOO and iShares' IVV, as well as high-growth technology funds such as SMH and TQQQ [2] - Bitcoin ETFs have also seen a resurgence, attracting nearly $500 million in a single day, indicating renewed investor confidence in cryptocurrency [3] Group 2: Market Performance - The S&P 500 increased by 3.65% in September, while developed markets excluding the U.S. rose by 2.5%, with notable performances from The Netherlands (+13.27%) and Korea (+9.04%) [6] - Emerging markets advanced by 5.49%, with Peru (+12.8%) and South Africa (+9.47%) leading the gains [6] Group 3: Active ETFs - Assets in actively managed ETFs reached a record $1.73 trillion by the end of September 2025, surpassing the previous high of $1.63 trillion [5] - The growth of actively managed ETFs is attributed to their transparency and flexibility, highlighting their increasing role in global investment portfolios [7]