Core Insights - The State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) is a smart beta ETF launched on June 19, 2006, designed to provide broad exposure to the Consumer Discretionary sector [1] - XRT has accumulated over $284.35 million in assets, making it one of the larger ETFs in its category [5] - The fund seeks to match the performance of the S&P Retail Select Industry Index, which is a modified equal weight index representing the retail sub-industry of the S&P Total Market Index [6] Fund Characteristics - XRT has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.35%, positioning it as one of the cheaper options in the ETF space [7] - The fund offers a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.33% [7] - The portfolio is heavily allocated to the Consumer Discretionary sector, comprising approximately 78.7% of total assets [8] Holdings and Performance - Etsy Inc (ETSY) is the largest holding, accounting for about 1.77% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings representing around 16.11% of total assets under management [9] - As of November 7, 2025, XRT has experienced a year-to-date loss of approximately -0.37% and a one-year increase of about 1.3% [11] - The fund has a beta of 1.24 and a standard deviation of 23.78% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [11] Alternatives - Alternatives to XRT include the Amplify Online Retail ETF (IBUY) and the VanEck Retail ETF (RTH), with respective assets of $147.61 million and $253.07 million [13] - IBUY has an expense ratio of 0.65%, while RTH has an expense ratio of 0.35% [13]

Looking for broad exposure to the Consumer Discretionary - Retail segment of the equity market? You should consider the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on June 19, 2006.Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.Sector ETFs also provide investors access to a broad group ...

Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve has initiated its first interest rate cut of 2025, reducing the benchmark rate by 25 basis points to a range of 4.00-4.25%, with expectations for further cuts later in the year [1][2]. Economic Projections - The Fed has raised its economic growth outlook for 2025 to 1.6% from 1.4% and has also increased GDP growth expectations for 2026 and 2027 to 1.8% and 1.9% respectively [3][4]. - The unemployment rate is projected to rise to 4.5% this year, with a gradual decline expected to 4.4% in 2026 and 4.3% in 2027 [5]. Market Implications - Value stocks are expected to outperform in a higher-rate environment, while growth stocks may benefit from anticipated rate cuts [7]. - Consumer discretionary ETFs are likely to perform well due to the upcoming holiday season and positive retail sales data [8]. - Small-cap stocks are positioned to gain from lower borrowing costs and an improving domestic economy [9]. - High-income investment options, such as the Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF, are appealing due to their steady income generation [11]. - The AI sector is expected to thrive in a low-rate environment, benefiting AI-focused ETFs [12]. - The hydrogen power industry is projected to grow despite recent production estimates being lowered, indicating a potential opportunity for related ETFs [13][14].

Core Insights - U.S. retail sales increased by 0.6% in August 2025, matching the revised growth from July and exceeding expectations of 0.2% [1] - Sales excluding certain categories rose by 0.7%, surpassing the anticipated 0.4% [1] Winning Areas - **Online Retailers**: Nonstore retailers experienced a 2% sequential increase and a 10.1% year-over-year gain [3] - ProShares Online Retail ETF (ONLN) tracks online retailers and charges 58 bps in fees [3] - Amazon.com (AMZN) is a major player in e-commerce with a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [4] - **Clothing Stores**: Sales rose by 1% sequentially and 8.3% year over year in August 2025 [5] - SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) provides exposure to U.S. retail stocks, with apparel retail comprising about 21% of the fund and a fee of 35 bps [5] - Genesco (GCO) is a specialty retail company with a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) [5] - **Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, & Books**: This segment saw a 0.8% sequential gain and a 4.7% year-over-year increase [6] - Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) and VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) are suitable for investment in this sector [6] - DICK'S Sporting Goods (DKS) operates as a sporting goods retailer with a Zacks Rank 3 [7] - **Food Services & Drinking Places**: Sales increased by 0.7% sequentially and 6.5% year over year [8] - AdvisorShares Restaurant ETF (EATZ) invests primarily in restaurant-related companies and charges 99 bps in fees [8] - BJ's Restaurants (BJRI) operates high-end casual dining restaurants and holds a Zacks Rank 1 [9]

Core Insights - The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) has reached a 52-week high, increasing by 23.6% from its 52-week low price of $204.16 per share, indicating strong momentum in the retail sector [1][4] Group 1: ETF Overview - RTH tracks the MVIS US Listed Retail 25 Index, which includes companies involved in various retail distribution channels such as wholesalers, online retailers, and specialty retailers [2] - The ETF charges an annual fee of 35 basis points [2] Group 2: Retail Sales Performance - Retail sales in the United States rose by 0.5% month-over-month in July, totaling $726.3 billion, following a revised increase of 0.9% in June [3] - Year-over-year, retail sales increased by 3.9%, with the back-to-school season contributing to positive market sentiment [3] Group 3: Future Outlook - The ETF RTH is expected to maintain its strong performance in the near term, supported by a positive weighted alpha of 22.95, suggesting potential for further gains [4]

Core Insights - The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) is a passively managed fund launched on December 20, 2011, aimed at providing exposure to the Consumer Discretionary - Retail segment of the equity market [1][3] Fund Overview - RTH has accumulated assets of over $252.67 million, categorizing it as an average-sized ETF [3] - The ETF seeks to match the performance of the MVIS US Listed Retail 25 Index, which includes various retail distribution companies [4] Cost Structure - The annual operating expense ratio for RTH is 0.35%, making it one of the more cost-effective options in the market [5] - The ETF has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.71% [5] Sector Exposure and Holdings - Approximately 58.3% of RTH's portfolio is allocated to the Consumer Discretionary sector, with Consumer Staples and Healthcare following [6] - Amazon.com Inc (AMZN) constitutes about 20.42% of total assets, with Walmart Inc (WMT) and Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) also among the top holdings [7] - The top 10 holdings represent around 71.58% of total assets under management [7] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, RTH has returned approximately 9.39%, and it has increased by about 24.22% over the last 12 months as of August 12, 2025 [8] - The ETF has traded between $199.86 and $245.705 in the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 0.89 and a standard deviation of 15.79% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [8] Alternatives - RTH carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting it is a viable option for investors seeking exposure to the Consumer Discretionary ETFs [9] - Other alternatives include the Amplify Online Retail ETF (IBUY) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT), with respective assets of $149.21 million and $324.20 million [10]

Retail Sales Overview - U.S. retail sales increased by 0.1% in April following a revised 1.7% increase in March, contrary to economists' expectations of no change [1] - The March increase was influenced by consumers making purchases in anticipation of tariff announcements [1] Sector Performance - The largest increases in April were in food services and drinking places (1.2%), building material and garden equipment supplies (0.8%), furniture (0.3%), and electronics and appliances stores (0.3%) [2] - Sales excluding food services, auto dealers, building materials stores, and gasoline stations decreased by 0.2%, below the revised 0.5% gain in March and forecasts of a 0.3% rise [2] Winning Areas Food Services and Drinking Places - Sales in this sector rose by 1.2% sequentially in April and 7.8% year over year [4] - AdvisorShares Restaurant ETF (EATZ) focuses on companies deriving at least 50% of their revenue from the restaurant business [4] - BJ's Restaurants (BJRI) operates high-end casual dining restaurants and has a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) [5] Building Material & Garden Equipment & Supplies Dealers - This segment experienced a 0.8% sequential sales gain and a 3.2% year-over-year increase [6] - Broad-based retail ETFs like Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) and VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) are relevant for this sector [6] - Vulcan Materials (VMC) is the largest supplier of construction aggregates in the U.S. and has a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [7] Electronics & Appliance Stores - Sales in this category increased by 0.3% sequentially in April and 0.1% year over year [8] - The rise in electronics sales is expected to benefit semiconductor funds and stocks [8] - VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) tracks companies involved in semiconductor production and charges 35 bps in fees [8] - Universal Electronics (UEIC) is a leader in universal control and sensing technologies for smart homes and has a Zacks Rank 3 [9]