IVV - iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
| Previous Close | 294.07 |
| Open | 292.63 |
| Bid | 292.46 x 900 |
| Ask | 292.50 x 900 |
| Day's Range | 285.10 - 293.74 |
| 52 Week Range | 235.46 - 303.98 |
| Volume | 6,060,643 |
| Avg. Volume | 4,022,634 |
| Net Assets | 182.09B |
| NAV | 286.35 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | N/A |
| Yield | 1.99% |
| YTD Return | 15.06% |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 1.00 |
| Expense Ratio (net) | 0.04% |
| Inception Date | 2000-05-15 |
- Zacks
Should Xtrackers Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor ETF (DEUS) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Style Box ETF report for DEUS
- InvestorPlace
3 Great Active Mutual Funds for the Current Environment
There's a lot of debate over using active mutual funds versus their passive cousins. Much of that debate has low-cost index ETFs and mutual funds winning the fight. The truth is, most active mutual funds and their managers tend to underperform passive vehicles such as the iShares S&P 500 Index (NYSEARCA:IVV).However, investors shouldn't be so quick to throw away active mutual funds from their portfolios. There are situations when being active can pay some serious benefits. This is especially true in a volatile and rocky time such as this.For one thing, active funds don't have to stick to a certain basket of stocks. They can flee to cash when the market gets rough to avoid losses. At the same time, they can use down days to scoop up bargains. Moreover, multi-asset and go-anywhere funds don't have to stick out in stocks. They can go get a good return in any asset class -- stocks, bonds, you name it.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential The reality is, there are plenty of reasons to go active when the market gets wonky like this. Ignoring active mutual funds could be a recipe for disaster when volatility spikes and the market trends downwards. And with that, here are three top active mutual funds worth buying today. BlackRock Global Allocation Fund (MDLOX)Source: David Tran Photo / Shutterstock.com "Unconstrained in search of opportunity." That's how the BlackRock Global Allocation Fund (MUTF:MDLOX) bills itself. For nearly 30 years, the team at MDLOX has been combing the world's markets in search of better returns and they have succeeded in spades.With nearly $26 billion in assets, MDLOX is one of the largest go-anywhere mutual funds on the planet. Its wide-sweeping mandate allows it to buy stocks and bonds from nearly 40 countries as well as plenty of non-traditional asset classes.The fund's investment committee of more than 29 individuals aligns its portfolio with their general macroeconomic predictions. This has the fund changing its holdings as the market shifts direction or the managers see opportunities. In this case, a shift towards volatility and lower global economic conditions have it allocating more towards U.S. fixed-income assets of quality. Currently, the fund has roughly 65% of assets in stocks and about 30% in bonds.However, this could and will shift if the overall global economic situation changes.MDLOX's mandate has served investors well. The fund has long held a Morningstar Bronze Medal as well as top scores from Lipper. This has translated into some strong returns for the fund. Since its inception in 1994, the fund has managed to score a 9.74% average annual return. The best part is that it has managed to do just that with lower overall volatility than the S&P 500.In the end, MDLOX is a wonderful core active mutual fund for investors and it has proven itself over time. Expenses run 1.08%- or $108 per $10,000 invested. Many brokerages offer it without a sales charge and low minimums. T. Rowe Price Equity Income (PRFDX)Source: Shutterstock Dividends remain a great way to beat market volatility and get through the current environment. It's here that active mutual funds can shine. As the market dips, yields on quality dividend stocks go up. Active managers can snag these higher yields and quality stocks often on the cheap. A great fund to take advantage of this fact is T. Rowe Price Equity Income (MUTF:PRFDX).PRFDX focuses its attention on large-cap stocks here in the U.S. that pay dividends. However, the focus isn't just on headline yield. Manager John Linehan and his team are value investors at heart, and put more emphasis on quality over quantity. To meet the test, stocks have growing revenues, low debt levels and improving profit margins to be considered. Particular attention is made to price paid -- P/E, P/B, P/S ratios -- for shares. This conservative value investment approach is specifically done to limit potential downside and volatility over time.This focus on quality and value creates a rather concentrated portfolio. The fund stretches its nearly $21 billion dollars over just 127 different names including Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), utility Southern (NYSE:SO) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT).The focus on quality dividends has also worked wonders in the returns department. Over the last ten years, PRFDX has managed to return over 12% annually. With a big part of that return coming from dividends. And with the fund adding value over its benchmark in the recent bouts of volatility this year, it's worthy of a portfolio addition. * 10 Mid-Cap Dividend Stocks to Buy Now Expenses for the active mutual fund run at just 0.64%. Nuveen Preferred Securities and Income Fund (NPSAX)Source: Shutterstock With everyone running to safety these days, bond yields aren't exactly returning anything. Right now, you can score a 10-year Treasury bond paying about 1.67% in interest payments. That's not great at all. But holding too much in equities could make for a bumpy ride. The best bet? Combine them in preferred stock.Blending both attributes of equities and bonds, preferred stock provides a happy medium of high returns and lower risk. One of the best active mutual funds to dabble in the sector is the Nuveen Preferred Securities and Income Fund (MUTF:NPSAX).NPSAX combs the full gamut of preferred stocks to find values. That includes common $25 par issued retail preferreds as well as institutional $1,000 par valued stocks. Moreover, the team at Nuveen will search for deals across the entire credit spectrum and even internationally for bargains or high yields. the idea is to optimize value and create a balance between risk and reward. That has worked wonders for the active mutual fund -- with NPSAX gaining an annualized 9.66% per year over the last decade. That's pretty close to the broader market's return over that time and it came with far less volatility.There are other benefits to owning the fund as well. For one thing, NPSAX pays its dividend monthly. Even better is that dividend could be tax-advantaged for many investors. Most preferred stock dividends are considered qualified. This allows them to come in at 15% tax rate. This allows many investors to score a high monthly income -- currently a 4.82% yield -- at a low tax rate.With a Morningstar four-star rating and a low expense ratio of 0.78%, NPSAX offers one of the best active mutual funds to ride out the market's current storm with ease.At the time of writing, Aaron Levitt did not hold a position in any stock mentioned. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On * The 10 Biggest Losers from Q2 Earnings * 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy The post 3 Great Active Mutual Funds for the Current Environment appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Investopedia
Stock Investors Pay Soaring Prices for Safe Havens as Risk Jumps
Save haven stocks are looking expensive as investors rush for cover amid rising fears of a recession.
- Zacks
Should First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Style Box ETF report for FTCS
- Zacks
Should John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap ETF (JHML) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Style Box ETF report for JHML
- Zacks
ETF Assets Swell in July: What's Hot, What's Not
There was a solid asset flow into the S&P 500 and corporate bond ETFs in July.
- Zacks
Should iShares Russell Top 200 ETF (IWL) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Style Box ETF report for IWL
- GuruFocus.com
Tricadia Capital Management, LLC Buys First Midwest Bancorp Inc, iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
New York, NY, based Investment company Tricadia Capital Management, LLC (Current Portfolio) buys First Midwest Bancorp Inc, iShares Core S&P; 500 ETF during the 3-months ended 2019Q2, according to the most recent filings of the investment company, Tricadia Capital Management, LLC. Continue reading...
- Zacks
Should Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF (FLQL) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Style Box ETF report for FLQL
- InvestorPlace
The 10 Best Index Funds to Buy and Hold
Editor's note: This story was published in July 2019 and has since been updated and republished.Index funds are responsible for saving investors like you and me untold billions of dollars in fees over the past couple of decades. They've also spared us countless headaches. (I don't know about you, but I'm glad I don't have to pick specific stocks to buy to get exposure to utilities or play the growth in India's middle class.) And the best index funds … well, they've made us a lot of money, which is the point of it all.But index funds are also contributing to an issue that could blow up in our faces.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThe push into index funds has intensified to the point that some experts believe it's not only driving the market higher, but it's causing a valuation bubble. In short, if you buy into any fund (index or not), the fund must invest that money into more stocks -- and all that buying is distorting valuations. The danger, then, is that when that bubble pops, many supposedly safe index funds will feel the pain worse than other parts of the market.The lesson here is that the best index funds to buy for the foreseeable future aren't all going to look the same. * 8 of the Most Shorted Stocks in the Markets Right Now Some top index fund picks will be so buy-and-hold-oriented that you won't need to worry about the bubble popping in a year or two or three because you plan on holding for 20 years, maybe 30. Some of the best picks for next year will only be worth buying into for tactical trades of a week or two at a time.So the following is a list of the best index funds for everyone -- from long-term retirement-minded investors to click-happy day traders. And this includes a few funds that I either hold currently or have traded in the past.In no particular order … iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV)Type: Large-Cap Equity Expenses: 0.04%, or $4 annually for every $10,000 invested.Every year, I take a look at the best index funds for investors, and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:VOO) is always at the top of my list.The argument is typically the same, and consists of two parts: * The S&P 500 Index is one of the best chances you have at solid investment performance. That's because most equity funds fail to beat the market, most hedge funds fail to beat the market, and, to quote Innovative Advisory Group, "individual investors as a group have no idea what they are doing." So if beating the market is so darned hard, just invest "in the market" and get the market's actual return. The VOO and two other exchange-traded funds allow you to do that. * The VOO is the cheapest way to invest in the S&P 500.But that second point has changed.In trying to position itself for advisers who may want to suggest the lowest-cost offerings, iShares parent BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) lowered the fees on 15 of its Core-branded ETFs, including the S&P 500-tracking iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV).Previously, the IVV charged seven basis points. It's better than the SPDR S&P 500 ETF's (NYSEARCA:SPY) 9.45 bps, but still above VOO's 5 bps. Now, though, IVV falls closest to the cellar at just four basis points in annual fees. Thus, the recommendation stands. Buy the market for as cheap as you can, and right now, that's the IVV.And that note of caution? If the valuation bubble does pop, the S&P 500 and its components very well could be hit harder than many other blue-chip stocks outside the index. If you only have a few years left in your investment horizon, you should acknowledge this and invest (and monitor) accordingly. If your investment horizon is measured in decades, buy and never look back.Learn more about iShares' IVV here iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH)Type: Mid-Cap Equity Expenses: 0.07%As I just said, it's difficult to beat the market. But the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:IJH) is awfully, awfully darn good at it. From a total performance perspective, the IJH has beaten the IVV over a 15-year period.Source: Rachel Kramer via FlickrAnd yet, very few people talk about the IJH, just as very few people talk about the companies that make it tick, such as veterinary supplier Idexx Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDXX).So … what's the deal?Mid-cap companies are frequently referred to as the market's "sweet spot." That's because, as Hennessy Funds describes in a recent whitepaper (PDF), they typically feature much more robust long-term growth potential than their large-cap brethren, but more financial stability, access to capital and managerial experience than their small-cap counterparts. * 8 of the Most Shorted Stocks in the Markets Right Now The result:"Using standard deviation as a statistical measure of historical volatility, investors in mid-cap stocks have consistently been rewarded with lower risk relative to small-cap investors over the 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years ended December 31, 2015. While mid-caps have historically exhibited higher standard deviation than large-caps, investors were compensated for this higher volatility with higher returns for the 10, 15 and 20 year periods."Ben Johnson, CFA, director of global ETF research for Morningstar, points out that "an investment in a dedicated mid-cap fund reduces the likelihood of overlap with existing large-cap allocations and stands to improve overall portfolio diversification."In other words, IJH is an outstanding fund, but don't consider it an S&P 500 replacement -- consider it an S&P 500 complement.Invest in both.Learn more about IJH here SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE)Type: Industry (Banking) Expenses: 0.35%Bank stocks have done very, very well in 2019, with solid year-to-date performances in stocks like Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) and Citigroup (NYSE:C) (up more than 18% and 29% respectively) leading the broad Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLF) to a 15% gain since the start of 2019. This makes the SPDR S&P Bank ETF (NYSEARCA:KBE) especially attractive.Source: Mike Mozart via FlickrSince Donald Trump's election, the KBE has gained just shy of 20% on the belief Trump will tear down Wall Street regulations, creating an environment that's much more conducive to bank profits.That was confirmed in late 2016, when Trump confirmed Steve Mnuchin as his pick for Treasury Department secretary, and Mnuchin was quick to say that "(stripping) back parts of Dodd-Frank that prevent banks from lending" was top on his list of priorities.Mnuchin said something else telling -- namely, that regional banks were the "engine of growth to small- and medium-sized businesses." I got a call from Chris Johnson of JRG Investment Group after that, and he quipped, "It's like he stared into the camera and winked at every regional bank and said, 'You're going to make money again.'"While XLF does hold banks, it also holds insurers and other types of financials. KBE is a more focused collection of more than 60 banks, including national brands like Bank of America to smaller regionals like Montana-based Glacier Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:GBCI), which is less than $3.5 billion by market cap. These stocks will not only benefit from any anti-regulation action but also future interest rate hikes.Learn more about SPDR's KBE here PowerShares Aerospace & Defense Portfolio (PPA)Type: Sector (Defense) Expenses: 0.60%The PowerShares Aerospace & Defense Portfolio (NYSEARCA:PPA) is one of two ideal ways to play the defense space broadly. The other is the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSEARCA:ITA), and frankly, I think it's a toss-up between the pair. It just depends on what you're looking for.Source: Shutterstock Both are heavy in many of the same stocks, such as Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) and United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX). The price advantage goes to the iShares fund, which is cheaper by 20 basis points. However, PPA is a better choice if you're looking for more diversification slightly less of its weight is in its top 10 holdings than ITA, and it also features 49 holdings to ITA's 33. * 8 of the Most Shorted Stocks in the Markets Right Now Defense stocks are clobbering the market, including more than doubling the S&P 500 since Trump got elected. This isn't a hidden trade. Frankly, I think new money should consider waiting for the next sizable market dip to knock some of the froth off before buying either of these ETFs.But defense will rule for the foreseeable future. Thus, PPA and ITA will too.Learn more about PowerShares' PPA here. Global X SuperDividend Emerging Markets ETF (SDEM)Type: Emerging-Market Dividend Expenses: 0.65%The next four funds are dedicated yield plays, and we're starting with a pretty young (and aggressive) ETF -- the Global X SuperDividend Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:SDEM). But there are a few sound theories that could make this one of the best international plays.Source: Shutterstock Trump is widely considered to be a net negative for emerging markets because of his anti-trade, pro-U.S. rhetoric. But as Paul J. Lim and Carolyn Bigda at Fortune point out, the recent reactionary drought in EM stocks has brought their price-to-earnings ratios below their long-term average.The duo points out a number of other drivers, including … * Stimulated U.S. economic growth would benefit emerging markets who export to the West. * Commodity price pressure has eased, helping the many materials plays in EMs. * Higher oil prices should reduce the number of loan defaults in oil and gas, which will lift some of the worries about emerging markets' financial companies.All of that stands to benefit the SDEM, which has 23% of its holdings i nenergy and basic materials ) as its two heaviest sectors and invests heavily in commodity-focused markets including Brazil and Russia.SDEM does pose a bit of risk by intentionally investing in some of the highest yielders across a number of emerging markets -- as we all know, dividends can suggest financial stability, but excessively high dividends can be a symptom of troubled companies.But Global X views the high dividends as another factor of value (the reason yields are high is because the stocks are underappreciated), and it does mitigate this risk by equally weighting its 50 holdings upon every rebalancing.SDEM's monthly dividend yields 6.58%. That's still excellent for an emerging-markets fund, and the icing on the cake if the potential for an EM rebound is realized.Learn more about SDEM here PowerShares S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility Portfolio (SPHD)Type: U.S. Dividend Expenses: 0.3%If you're looking for dividend stocks without quite so much risk, the PowerShares S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility Portfolio (NYSEARCA:SPHD) is literally designed to provide you with just that.Source: Shutterstock The SPHD has a 51-stock portfolio that seeks out dividends, not in risky emerging markets, but in the most stable high-yield blue chips the S&P 500 has to offer. To do this, the index takes the 75 highest-yielding constituents of the index, with a maximum of 10 stocks in any one particular sector, then takes the 51 stocks with the lowest 12-month volatility from the group.The result is a mostly boring group of stocks that are heavy in utilities (13%), energy (15%) and real estate (23%). * 8 of the Most Shorted Stocks in the Markets Right Now The fund also uses a modified market cap-weighting scheme that provides a ton of balance. Even top holdings Iron Mountain (NYSE:IRM) and Macerich (NYSE:MAC) are just barely 3% of the fund apiece.The main purpose of a fund like SPHD is to create even returns and strong income -- something more in line of protection against a down market. But it has even managed to clobber SPY (and numerous dividend ETFs) amid a rip-roaring rally.SPHD is young, but it looks like one of the best index funds on the market.Learn more about SPHD here SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETF (JNK)Type: Junk Bond Expenses: 0.4%In late 2014, I picked the SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High-Yield Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:JNK) as one of the best index funds to buy for 2015, and JNK responded by dropping 13% that year and recovering to "only" 9.8% declines this year. On a total return basis, however, JNK has actually returned 5.5%.That reflects the general idea behind buying JNK -- even in difficult times for junk bonds, a heavy yield can do a lot to offset capital losses, and then some.Invesco released a report showing that high-yield bonds like those held in JNK actually perform well in rising-rate environments (PDF). It starts:"Since 1987, there have been 16 quarters where yields on the 5-year Treasury note rose by 70 basis points or more. During 11 of those quarters high yield bonds demonstrated positive returns; during the five quarters where high yield bond returns were not positive, the asset class rebounded the following quarter."There's a number of reasons for this, such as an expanding economy normally being a boon for corporate debt service (lowering default rates), a lower relative duration rate of junk bonds and the boosting of returns via prepayment penalties by companies anxious to reduce or eliminate their debt before rates increase.Meanwhile, near-zero rates have helped keep down the rates on junk bonds, so right now JNK is yielding nearly 5.6% despite offering some of its lowest nominal payouts since inception in late 2007. Expect that to rise along with interest rates in coming years, which will provide outstanding annual returns from income alone to anyone with a long investment horizon.Learn more about SPDR's JNK here VanEck Vectors Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF (PFXF)Type: Preferred Stock Expenses: 0.4%*Another less-ballyhooed asset geared toward high income is preferred stocks. They're called "preferred" because the dividends on them actually take preference over common stock dividends.Source: Shutterstock Preferreds must be paid before commons are, and in the case of a suspension, many preferred stocks demand that the company pay all missed dividends in arrears before resuming dividends to common shares.And the "stocks" part of the moniker is a little misleading too, because they actually have a lot in common with bonds: * While common stock technically is equity, it typically doesn't include voting rights (like bonds). * Also, rather than a dividend that may fluctuate from payout to payout like a stock, preferreds have one fixed, usually high, payout amount that's assigned when the stock is issued (like bonds). * While common stock technically can register capital gains and losses, they tend to trade close to the par value assigned at issuance, which often is $25. So they might trade at a little discount or a little premium, but they don't fluctuate a lot. In other words: They have low volatility. * 7 Stocks Top Investors Are Buying Now While I have long been (and still am) invested in the iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (NYSEARCA:PFF), my recommendation is the VanEck Vectors Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF (NYSEARCA:PFXF).The real draw of PFXF is its low 0.4% expense ratio, tiny beta of 0.25 and 5.3% yield -- the best combination of the three in the space.*Includes an 8-basis-point fee waiverLearn more about VanEck's PFXF here Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares (LABU)Type: Leveraged Industry (Biotech) Expenses: 1.12%*But while I'm long both pharmaceuticals via the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLV) and biotechs via the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSEARCA:XBI), I think the best healthcare opportunity will be found by traders who tango with the Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares (NYSEARCA:LABU).Source: Shutterstock The LABU is a 3x leveraged index fund that aims to provide triple the daily returns of the S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index -- the same index upon which XBI is based. Note the term "daily returns" -- the longer you hold onto leveraged funds, the more your returns can skew from the movement of the index.I think biotechs could still be in for a bumpy ride, as popular outcry over sky-high drug pricing isn't going away. Moreover, there's still the issue of pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) increasingly siphoning pharmaceutical and biotechs' profits. But aggressive traders will get the most bang for their buck trying to play dips with tools like LABU, while fiscal hermit crabs like myself are content to sit in XBI and enjoy the uneven crawl higher.*Includes 12-basis-point fee waiver.Learn more about Direxion's LABU here Direxion Daily Gold Miners Index Bull and Bear 3x Shares (NUGT/DUST)Type: Leveraged Industry (Gold Mining) Expenses: 0.94%/1.04%*The last of the best index funds are actually a pair of funds that you can use to trade gold. (Sort of.)Source: Shutterstock The Direxion Daily Gold Miners Index Bull 3x Shares (NYSEARCA:NUGT) and Direxion Daily Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares (NYSEARCA:DUST) are actually leveraged plays on the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index -- an index of gold mining companies that powers the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSEARCA:GDX).Why gold miners?Gold miners have certain all-in costs of mining gold, and so they move heavily based on the price of the commodity. In fact, they tend to be more volatile than gold itself. Just take the first half of 2016, in which the SPDR Gold Trust (ETF) (NYSEARCA:GLD) returned a robust 25%. GDX doubled in that same time frame. And NUGT? NUGT returned 420% -- so, more than quadruple the GDX. * 8 of the Most Shorted Stocks in the Markets Right Now But if you timed the play wrong, you were sunk. If you bought NUGT in May and held through the end of the month, you were down 40% to GDX's 14%.I have no doubt that 2019 will continue to provide a number of big drivers (in either direction) for gold, from U.S. dollar movements to interest rate moves to renewed Brexit fears. NUGT and DUST are two lucrative ways to profit off those trends.Just handle with care.*Includes a 9-basis-point fee waiver for NUGT and a 2-basis-point fee waiver for DUST.Learn more about NUGT & DUST hereAs of this writing, Kyle Woodley did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Follow him on Twitter at @KyleWoodley. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 8 of the Most Shorted Stocks in the Markets Right Now * 7 Charts That Should Concern Marijuana Stock Investors * 8 Monthly Dividend Stocks to Buy for Consistent Income The post The 10 Best Index Funds to Buy and Hold appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks
Should Invesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight ETF (EQAL) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Style Box ETF report for EQAL
- Kiplinger
Kip ETF 20: The 20 Best Cheap ETFs You Can Buy
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are growing at an astronomical rate. U.S. assets are closing in on $4 trillion. The ETF share of total assets at investment firms has expanded to nearly 16% from 8% at the start of the decade, while mutual funds have lost market share. The only problem with this explosive growth? The industry now boasts thousands of funds, making it difficult to determine the very best ETFs.But investors are getting smarter about how they use ETFs in their portfolios. "After a decade of market gains, ETFs now play a unique role for investors as the foundation of a portfolio and also as vehicles that enable investors to be nimble," says Kari Droller, who oversees third-party mutual funds and ETFs at Charles Schwab.We see a need to be nimble at present, so we're making some changes to our Kiplinger ETF 20 list of our favorite ETFs (with an eye toward small fees). Out are iShares Edge MSCI USA Momentum (MTUM), Vanguard Russell 2000 Value ETF (VTWV), Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small Cap ETF (VSS) and Invesco Dynamic Large Cap Value (PWV).So what's in? Some of the newcomers are meant to cushion your portfolio in a market downturn. One new entrant is simply a better strategy for investing in small-company stocks; another is a way to buy into some of the most innovative trends of our time.Read on for our analysis of the 20 best ETFs that allow investors to tackle various strategies at a low cost - including the four newest additions to the list. SEE ALSO: The 45 Cheapest Index Funds
- InvestorPlace
3 Different Ways for Newcomers to Buy S&P 500 Stocks
[Editor's note: "3 Different Ways for Newcomers to Buy S&P 500 Stocks" was previously published in June 2019. It has since been updated to include the most relevant information available.]If you're new to investing, one of the best ways you can dip your toe into the water is to buy a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests in all 505 of the S&P 500's stocks. Your first question: What is the S&P 500? Your second question: How come there are 505 stocks, not 500? Both are relatively painless questions to answer.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsFirst, the S&P 500 represents 500 of the largest and most established companies listed on a U.S. stock exchange. You're likely familiar with many of the index's constituents. The S&P 500's largest company by market capitalization [share price multiplied by number of shares outstanding] is Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) at $1.075 trillion. Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time, has said that most investors should simplify their investments to deliver better long-term returns. He put it this way in his 2013 annual letter to shareholders:"My advice [to the trustee] couldn't be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard's.) …I believe the trust's long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors -- whether pension funds, institutions or individuals -- who employ high-fee managers."Low costs and few moving parts win the game in the long run.The second question requires much less legwork. There are 505 stocks in the index because some of the companies, such as Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A, NYSE:BRK.B), have more than one class of shares, which means Berkshire Hathaway counts as two holdings, not one.Simple, right? * 7 Stocks to Buy With Over 20% Upside From Current Levels Now that I've answered the two questions, I better cut to the chase by providing readers with a short list of easy ways to buy S&P 500 stocks. Option No. 1: The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)The oldest ETF in the U.S. -- launched in 1993 -- is the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:SPY). It also happens to be the biggest with $268 billion in assets. As you probably expected, it has 500 holdings, but you may be surprised to hear that the SPY ETF currently pays investors a dividend yield of 1.9% to hold it. And that's all for the expense ratio of 0.09%, or $9 per $10,000 invested per year.However, remember what Buffett said about low-cost funds. It's not the cheapest of the ETFs tracking the S&P 500, but it is the most popular. And it has stood the test of time. Option No. 2: Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)Source: Shutterstock Two of the next three largest U.S.-listed ETFs also invest in every one of the S&P 500 stocks -- the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:VOO) has $115 billion in assets and charges 0.03%. This used to be 0.04%, until Vanguard cut the fees on three of its most popular products -- including the VOO ETF.As Vanguard's literature points out, this fund is "more appropriate for long-term goals where your money's growth is essential." It makes a great base holding. * 7 Stocks to Buy With Over 20% Upside From Current Levels Option No. 3 - Buy Buffett's Stock (BRK.B)Source: Shutterstock Berkshire Hathaway has often been compared to a very large mutual fund because it owns $216 billion worth of publicly traded stocks, most of them part of the S&P 500.However, in addition to the equities, owners of the stock get a small piece of hundreds of private companies operating in all kinds of different sectors of the economy. The best part: Buffett won't charge investors annual fees to own his stock. He'll just deliver long-term returns that handily beat the S&P 500. From 1965 to 2017, Berkshire Hathaway stock's generated a compound annual growth rate of 20.5%, more than double the S&P 500. These three options plus mutual funds that track the S&P 500 index (they're slightly more expensive than ETFs) will get the job done while letting investors who buy them sleep easier at night. As of this writing, Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * Should You Buy, Sell, Or Hold These 7 Medical Cannabis Stocks? * 7 Strong Buy Stocks With Over 20% Upside * 7 Reasons Stock Buybacks Should Be Illegal The post 3 Different Ways for Newcomers to Buy S&P 500 Stocks appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Investopedia
Investors Bet $6.2 Billion on S&P 500 ETFs as Major Bull Turns Bearish
Surging inflows for the biggest S&P 500 ETFs show persistent bullish sentiment, but a leading strategist gets bearish.
- Zacks
ETF Asset Flow of Last Week: S&P 500 Tops
Inside the ETFs that drew maximum assets last week after the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones hit record highs.
- Zacks
S&P 500 Breaks Past 3,000: How to Trade With ETFs
Investors seeking to participate in the S&P 500 rally could consider ETFs that replicate the index.
- Insider Monkey
How Alphabet Inc and Other Hedge Fund Favorites Performed in Q2
Insider Monkey tracks hedge funds, billionaires, and prominent value investors for a very simple reason: their consensus picks generally outperform the market. We aren’t the only research shop broadcasting this fact using a bullhorn. Here is what strategist Ben Snider said in Goldman Sachs’ periodic hedge fund report: “Despite the strong track record of popular […]
- Investopedia
How Index Funds Are Hurting Investors and the Market
The rise of index-fund investing may have some adverse consequences for investors as corporate ownership becomes increasingly concentrated.
- Investopedia
S&P 500 vs. Russell 2000 ETF: What's the Difference?
We look at the differences in investing in an S&P 500 and the Russell 2000 exchange-traded funds, and when to choose the one over the other.
