VPU - Vanguard Utilities Index Fund ETF Shares
| Previous Close | 131.14 |
| Open | 131.30 |
| Bid | 131.62 x 1300 |
| Ask | 131.69 x 1100 |
| Day's Range | 131.10 - 132.33 |
| 52 Week Range | 108.48 - 132.33 |
| Volume | 95,093 |
| Avg. Volume | 178,704 |
| Net Assets | 4.78B |
| NAV | 130.95 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | N/A |
| Yield | 2.99% |
| YTD Return | 10.64% |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 0.23 |
| Expense Ratio (net) | 0.10% |
| Inception Date | 2004-01-26 |
- Zacks•yesterday
Should You Invest in the Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF (FUTY)?
Sector ETF report for FUTY
- Zacks•7 days ago
Utility ETFs in Focus on Mixed Q1 Earnings
Here we look at some of the ETFs with strong exposure to three utility bigwigs post the release of their mixed Q1 earnings.
- Zacks•8 days ago
Should You Invest in the Invesco DWA Utilities Momentum ETF (PUI)?
Sector ETF report for PUI
- Market Realist•19 days ago
How Edison International Stock Looks after Its Q1 Earnings
How Edison International Stock Looks after Its Q1 EarningsEdison International Edison International (EIX) stock fell more than 5% on May 1 due to its weak first-quarter earnings. The company reported its first-quarter earnings after the markets
- Market Realist•29 days ago
How PG&E Stock Fared Last Week
Analyzing Utilities’ Charts, Valuation, Price Targets, and More(Continued from Prior Part)PG&E stock PG&E (PCG) stock fell the most among utilities last week, by more than 9%. JPMorgan Chase raised PCG’s price target from $11 to $14 on
- InvestorPlace•last month
The Market Is Strong, Even With Rising Risks — What to Buy Now?
Stocks are up over 16% so far this year, as tracked by the S&P 500 Index. That's astonishing given that last year, from the start to the top on Sept. 20, 2018, the S&P 500 Index was up only 9.62%.S&P 500 Index Total Return Source BloombergInvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsSo, what's driving all of the buying?I'll start with FOMO. Fear of missing out is a powerful motivator in the markets -- the idea that if you don't get in and buy, you'll miss out on the big rally. I believe that's a big part of getting more investors, from hedge funds to individuals, to reduce their money market funds or buying power in their brokerage accounts and shift to stocks.And as the market builds on gains and the financial and Main Street media reports more and more on the upward progress, it only fuels the buying. And this isn't a new thing. Take any of the past big up market moves of the past decades and you'll see FOMO kick in and remain until fear takes over after some big down days. We saw examples of that at the start of February and October of last year. * 10 S&P 500 Stocks to Weather the Earnings Storm Next is the Federal Reserve and its Open Market Committee (FOMC). The FOMC bungled its messaging last year. It laid out the plan to watch core inflation as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditure Index (PCE) and said it wanted to see the PCE reach 2% and then some before it would need to act. Then it acted anyway, reducing the bond portfolio and stoking fears of more aggressive actions alongside raising its target range for Fed Funds.Then, with the stock market slipping and politics coming in on the play, it punted, and now it's pretty clear that it's going to be passive for a while. This means that the bond market will continue to be supported with the FOMC keeping its bond portfolio more or less intact. And with easy money with interest rates still not far from post-crisis levels, the credit market supports a buoyant stock market.Moving it forward is the concept of Modern Monetary Theory or MMT. This is a spin on an old theory attributed to many, including German economist George Knapp. And in very brief summary, MMT holds that the government that issues fiat money can do so largely at will and can control inflation via taxes or bond issuance. This way, government can spend at nearly at will.Of course, this works until it doesn't, when money isn't recognized, and no one will buy government bonds except the central bank.But it is being rolled out as a politically pleasing means of not only keeping the FOMC's bond portfolio, but potentially for having even larger government budgetary spending for all sorts of things.Next up is the bond market. The U.S. 10-year Treasury is sitting near 2.59% and remains well bought in the market. This, in turn, is aiding the market for mortgages, which lenders and traders use as benchmarks for modeling prices and yields. So, mortgage rates should remain low, providing further economic stimulus as well as consumer confidence all good for stocks.And it isn't just because of the FOMC. Demand by bond buyers, from wealthy investors to insurance companies and pension funds, remains strong. And given the demographics of the U.S. market aging further, that demand should keep a lid on yields for a while.And in turn, with lower Treasury yields, the corporate and other bonds, including municipal bonds, look even more attractive for the same bond investors -- all helping the economy and the general stock market.And last up is the U.S. dollar. The dollar, as measured by the Bloomberg US dollar Index, which tracks a basket of 10 major currencies, is up nearly 7% over the past year. That makes the U.S. a prime destination for global investment.This shows up in U.S. Treasury tracking of foreign government and private inflows of capital that are buying U.S. stocks and bonds. And while there were some outflows in the downturn in the fourth quarter for U.S. stocks, overall, the net amount of foreign investment in the U.S. is vastly higher in the most recent data than were it was back in 2016.And all of this comes as the underlying themes that I've been writing about recently about consumer comfort and business confidence to invest in long-term capital spending remain intact. The Big WorryNow, where will the cracks show up?I think that the biggest risk for the U.S. stock market is the reality of company performance. One of the reasons for the selloff in the fourth quarter last year was the fear that sales growth and, more importantly, earnings growth would slow from the stellar numbers of last year into 2019.For the fourth calendar quarter of 2018, the members of the S&P 500 Index reported sales growth, on average, about 6% and earnings growth around 12%. But what may be coming for the coming quarters looks a lot slower. And so far, as earnings for the first calendar quarter are rolling in, it has been a mixed bag with more risks on the horizon in the coming weeks. Tech Stocks -- Stocks to Buy, or Topping Out?This is particularly threatening for the information technology sector. This segment of the S&P 500 Index has been a big driver of the performance of the index this year, and is one of the more highly valued. Any disappointments in the earnings from the first calendar quarter of this year will most likely have a negative impact on the overall index -- and the market.So, while many companies turned in some nice numbers from the fourth quarter, the risk is that as more folks take a look at the expectations for slowed growth in sales and earnings, the compelling case to buy fades and selling comes back.Source: BloombergAnd at the core of the risk sector would be the information technology stocks, particularly found in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) such as Vanguard's Information Technology ETF (NYSEARCA:VGT). This ETF has soared, with a price gain alone from Dec. 24, 2018 to date of over 35%. It is the underlying, synthetically represented stocks that have the greatest risk for earnings disappointment.This is why I continue to recommend plenty of safer, more income-focused investments and defensive investments in the model portfolios of my Profitable Investing.But that said, I do believe that even in some downturns for the general market that there are plenty of stocks in industries that worked in tougher times and will work going forward. But above all else -- keep your focus on the dividend and income paying investments right now.Source: BloombergIn particular, look at a few key segments stating with real estate investment trusts (REITs). REITs have been one of the stellar performing sectors but still remains a value. The Bloomberg US REITs Index has generated a trailing year's return of 19% and was one of the better-performing indexes, losing less during the broad U.S. stock selloff in the fourth quarter of 2018 than many peers. One of the easiest means for synthetic exposure is in the Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ).Source: BloombergNext is the utilities market sector. Again, like with REITs, utilities provide defense with better yield and the added benefit of having both regulated and unregulated businesses. The S&P 500 Utilities Index has a trailing year's return of 19% and was again a better performer during the selloff late last year. The go-to ETF for exposure can be found in the Vanguard Utilities ETF (NYSEARCA:VPU).Source: BloombergAnd last up is the healthcare sector. With U.S. healthcare spending solidly on the rise -- regrettably due to an ever-aging and more unhealthy population -- this makes for a defensive sector with growth still in the works. The ETF for broad synthetic exposure is the Vanguard Health ETF (NYSEARCA:VHT).The key to dealing with a toppy-looking market is to be aware of what got it there, the threats that are rising and where to begin to diversify ahead of the next pull-back or sell-off.Neil George is the editor of Profitable Investing and does not have any holdings in the securities mentioned above. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Stocks to Buy for Spring Season Growth * This Is How You Beat Back a Bear Market * 7 Dental Stocks to Buy That Will Make You Smile Compare Brokers The post The Market Is Strong, Even With Rising Risks -- What to Buy Now? appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Market Realist•last month
XLU: Where Utility Stocks Might Go from Here
How Are Utility Stocks Placed for the Future?(Continued from Prior Part)Moving averagesUtility stocks (VPU) seemed to have slowed down after hitting multiyear highs last month. The Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), the representative of top
- Market Realist•last month
Why Sempra Energy Looks Strong Ahead
How's Sempra Energy Placed Compared to Its Peers?(Continued from Prior Part)EarningsSempra Energy’s (SRE) aggressive expansion into liquified natural gas exports could be a game changer for the utility. The company is building five LNG export
- Market Realist•last month
Comparing Utility Stocks and Treasury Yields
Why Did Utilities Fall for the Second Consecutive Week?(Continued from Prior Part)Utilities versus Treasury yields The benchmark ten-year Treasury yields closed at 2.5% last week. Treasury yields and utility stocks usually trade inversely to each
- Market Realist•last month
Utility Stocks: What Do the Chart Indicators Suggest?
Why Did Utilities Fall for the Second Consecutive Week?(Continued from Prior Part)Chart indicatorsRecently, utility stocks’ momentum seemed to be slowing down. Their all-time high levels could have acted as resistance. The Utilities Select Sector
- Market Realist•2 months ago
XLU: What Utilities’ Chart Indicators and Short Interests Mean
Utilities: How These Defensives Fared in March's Last Week(Continued from Prior Part)Moving averagesUtility stocks seemed to have slowed a bit recently after peaking at all-time highs. The Utilities Select Sector ETF (XLU) briefly crossed ~$59.0
- Market Realist•2 months ago
Have Utility Stocks Started to Look Exhausted?
Have Utility Stocks Started to Look Exhausted?Utility stocks fellWhile broader markets continued to gain as the US-China trade talks resumed, utility stocks fell more than 1% on March 28. The Fed’s intentions to pause interest rate hikes and
- Zacks•2 months ago
Selloff or Not, Utilities ETFs Should Stand Tall
Stock up on utilities ETFs irrespective of selloffs.
- ETF Trends•2 months ago
Is It Time to be Cautious With Utilities ETFs?
The utilities sector remains scorching hot. The Utilities Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLU), the largest utilities ETF by assets, traded higher again Tuesday, extending its year-to-date gain to nearly ...
- ETF Trends•2 months ago
Utility Sector ETFs Ascend to Record Highs
Stocks tumbled on Friday, but the utilities sector stood tall. Utilities, traditionally a safe-haven sector, lived up to that reputation on Friday when the Utilities Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLU), ...
- ETF Trends•2 months ago
Utilities ETFs Like XLU Are Charging Higher
The Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) , the largest utilities ETF by assets, and rival utilities ETFs are soaring this year. With expectations in place that the Federal Reserve may not hike interest rates this year, some defensive, rate-sensitive sectors are delivering impressive performances. The utilities sector was suppose to be a throw away investment as many anticipated a strong economy with a full labor market to push up interest rates, which traditionally weighed on the bond-like utilities stocks.
- Market Realist•2 months ago
Comparing Utilities’ Total Returns with Broader Markets
Utilities: Leaders and Laggards Last Week(Continued from Prior Part)Total returns In the last five years, utilities on average returned 70% and beat the S&P 500 marginally. With their slow but stable earnings and dividend growth, utilities
- Market Realist•2 months ago
XLU: How Utilities Fared against Broader Markets Recently
How Utilities Performed Last Week(Continued from Prior Part)Total returns Utilities notably outperformed broader markets over the past 12 months. In this period, the Utilities Select Sector SDPR ETF (XLU), the representative of top utility stocks in
- Market Realist•2 months ago
AES, NRG, and PEG: Analyzing Their Current Valuations
How Utilities Performed Last Week(Continued from Prior Part)ValuationIn this part, let’s take a look at valuations of utility stocks. AES (AES) stock is trading at a forward PE ratio of 13.0x based on analysts’ earnings estimates. Utilities
