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1.

Dow Hits Record Highs, Small Caps Soar On Powell's Shift: What's Moving Markets Friday?

2025-08-22 17:15:42 by Piero Cingari from Benzinga

A strong rally erupted on Friday on Wall Street shortly after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a notably dovish message during his highly anticipated speech at Jackson Hole.

• IWM ETF is moving fast. Check live prices here.

Powell said the Fed is prepared to adjust its policy stance—a clear nod to potential interest rate cuts—in response to the sharp cooling in the labor market.

He also adopted a more tolerant tone on inflation risks stemming from trade tariffs, saying the Fed's base case assumes these would result in one-off price increases, not a sustained inflation surge.

It was party time for markets. Every sector in the S&P 500 closed in the green, with consumer discretionary, real estate, industrials and materials each rising more than 2%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 2%, breaking to new all-time highs above 45,680. The S&P 500 gained 1.4%, closing at 6,460 and flirting with record territory near 4,680, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.4%, snapping a three-day losing streak.

But the true stars of the day were small caps. The Russell 2000 Index soared nearly 4%, logging its best session since April 9 and climbing back to levels last seen in December 2024.

Regional banks, tracked by the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:KRE)—the largest sector within the index—jumped nearly 5%. In currencies, the U.S. dollar fell 0.9%, while short-dated Treasury yields collapsed, with the 2-year note dropping 10 basis points to 3.70%.

Commodities rallied as well: gold climbed 1%, and silver surged 2.2%. But the most explosive gains came from crypto markets.

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) soared 3.5% to $116,000, while Solana (CRYTPO: SOL), Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) rallied 9%, 10%, and 12%, respectively—turning a bullish day into a crypto-fueled frenzy.

Friday’s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs

Major Indices	Price	1-day %
Russell 2000	2,361.16	3.8%
Dow Jones	45,699.02	2.0%
S&P 500	6,464.81	1.55%
Nasdaq 100	23,461.08	1.4%

Updated by 12:45 p.m. ET

According to Benzinga Pro data:

• The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE:VOO) rose 1.5% at $553.99.
• The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:DIA) rallied 2.1% to $457.36.
• The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:QQQ) rose 1.5% to $571.47.
• The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM) rocketed 4% to $234.85.
• The Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLB) outperformed, up 0.3%; the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLP) lagged, up 0.1%.

Stocks On The Move Friday

Friday’s best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 index:

• Enphase Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) 9.18%
• Builders FirstSource Inc. (NYSE:BLDR) 7.97%
• Mohawk Industries Inc. (NYSE:MHK) 7.39%
• Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) 6.52%
• Teradyne Inc. (NASDAQ:TER) 6.31%
• Align Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:ALGN) 6.21%
• Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) 6.19%
• ON Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ:ON) 6.14%
• Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) 6.07%
• LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB) 6.06%

Read Next:

• Trump’s Tariff Turmoil: Why Mohamed El-Erian Believes The Real ‘Tax’ Is Yet To Be Felt

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This article Dow Hits Record Highs, Small Caps Soar On Powell's Shift: What's Moving Markets Friday? originally appeared on Benzinga.com

© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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2.

Exchange-Traded Funds, US Equities Rise After Midday

2025-08-22 17:13:13 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were higher. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was up 1.4%.

US equity indexes surged after midday trading on Friday as bets in favor of a restart of monetary policy easing in September soared after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated a potential policy pivot.

Energy

iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each rose about 2.1%.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) climbed 1.4%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) also moved higher.

SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) gained 4.1%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) was up 3%.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) added 1.8%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) advanced 5.4%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), retreated 5.3%.

Commodities

Crude oil rose 0.2%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) was up 0.4%. Natural gas dropped 3.9%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) shed 4%.

Gold gained 1% on Comex, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) rose 0.9%. Silver gained 2.3%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) added 2.2%.

Consumer

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) rose 0.1%; Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) rose 0.1%, and the iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) lost 0.1%.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) gained 2.6%, and VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) also moved higher.

Health Care

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) added 0.9%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) were also up. iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 1.2%.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) gained 2.1%. Vanguard Industrials (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were also rising.

Cryptocurrency

In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 3.3%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) added 3.8%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) advanced 12%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) gained 5.5%.

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3.

What to Expect from Fed Chair Powell's Jackson Hole Speech

2025-08-22 16:56:00 by Mark Vickery from Zacks

Friday, August 22, 2025

A half hour after the opening bell for the final trading day of the week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell will take the stage at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium this morning, in one of his most anticipated Jackson Hole speeches in years. Investors will be listening closely to hear if the deliberate and methodical Powell will be leaning toward a 25-basis-point (bps) interest rate cut.

The Fed has kept rates steady year-to-date at 4.25-4.50%. In historical terms, we’re neither high nor low — Powell’s main objective has been the same as the Fed’s dual mandate has always dictated: full employment and controlled inflation. Powell has set a 2% inflation rate as his objective during his tenure (which almost certainly ends by the conclusion of his current term next May, at the latest).

In recent months, we’ve seen a slow emergence of Fed objectives moving in opposite directions: the labor market has undeniably cooled off while tariff initiatives have begun to send inflation somewhat higher. Thus, whether the Fed — and Powell specifically — would be more inclined to bring about a 25 bps rate cut at its September meeting (the 16th and 17th) or not is what the interpretation of today’s speech pivots on.

It’s not that Powell’s initiatives have always been spot-on, either. At the Jackson Hole summit four years ago, he rather infamously declared inflation “transitory” (read: temporary) even as the stickiness of supply chain constriction in the wake of the Covid pandemic was already becoming evident. 

At the time, Powell was concerned with the economic well-being of those on the lower end of the labor market; he was interested in having them see some groundswell in income, as others up the chain of the economy already had. But it turned out to be a move that helped balloon the inflation rate up to +9.1% in June 2022 — 40-year highs.

Much of the Fed’s decision on interest rate policy, which saw two dissents at the July meeting (for a 25 bps cut, as the final decision was to keep rates steady) for the first time in decades, will rest on economic data. Here, the timing could certainly have been better regarding today’s speech: the Fed’s preferred economic report is Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), which doesn’t report for July until a week from today.

In the June report on PCE, headline +2.6% was up 40 basis points in two months. While the level is not troubling in and of itself, it is pulling away from that +2% target; it got closest back in September of last year: +2.1%. Core PCE, stripping out volatile food and energy prices, came in at +2.8% for the second-straight month. 

The Fed will have the benefit of next week’s PCE report — along with another Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Inflation Rate (+2.7% the past two months) and BLS jobs numbers — before making its decision on a rate cut in September. Thus, we expect Powell to be firmly “data dependent” in his speech today, neither confirming nor denying whether a 25 bps cut is coming. Analysts will be parsing his language closely, however, to look for nuance in his outlook.

Pre-market futures are up this morning after a week-long swoon. The S&P 500 looks to break a five-session losing streak. The market has taken some of the air out of tech stock valuations and reckoned with retail earnings reports and their outlooks in re tariff considerations. The Dow is +135 points at this hour, the S&P 500 is +13, the Nasdaq +27 points and the small-cap Russell 2000 +10.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

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4.

Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell Friday Ahead of Powell's Jackson Hole Speech

2025-08-22 13:07:51 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.3% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.2% higher in Friday's premarket activity, ahead of US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole.

US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.2%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.3%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.1% before the start of regular trading.

Powell is scheduled to speak at the central bank's annual symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at 10 am ET.

The Baker Hughes domestic oil-and-gas rig count at 1 pm ET.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 0.1%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.2% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) was up 0.3%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) declined by 0.4%.

Power Play:

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.3%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was down 0.3% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was flat. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.7% higher.

Aptorum Group (APM) stock was down more than 34% premarket after rising more than 200% at the previous close. Aptorum and DiamiR Biosciences said Thursday that DiamiR has received a Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program Test Approval for its APOE Genotyping test from the New York State Department of Health. DiamiR and Aptorum plan to merge by Q4, the companies said in July.

Winners and Losers:

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) declined marginally by 0.01% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.

Greenwave Technology Solutions (GWAV) stock was up more than 6% before the opening bell after falling 46% in Thursday's session following the announcement of a 1-for-110 reverse stock split late Wednesday to regain its minimum bid price listing requirement with Nasdaq.

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was marginally higher by 0.02%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was flat. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) rose 0.5%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) were inactive.

RLX Technology (RLX) shares were up more than 8% pre-bell after the company reported higher Q2 non-GAAP earnings and revenue.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.1%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.2% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.01%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) advanced 0.2%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.3%.

Nvidia (NVDA) shares were down more than 1% in recent premarket activity. Several media outlets reported Thursday that Nvidia has told some of its suppliers to suspend work on its H20 chip.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up by 0.3%.

Cenovus Energy (CVE) shares were up more than 1% pre-bell Friday after the company said that it will acquire MEG Energy in a cash-and-stock deal worth 7.90 billion Canadian dollars ($5.68 billion), including assumed debt.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.4%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 1%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.7% lower.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 0.1% at $63.58 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas declined 1.8% to $2.77 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) advanced marginally by 0.4%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 1.7% lower.

Gold futures for December lost 0.4% to reach $3,369.60 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were down 0.7% at $38.30 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) retreated 0.5%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.5% lower.

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5.

S&P Flags Risks Even As U.S. Keeps 'AA+' Rating

2025-08-21 19:31:40 by Undercovered Deep Insights from GuruFocus.com

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

S&P Global is keeping America's credit standing intact. The agency reaffirmed its 'AA+' sovereign rating for the U.S. on Thursday, saying Trump's new wave of tariffs should generate enough meaningful revenue to cushion the fiscal hit from his tax-and-spending plan. The outlook stays stable, a nod to the economy's underlying resilience even as deficits remain stubbornly high.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 9 Warning Signs with INTC.
• Is QQQ fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator.

Growth, though, is expected to slow. S&P sees GDP rising just 1.7% in 2025 and 1.6% in 2026, before inching back toward 2% later in the decade. Debt is on track to climb near 100% of GDP, squeezed by swelling interest costs and the pressures of an aging population.

Tariffs are already showing up in the numbers. Customs duty collections jumped $21 billion in July, though the monthly deficit still grew 19% year-on-year to $291 million. Longer term, estimates suggest tariffs could raise $2.9 trillion from 20262035, adding about $2,700 to the average taxpayer's bill in 2026 alone.

Still, S&P warned of downgrade risks if deficits spiral or politics erode confidence in U.S. policymaking and the Fed's independencejeopardizing the dollar's role as the world's reserve currency.

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6.

Exchange-Traded Funds, US Equities Fall After Midday

2025-08-21 17:02:24 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV declined. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) slid 0.7%.

US equity indexes fell after midday Thursday as a surge in an S&P Global gauge of manufacturing conditions to a 39-month high in August helped facilitate curve-wide gains in government bond yields.

Energy

iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) rose 0.3% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) added 0.4%.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) lost 0.5%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) also moved lower.

SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) fell 0.2%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) was down 0.8%.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) slipped 0.3%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) fell 1%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), rose 0.8%.

Commodities

Crude oil added 1%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) was up 1%. Natural gas climbed 2.7%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) gained 2.5%.

Gold fell 0.2% on Comex, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) slid 0.3%. Silver added 0.8%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was up 0.5%.

Consumer

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) fell 1%; Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) and the iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) also declined.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) lost 0.9%, VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was down 0.8%, and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) slipped 1.3%.

Health Care

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) rose 0.3%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) also advanced. iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) added 0.3%.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) shed 0.4%. Vanguard Industrials (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were lower.

Cryptocurrency

In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) lost 1.3%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) fell 1.6%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) retreated 2.8%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was down 1.4%.

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7.

MoneyMasters Podcast 8-21-25- Is This the Golden Age of Macro Investing

2025-08-21 16:30:00 by MoneyShow

In this episode of the MoneyShow MoneyMasters Podcast, Nicholas Bohnsack, president and CEO of Strategas Securities, and Amy Zhang, executive vice president and portfolio manager at Alger, reveal the powerful currents driving markets in 2025.

To get more articles and chart analysis from MoneyShow, subscribe to our Top Pros’ Top Picks newsletter here.)

Nicholas breaks down the real implications of monetary policy moves, inflation trends, and labor market pressures – and shares his favorite investing themes. Meanwhile, Amy explains why and where small and mid-cap stocks are quietly outperforming, details how in-depth research can help drive results in the SMID space, and spotlights sectors and companies that are often overlooked.

From AI’s growing influence to the realities of deglobalization, they challenge conventional thinking and offer precise strategies for navigating risk and opportunity in an unpredictable landscape.

See also: INTA: A Back Office Software Play for this Strong Market

Reminder: Nicholas and Amy will be speaking at the 2025 MoneyShow/TradersEXPO Orlando, scheduled for Oct. 16-18 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. Click here to register.

More From MoneyShow.com:

• Consider THESE Companies if Wealth Tax Push Gains Steam
• PRI: An Attractive Stock in the Insurance Sector
• Market Minute 8/20/25: Tech Sold, Laggards Bought in Vicious Rotation

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8.

Stocks Pressured by Weak Walmart Earnings and Higher Bond Yields

2025-08-21 14:17:47 by Rich Asplund from Barchart

On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

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9.

If You'd Invested $1,000 in Bitcoin (BTC) 5 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

2025-08-21 13:19:00 by Anders Bylund, The Motley Fool from Motley Fool

Key Points

• A $1,000 Bitcoin purchase on Aug. 20, 2020, would be worth roughly $9,784 five years later.

• The bull run included a roughly 75% drawdown by the end of 2022 -- followed by another strong rebound.

• Bitcoin may trend higher from here, but risks remain, and there may be sharp price corrections.

• 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin ›

Let's say you had $1,000 of spare cash to invest on Aug. 20, 2020. If you had invested that money in the popular Vanguard 500 Index Fund (NYSEMKT: VOO) and enabled dividend reinvestments, that investment would be worth $2,038 today.

A double in five years? That's a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.3%. Not too shabby!

The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) would have served you slightly better. The index fund, which tracks the performance of the Nasdaq-100 market index, showed a total return of $2,097 over the same period.

However, both wealth-building stock market trackers look sleepy next to the skyrocketing cryptocurrency Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC). A $1,000 Bitcoin investment in the summer of coronavirus lockdowns would be worth $9,784 today:

How Bitcoin earned its returns

Bitcoin's path to these market-crushing returns wasn't smooth. The digital currency soared in 2020 and 2021, fell back a hair-raising 75% by the end of 2022, and found a second wind after that trough.

These days, Bitcoin is exploring fresh all-time highs on a weekly basis, but in a nerve-wrackingly volatile way. Last year's halving event almost disappears in the ruckus of market-moving Bitcoin news. The introduction of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) had a calming effect on the underlying cryptocurrency, and recent support from the U.S. government also helped.

All told, Bitcoin ETFs sport a beta value of 2.8. That makes Bitcoin about three times as volatile as the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) stock market index, which underpins Vanguard's VOO fund.

Can Bitcoin keep beating Wall Street?

My time machine is in for repairs, so I can only speculate about the next five years.

However, Bitcoin's anti-inflationary design should combine with rising cryptocurrency usage, adding bullish weight to the supply and-demand balance. So the next half-decade probably won't see another ninefold price gain, but Bitcoin's squiggly chart should generally trend higher again.

Should you invest $1,000 in Bitcoin right now?

Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Bitcoin wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $654,624!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,075,117!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,052% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

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Anders Bylund has positions in Bitcoin and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

If You'd Invested $1,000 in Bitcoin (BTC) 5 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today was originally published by The Motley Fool

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10.

Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Thursday Ahead of Jackson Hole Economic Symposium

2025-08-21 12:25:28 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.2% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.1% lower in Thursday's premarket activity, ahead of the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium.

US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.3%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.1% before the start of regular trading.

The weekly jobless claims report and the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index for August will be released at 8:30 am ET.

The S&P Global PMI composite flash for August posts at 9:45 am ET.

Reports releasing at 10 am ET include the existing home sales for July bulletin and the Q2 services survey.

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic speaks on Thursday.

In premarket activity, bitcoin declined by 0.7%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.8% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) was down 0.9%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was flat.

Power Play:

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.04%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was flat while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.3% lower.

Invivyd (IVVD) stock was down more than 16% premarket after the company said late Wednesday it priced an underwritten public offering of 74.8 million common shares at $0.52 apiece.

Winners and Losers:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) was flat, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.02% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 0.1%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was inactive, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) declined by 0.1%.

Full Truck Alliance (YMM) shares were up more than 4% in recent premarket activity after the company reported higher Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) retreated 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.9%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.9% higher.

Banco BBVA Argentina's (BBAR) shares were down more than 6% pre-bell Thursday after the company overnight reported a year-over-year drop in Q2 earnings and net interest income.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down by 0.1%.

Energy Fuels (UUUU) stock was up more than 2% before Thursday's opening bell after the company said it has produced its first kilogram of dysprosium oxide at pilot scale at its White Mesa Mill in Utah.

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was down 0.7%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) fell 1.3%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was flat, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.2%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) gained marginally by 0.01%.

Walmart (WMT) shares were down more than 3% pre-bell after the company reported lower-than-expected fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) was flat while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.

Boeing (BA) stock was up more than 1% before the opening bell after Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the company is nearing a deal to sell as many as 500 airplanes to China.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 0.6% at $63.09 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas gained 1.1% to reach $2.78 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) advanced marginally by 0.2%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.2% higher.

Gold futures for December lost 0.4% to reach $3,375.70 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were down 0.2% at $38.20 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) retreated 0.5%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.2% lower.

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11.

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Invesco QQQ Trust, Palantir, NVIDIA, Home Depot, S&P 500 Pure Value Invesco ETF and Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF

2025-08-21 09:33:00 by Zacks Equity Research from Zacks

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – August 21, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Invesco QQQ Trust QQQ, Palantir PLTR, NVIDIA NVDA, Home Depot HD, S&P 500 Pure Value Invesco ETF RPV and Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF FDL.

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Time for a Sector Rotation Away from Tech? ETFs in Focus

U.S. stocks slipped on Aug. 19, 2025 following a sharp decline in tech shares. The tech-heavy Nasdaq-100-based exchange-traded fund Invesco QQQ Trust lost 1.4% on Aug. 19, 2025. The pressure came after weakness in stocks like Palantir and NVIDIA weighed on the broader market on Tuesday. PLTR shares slumped 9.4% and NVIDIA shares retreated about 3% on Aug. 19, 2025.

Palantir shares surged more than 150% from their April low heading into its second-quarter earnings, when the company reported quarterly revenue above $1 billion for the first time. However, data from Barchart showed that Tuesday’s decline marked the stock’s longest losing streak since March, as quoted on Yahoo Finance.

Shift Away from Big Tech?

Investor enthusiasm for Big Tech appears to be fading, with other sectors beginning to show renewed strength. The broader market rally is starting to show signs of rotation beyond Big Tech, the Yahoo Finance article indicated.

Home Depot added some optimism after reporting earnings that showed a boost in U.S. sales, pushing its stock price higher. The HD stock advanced 3.2% on Aug. 19, 2025.

Is AI Market Forming a Bubble?

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has recently suggested that the artificial intelligence (AI) industry is currently experiencing a bubble fear, as quoted on CNBC. He indicated that while AI represents one of the most significant technological shifts in decades, the AI euphoria has led to overinflated expectations from investors.

Altman sees similarities between the current environment to the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, which was hit hard when many Internet companies failed to materialize the euphoria into profits.

The concerns intensified earlier this year when the “Magnificent Seven” had fallen from grace due to the rise of cheaper-cost AI companies (e.g., DeepSeek) and individual Big Tech companies’ ability to handle broader macro uncertainty.

The AI development at Big Tech has raised questions among some investors about whether current spending levels in AI are sustainable. Despite ChatGPT-Fame OpenAI’s huge success and its annual recurring revenue projection to top $20 billion this year, the company remains unprofitable.

Nasdaq-100 ETF in Focus

Most AI biggies have exposure to the Nasdaq-100-based ETF Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1. The P/E ratio of QQQ stands at 59.27X. The 10-year range of the P/E ratio is 19.7X to 59.46X. The median P/E of the past 10 years is 25.8X. This shows the overvaluation concerns associated with QQQ.

However, the price-to-book (P/B) ratio of QQQ is currently 3.6X, which is the lowest value considering the past 10-year range. The 10-year median P/B is 6.03X, per Gurufocus.com.

Hence, the sudden crash of AI euphoria (if there is any) may not hurt QQQ that hard. Still, investors should be mindful of relentless AI investing going forward. Their portfolio may need diversification at the current juncture.

Rely on Safe Sector Consumer Staples

This is a safe sector as it is non-cyclical in nature. The consumer staples sector tends to do well even amid economic growth slowdown and high inflation. Since consumers have to buy staples products even if they cut back on their discretionary spending, big manufacturers of food and beverages normally have the power to pass on the increase in costs to customers. This puts focus on iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF (read: Invest Like Warren Buffett With These ETFs).

Value ETFs At a One-Month High

Value stocks normally offer investors stability due to lower valuations and steady dividends. They can outperform during periods of market rotation away from high-growth sectors. In a volatile market, dividend ETFs normally come to rescue.

The hunt for dividends in the equity market is always on, irrespective of how it is behaving. Probably this is why, S&P 500 Pure Value Invesco ETF and Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF have hit a one-month high lately.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Home Depot, Inc. (HD) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports

First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF (FDL): ETF Research Reports

Invesco S&P 500 Pure Value ETF (RPV): ETF Research Reports

Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

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12.

Time for a Sector Rotation Away from Tech? ETFs in Focus

2025-08-20 17:00:00 by Sanghamitra Saha from Zacks

U.S. stocks slipped on Aug. 19, 2025 following a sharp decline in tech shares. The tech-heavy Nasdaq-100-based exchange-traded fund Invesco QQQ Trust QQQ lost 1.4% on Aug. 19, 2025. The pressure came after weakness in stocks like Palantir PLTR and NVIDIA NVDA weighed on the broader market on Tuesday. PLTR shares slumped 9.4% and NVIDIA shares retreated about 3% on Aug. 19, 2025.

Palantir shares surged more than 150% from their April low heading into its second-quarter earnings, when the company reported quarterly revenue above $1 billion for the first time. However, data from Barchart showed that Tuesday’s decline marked the stock’s longest losing streak since March, as quoted on Yahoo Finance.

Shift Away From Big Tech?

Investor enthusiasm for Big Tech appears to be fading, with other sectors beginning to show renewed strength. The broader market rally is starting to show signs of rotation beyond Big Tech, the Yahoo Finance article indicated.

Home Depot HD added some optimism after reporting earnings that showed a boost in U.S. sales, pushing its stock price higher. The HD stock advanced 3.2% on Aug. 19, 2025.

Is AI Market Forming a Bubble?

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has recently suggested that the artificial intelligence (AI) industry is currently experiencing a bubble fear, as quoted on CNBC. He indicated that while AI represents one of the most significant technological shifts in decades, the AI euphoria has led to overinflated expectations from investors.

Altman sees similarity between the current environment to the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, which was hit hard when many Internet companies failed to materialize the euphoria into profits.

The concerns intensified earlier this year when the “Magnificent Seven” had fallen from grace due to the rise of cheaper-cost AI companies (e.g., DeepSeek) and individual Big Tech companies’ ability to handle broader macro uncertainty.

The AI development at Big Tech has raised questions among some investors about whether current spending levels in AI are sustainable. Despite ChatGPT-Fame OpenAI’s huge success and its annual recurring revenue projection to top $20 billion this year, the company remains unprofitable.

Nasdaq-100 ETF in Focus

Most AI biggies have exposure to the Nasdaq-100-based ETF Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ). The P/E ratio of QQQ stands at 59.27X. The 10-year range of the P/E ratio is 19.7X to 59.46X. The median P/E of the past 10 years is 25.8X. This shows the overvaluation concerns associated with QQQ.

However, the price-to-book (P/B) ratio of QQQ is currently 3.6X, which is the lowest value considering the past 10-year range. The 10-year median P/B is 6.03X, per Gurufocus.com.

Hence, the sudden crash of AI euphoria (if there is any) may not hurt QQQ that hard. Still, investors should be mindful of relentless AI investing going forward. Their portfolio may need diversification at the current juncture.

Rely on Safe Sector Consumer Staples

This is a safe sector as it is non-cyclical in nature. The consumer staples sector tends to do well even amid economic growth slowdown and high inflation. Since consumers have to buy staples products even if they cut back on their discretionary spending, big manufacturers of food and beverages normally have the power to pass on the increase in costs to customers. This puts focus on iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) (read: Invest Like Warren Buffett With These ETFs).

Value ETFs At a One-Month High

Value stocks normally offer investors stability due to lower valuations and steady dividends. They can outperform during periods of market rotation away from high-growth sectors. In a volatile market, dividend ETFs normally come to rescue.

The hunt for dividends in the equity market is always on, irrespective of how it is behaving. Probably this is why, S&P 500 Pure Value Invesco ETF RPV and Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF FDL have hit a one-month high lately.

 

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Home Depot, Inc. (HD) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports

First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders ETF (FDL): ETF Research Reports

Invesco S&P 500 Pure Value ETF (RPV): ETF Research Reports

Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

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13.

Retail Investors Drove Opendoor Up 500%, Now The Party's Over

2025-08-20 15:53:50 by Akanksha Bakshi from Benzinga

Opendoor Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:OPEN) shares sank on Wednesday, extending a sell-off that began after the company’s second-quarter results and the abrupt resignation of CEO Carrie Wheeler. The downturn comes after a two-month, retail-fueled rally that had lifted the stock more than 500%.

The leadership shake-up followed mounting pressure from activist investor Eric Jackson and crypto entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano, whose stake disclosure and social media campaign helped ignite Opendoor’s surge earlier this month. The rally quickly faded as weak guidance and analyst warnings highlighted deeper risks.

Leadership Change

Wheeler stepped down last week under investor pressure, marking a dramatic shift for the company she helped stabilize after steep losses in 2022. Chief Technology and Product Officer Shrisha Radhakrishna was named interim CEO while the board, working with Spencer Stuart, searches for a permanent successor.

Related: Anthony Pompliano Says Opendoor Is Not A ‘Meme Stock’ — Retail Investors Are Like ‘A Decentralized Hedge Fund’

Wheeler will remain an advisor through year-end. Retail advocates celebrated the move, with Pompliano calling it “a win for retail investors” and Paul Tudor Jones also endorsing the transition.

Earnings Beat, But Weak Guidance

Opendoor reported second-quarter revenue of $1.57 billion, topping estimates of $1.50 billion, and a one-cent-per-share loss in line with forecasts. Adjusted EBITDA turned positive at $23 million, its first quarterly profit since 2022.

However, the outlook overshadowed those results: management guided third-quarter revenue between $800 million and $875 million, well short of consensus near $1.22 billion, and projected an adjusted EBITDA loss of $21 million to $28 million.

Following the report, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Ryan Tomasello downgraded the stock to Underperform with a $1 target.

He slashed forecasts for 2025 and 2026, now expecting wider EPS losses and deeper EBITDA deficits, and cited the company’s pivot to an agent-led model as a source of uncertainty.

Tomasello noted management’s revenue outlook was about 40% below consensus, reinforcing concerns about weakening demand and delayed margin recovery.

Opendoor is trading at roughly $3.22, a notable drop of about 34% from its 52‑week high of $4.97, and significantly above its 52‑week low of $0.51.

Related ETFs: Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ), SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY)

Price Action: OPEN shares are trading lower by 7.79% to $3.338 at last check Wednesday.

Read Next:

• Snowflake’s AI-Powered Growth Trajectory Remains Strong, Says Analyst

Photo by Tada Images via Shutterstock

Latest Ratings for OPEN

Date	Firm	Action	From	To
Mar 2022	BTIG	Upgrades	Neutral	Buy
Feb 2022	Keefe, Bruyette & Woods	Initiates Coverage On		Market Perform
Jan 2022	Keybanc	Maintains		Overweight

View More Analyst Ratings for OPEN

View the Latest Analyst Ratings

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• OPENDOOR TECHNOLOGIES (OPEN): Free Stock Analysis Report

This article Retail Investors Drove Opendoor Up 500%, Now The Party's Over originally appeared on Benzinga.com

© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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14.

Stock Losses Accelerate on a Rout in Tech Stocks

2025-08-20 15:09:29 by Rich Asplund from Barchart

On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

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15.

What’s Really Happening in the Stock Market Today

2025-08-20 14:59:35 by Connor Smith from Barrons.com

Wall Street isn’t done selling some of its favorite stocks this week. The S&P 500 fell 1% on Wednesday, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.7%. On the flip side, the Invesco S&P 500 High Beta ETF, up more than 16% this year, was down 1.9%; The Invesco QQQ Trust Series I was down 1.6%; The iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF was down 1.6%, followed closely by the Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF and the Invesco Pure Growth ETF with declines of 1.4%.

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16.

Dow Jones ETF Outperforming: Will the Rally Continue?

2025-08-20 14:45:00 by Sweta Killa from Zacks

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been hitting new record highs in recent sessions and is outperforming the other two major indices amid the weakness in the tech sector. Rate cut optimism, sector rotation and strong corporate earnings or actions are driving the blue-chip rally.

That being said, SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF DIA, which tracks the Dow Jones, has risen 2.1% over the past week while the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO and Invesco QQQ Trust Series QQQ gained 1.2% and 0.7%, respectively (read: Dow Jones ETF Hits New 52-Week High).

Sector Rotation

Investors are shifting out of high-flying tech and AI plays and moving into beaten-down and undervalued sectors like industrials, retail, financials and real estate. This shift has driven the rally in the Dow Jones Index.

Additionally, the tech sector has been struggling in recent weeks in the wake of uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration’s trade policies. The weakness in the tech sector has led investors to move to value-oriented stocks.

Strong Home Depot & UnitedHealth Momentum

Two heavy components in the Dow Jones — Home Depot (HD) and UnitedHealth (UNH) — have pushed the index to record highs. Home Depot surged on its steady guidance despite the earnings miss. Meanwhile, UnitedHealth soared last Friday after Berkshire Hathaway disclosed its major stake in the company, valued at approximately $1.6 billion or around 5 million shares in its second-quarter filings (read: Insights Into 13F Filings: ETFs to Invest in Like Billionaires).

Growing Rate Cut Bets

The blue-chip index has been benefiting from growing market expectations that the Fed will begin cutting interest rates, possibly starting in September, with futures pricing in two 25-bps reductions. Lower rates benefit cyclical sectors like industrials, financials and consumer discretionary the most. It reduces borrowing costs for mortgages, credit cards and other consumer and business loans. This helps businesses to expand their operations more easily, resulting in increased profitability. This, in turn, stimulates economic growth and boosts the stock market. 

Notably, Dow Jones is highly exposed to cyclical sectors and thus will be the biggest beneficiary of potential rate cuts out of the three major indices.

Stable & Value-Oriented

The blue-chip index consists of typically less risky stocks. These companies are more established and provide a broader range of products or services, offering some safety in case of an economic slowdown or political issues. Most of the stocks in the Dow Jones Index have a tilt toward value stocks. Value stocks seek to capitalize on the inefficiencies in the market and have the potential to deliver higher returns with lower volatility compared with their growth and blend counterparts. Further, these stocks are less susceptible to trending markets, and their dividend payouts offer safety in times of market turbulence. 

Let’s take a closer look at the fundamentals of DIA.

DIA in Focus

With AUM of $39.2 billion, DIA holds 30 stocks in its basket, with each security holding no more than a 10% share. The fund is widely spread across sectors, with financials, information technology, consumer discretionary, industrials and healthcare being the top five. It charges 16 bps in fees per year from investors and trades in heavy volume of around 4 million shares a day on average. The fund has a Zacks ETF Rank #1 (Strong Buy) with a Medium risk outlook. 

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA): ETF Research Reports

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): ETF Research Reports

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

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17.

Tech Weakness and Negative Corporate News Weigh on Stocks

2025-08-20 14:01:55 by Rich Asplund from Barchart

On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

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18.

Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Wednesday Ahead of Fed Meeting Minutes

2025-08-20 12:40:30 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.1% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.2% lower in Wednesday's premarket activity as investors await the Federal Reserve's meeting minutes.

US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.2%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.3% before the start of regular trading.

US mortgage applications declined 1.4% in the week ended Aug. 15 as refinancing fell 3% and purchase activity was relatively flat, with rates holding steady, Mortgage Bankers Association data showed Wednesday.

The Atlanta Fed Business Inflation Expectations report for August will be released at 10 am ET, followed by the weekly EIA petroleum status report at 10:30 am ET.

Minutes from the Federal Reserve's July 29-30 policy meeting will be released at 2 pm ET.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic are slated to speak on Wednesday.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 0.2%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.2% higher, Ether ETF (EETH) rose 1.6%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) advanced 0.02%.

Power Play:

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was down 0.2%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was nearly 0.1% lower. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) slipped by 0.04%, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.1%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) declined by 0.4%.

La-Z-Boy (LZB) shares were down nearly 22% in recent premarket activity after the company reported lower fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue.

Winners and Losers:

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) retreated 0.02%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) and the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) were flat,. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was down 0.1%.

Alcon (ALC) shares were 11% lower in Wednesday's premarket activity after the company reported Q2 sales below market expectations and lowered its fiscal 2025 outlook revenue.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up by 0.3%.

EnCore Energy (EU) stock was down more than 8% before Wednesday's opening bell after the company said that it has set the pricing of $100 million of 5.50% convertible senior notes due 2030 in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) retreated 0.04% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.

Dycom Industries (DY) stock was down more than 9% before the opening bell after the company reported lower-than-expected fiscal Q2 revenue.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) retreated 0.01%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.2%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.5% higher.

Futu (FUTU) shares were up more than 3% pre-bell Wednesday after the company reported higher Q2 earnings and revenue.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.4%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.3% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was flat. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was flat, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) declined by 0.3%.

Dayforce (DAY) shares were up more than 3% in recent premarket activity after the company said it is in "advanced discussions" with private equity firm Thoma Bravo regarding its potential acquisition of the human capital management software company for $70 per share.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 1.4% at $63.23 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas retreated 0.7% to $2.75 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) gained 1.2%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) fell 1.2%

Gold futures for December gained 0.4% to reach $3,372.40 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were down 0.5% at $37.62 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced 0.5%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.5% lower.

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19.

Want $1 Million in Retirement? 4 Simple Index Funds to Buy and Hold for Decades.

2025-08-20 08:05:00 by Justin Pope, The Motley Fool from Motley Fool

Key Points

• Investing in an S&P 500 index fund is a fantastic starting point for most people saving for retirement.

• A fund like the Invesco QQQ ETF could help investors capture the upside of artificial intelligence.

• Real estate and dividend stocks are great for passive income. This article touches on an excellent fund for each.

• 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ›

Investing for retirement is a long-term process. Oftentimes, people put decades into building their nest eggs. The two keys to success? Growing your money and avoiding catastrophic setbacks along the way. Slow and steady is usually the winning formula.

That makes index funds a fantastic component to any retirement portfolio. Stock market indexes represent groups of individual stocks based on a specific market sector, country, or investing strategy. They sometimes represent a broad sampling of the market as a whole. Index funds give investors instant, straightforward diversification that can set them up for long-term success.

They won't make you rich overnight. However, when your money compounds at an annualized rate of 7% to 10%, it will double every seven to 10 years. That could make you a millionaire over three or four decades, especially if you continually add to your savings over time. Here are four excellent index funds to consider buying and holding to get started on your journey.

1. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

The U.S. stock market is the world's largest and a commonsense starting point for any long-term investor. The S&P 500 is the most famous U.S. market index, a group consisting of 500 prominent publicly traded companies. Historically, the S&P 500 has been a wealth-building wonder. Each dollar invested in the S&P 500 in 1989 has since grown by over 38 times, and the index has returned an annualized rate of about 8% since 1928.

However, you can't invest directly in it. So, consider the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO). Vanguard is one of the industry's most trusted names for investment funds, and this particular index fund features very low fees, allowing investors to keep almost all their money as it grows over time. Even most professionals struggle to outperform the S&P 500 consistently, so there's no need to overthink your retirement portfolio.

2. Invesco QQQ ETF

Investors can add some upside to their retirement portfolio with the Invesco QQQ ETF (NASDAQ: QQQ). This index fund follows the Nasdaq-100, the largest companies in the technology-leaning Nasdaq Composite index, and has outperformed the S&P 500 since its inception in 1999. Roughly 60% of the fund is technology, so it's a strong choice for those looking to invest in innovative growth opportunities like artificial intelligence.

The caveat here is that technology companies often command higher valuations and can be pretty unpredictable over time. Therefore, technology stocks tend to be more volatile. The Invesco QQQ ETF has gone through some dramatic drawdowns throughout its history, so investors will want to keep that in mind when allocating retirement savings to it.

3. Vanguard Real Estate ETF

Real estate is a classic investment for passive income, but most individuals lack the capital or know-how to own properties. That is where real estate investment trusts (REITs) come into play as alternatives. These publicly traded companies acquire and lease all sorts of real estate. A REIT will usually focus on a specific property type, such as residential, commercial, or industrial buildings, or a particular type of tenant.

With so many choices in real estate, investors can simplify things with the Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT: VNQ). It follows the MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index and holds over 150 different REITs. That's instant diversification across almost every property type you can imagine. The fund's current effective adjusted distribution yield is 2.8%, and it has produced total annualized returns of 7.4% since its inception in 2004.

4. SPDR S&P Dividend ETF

Dividends are a potent wealth-building force when given enough years to compound, snowballing to a level where they could even pay your bills in retirement. Rather than try to comb the market for the best dividend stocks, investors could opt for the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (NYSEMKT: SDY). It tracks the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats® Index, which focuses on blue-chip companies with established histories of increasing their dividends for at least 20 consecutive years. (Note: Dividend Aristocrats® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.)

The fund offers a nice blend of growth and income. It has an estimated blended anticipated earnings growth rate of 7.9% over the next three to five years, and the fund's distribution yield is currently 2.5%. Therefore, investors can reasonably expect high-single digit to low-double-digit annualized total returns over the long term, and could reinvest the dividends along the way to maximize how their money compounds over time.

Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF right now?

Before you buy stock in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, consider this:

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Justin Pope has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard Real Estate ETF and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Want $1 Million in Retirement? 4 Simple Index Funds to Buy and Hold for Decades. was originally published by The Motley Fool

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20.

Billionaires Are Buying a Popular AI Index Fund That Could Turn $500 Per Month Into Over $500,000

2025-08-20 00:01:00 by Stefon Walters, The Motley Fool from Motley Fool

Key Points

• The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is heavily comprised of megacap tech stocks.

• QQQ has averaged over 14% annual returns over the past 20 years.

• Tech developments like artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing should help drive growth for the foreseeable future.

• 10 stocks we like better than Invesco QQQ Trust ›

An important part of investing is making sure that you're investing in stocks that fit your personal goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. That's why, in some cases, the average person shouldn't follow all the moves made by billionaires and billion-dollar hedge funds.

However, there are instances where following billionaires' moves can be a smart choice, especially when it comes to exchange-traded funds (ETFs), because they're not reliant on a single company. One ETF that has gotten the attention of a few billionaires recently is the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ). In the first quarter, three prominent billionaire investors and hedge funds added to their positions:

Investor	Hedge Fund Name	Shares Added
Ken Griffin	Citadel Advisors	2.2 million
Israel Englander	Millennium Management	474,300
Steven Cohen	Point72 Asset Management	7,950

Data source: Fintel. Table by author.

QQQ's past performance and future potential easily explain these hedge funds' moves. If you're looking for an investment that could turn $500 monthly investments into $500,000-plus over the next couple of decades, this could be your ticket.

Why go with the Invesco QQQ Trust?

This ETF mirrors the Nasdaq-100, an index tracking the largest 100 nonfinancial companies listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. You can think of it as a subset of the larger Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC), which essentially contains all stocks listed on the exchange.

If you're looking for a well-diversified ETF, this likely isn't your cup of tea; it's very tech-heavy, with the sector making up over 60% of the fund. The consumer discretionary (19.44% of the ETF), healthcare (4.82%), industrial (4.35%), and telecommunications (4.30%) sectors round out the top five represented sectors.

Part of the reason it's so tech-heavy is that it's weighted by market cap, and mega-cap tech stocks have exploded in valuations in recent years. Below are the ETF's top 10 holdings (as of Aug. 13):

1. Nvidia: 10.00%
2. Microsoft: 8.74%
3. Apple: 7.83%
4. Amazon: 5.52%
5. Broadcom: 5.45%
6. Alphabet: 5.16% (both classes included)
7. Meta Platforms: 3.82%
8. Netflix: 2.90%
9. Tesla: 2.75%
10. Costco Wholesale: 2.40%

How the Invesco QQQ Trust could turn $500 monthly into over $500,000

This ETF has routinely been a market-beater and has produced some impressive returns over the past 20 years. In that span, the ETF is up over 1,360% (1,590% when including dividends). These average out to over 14% and 15% average annual returns, respectively. 

These past gains don't guarantee that it will continue to happen, but for the sake of illustration, let's see how monthly $500 investments could play out over time with slightly more modest average annual returns:

Years Invested	10% Average Annual Returns	12% Average Annual Returns	14% Average Annual Returns
15	$187,600	$220,100	$258,800
20	$335,900	$422,400	$533,400
25	$572,600	$775,700	$1.057 million

Returns calculated using Investor.gov compound interest calculator. Total rounded down to the nearest hundred. Table by author.

Even taking into account the ETF's 0.20% expense ratio, which these totals do, it has the ability to be a lucrative investment. All you need is time to let compound earnings work its magic.

Why I think the Invesco QQQ could continue its impressive returns

This ETF's top 10 holdings make up over 52% of the fund, so their performance will greatly impact the fund's performance. And except for Costco, these are all major tech stocks. This could work out in the ETF's favor because these companies are operating in industries that are poised for high growth for the foreseeable future.

The most obvious driver would be the current artificial intelligence (AI) boom we're experiencing. Aside from the efficiency boost the companies stand to gain from AI developments, these are companies that operate in all phases of the ecosystem.

Nvidia and Broadcom provide chips and other hardware powering data centers; Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet provide the cloud infrastructure that makes deploying AI possible; Meta will be the blueprint for using AI in advertising; and Apple is in the process of investing billions and further integrating AI into its hardware products.

Of course, nobody can predict how a stock or ETF's performance will go. However, this ETF has all the ingredients to be a lucrative investment for some time. And it's not just about AI, either. Its holdings cover many booming industries.

Should you buy stock in Invesco QQQ Trust right now?

Before you buy stock in Invesco QQQ Trust, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Invesco QQQ Trust wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $671,466!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,115,633!*

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*Stock Advisor returns as of August 18, 2025

Stefon Walters has positions in Apple and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Costco Wholesale, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Billionaires Are Buying a Popular AI Index Fund That Could Turn $500 Per Month Into Over $500,000 was originally published by The Motley Fool

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21.

U.S. Tariffs Ease With Canada, Mexico Shift

2025-08-19 21:31:51 by Undercovered Deep Insights from GuruFocus.com

America's effective tariff rate ticked down to 16% in July from 17% earlier in the month, Fitch Ratings said, thanks to a surge in tariff-free imports from Canada and Mexico under the USMCA trade pact.

The jump was striking. In June, 81% of Canadian exports into the U.S. qualified as USMCA-compliant, up from 56% the month before. Mexico saw a similar move, with 77% of shipments clearing the bar versus just 42% in May. Those exemptions helped blunt the sting of Trump-era tariffs that still technically set rates at 35% for Canada and 25% for Mexico.

Elsewhere, though, the tariff picture looks much tougher. China's effective rate has spiked to 41.4%, more than 30 percentage points higher than last year. India faces a 50% rate, while the European Union averages 15%, with member states ranging from about 3% to more than 18%.

All this is playing out against a weaker U.S. dollar. The Dollar Index is down 9.5% so far in 2025, while the Canadian dollar has gained 4% and Mexico's peso has surged 11%. For investors, that combination of softer tariffs on North American trade and stronger local currencies makes Canada- and Mexico-linked ETFs like EWC, EWW, FXC, and MXF stand out more than ever.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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22.

Exchange-Traded Funds Down as US Equities Fall After Midday

2025-08-19 17:11:01 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were lower. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) fell 1.3%.

US equity indexes declined after midday Tuesday as a drop in the so-called Magnificent 7 tech giants pushed technology and communication services lower.

Energy

iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each slipped 0.3%.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) retreated 1.2%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) also moved lower.

SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) dropped 1.6%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) was past 1% down.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) was up 0.03%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) rose 0.1%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), was flat.

Commodities

Crude oil lost 1.6%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) was down 1.3%. Natural gas slipped 4.8%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) shed 5.1%.

Gold declined 0.5% on Comex, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell 0.5%. Silver lost 1.6%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was down about 2%.

Consumer

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) rose 0.9%; Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) and the iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) also advanced.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) fell 0.2%, the VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) gained 0.7% and the SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) fell 0.3%.

Health Care

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) rose 0.7%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) also edged higher. iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.1%.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) fell 0.01%. Vanguard Industrials (VIS) fell 0.2% and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) added 0.1%.

Cryptocurrency

In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) lost 2.5%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) fell 2.8%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) shed 5.1%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was down 3.5%.

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23.

Stocks Pressured by Weakness in Tech

2025-08-19 15:18:03 by Rich Asplund from Barchart

On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

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24.

Stocks Slightly Lower as Retailer Earnings Arrive

2025-08-19 14:03:06 by Rich Asplund from Barchart

On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

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25.

5 ETFs That Gained Investors' Love Last Week

2025-08-19 14:00:00 by Sweta Killa from Zacks

ETFs across various categories raked in $38 billion in capital last week, pushing year-to-date inflows to $730 billion. U.S. equity ETFs led the way with $13.3 billion in inflows, followed by $10.6 billion in inflows for fixed income ETFs and $8.8 billion for international ETFs.

Invesco QQQ Trust QQQ, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO, ARK Innovation ETF ARKK, iShares Ethereum Trust ETF ETHA and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF VCIT dominated the top creation list last week.

Wall Street posted its second week of gains, driven by cooler inflation data that bolstered expectations for a potential Fed rate cut next month. The Dow Jones outperformed, gaining 1.7%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.9% and 0.8%, respectively.   

U.S. consumer sentiment deteriorated in August, falling for the first time in four months. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index dropped to 58.6 in August from 61.7, reflecting renewed concerns over inflation. Meanwhile, retail sales jumped 0.5% in July, showing that consumer spending had steadied following a dramatic drop earlier in the year.

We have detailed the ETFs below.

Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)

Invesco QQQ Trust is the top asset creator, pulling in $6.6 billion in capital. It provides exposure to the 101 largest domestic and international non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq by tracking the Nasdaq 100 Index. Invesco QQQ is one of the largest and most popular ETFs in the large-cap space, with an AUM of $373.6 billion and an average daily volume of 44 million shares. QQQ charges investors 20 bps in annual fees and has a Zacks ETF Rank #1 (Strong Buy) with a Medium risk outlook (read: 5 Stocks in QQQ ETF That Drove Nasdaq's Record Closing High).

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF gathered $3 billion in its asset base last week. It tracks the S&P 500 Index and holds 504 stocks in its basket, each accounting for no more than 8% of the assets. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is heavy on the information technology sector, while financials, consumer discretionary, and communication services round off the next three spots with a double-digit allocation each. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF charges investors 3 bps in annual fees. It has AUM of $732 billion and trades in an average daily volume of 5 million shares. VOO has a Zacks ETF Rank #1 with a Medium risk outlook (read: Vanguard's VOO Becomes First ETF to Cross $700B).

ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) 

ARK Innovation ETF has gathered $2.7 billion in its asset base. It is an actively managed fund investing in companies that benefit from the development of products or services, technological improvements, and advancements in scientific research related to the areas of DNA technologies and genomic revolution, automation, robotics, energy storage, artificial intelligence, next-generation Internet and Fintech innovation. In total, the fund holds 45 securities in its basket. ARK Innovation ETF has gathered $10 billion in its asset base and charges 75 bps in fees per year from investors. It trades in an average daily volume of 13 million shares.

iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA)

iShares Ethereum Trust ETF saw inflows of $2.2 billion. It seeks to reflect the performance of the price of Ethereum. ETHA is managed by the world’s largest asset manager and leverages a multi-year technology integration developed with Coinbase Prime, the world’s largest institutional digital asset custodian. ETHA has AUM of $15.9 billion and trades in an average daily volume of 54 million shares. It charges 25 bps in annual fees (read: Here's Why Ethereum ETFs are Surging).

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT)

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF has accumulated $1.6 billion in its asset base. It follows the Bloomberg U.S. 5–10 Year Corporate Bond Index and holds 2,134 bonds in its basket with an effective maturity of 7.5 years and an average duration of 6.1 years. With AUM of $55.8 billion, Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF trades in a solid volume of around 12.5 million shares and has an expense ratio of 0.03%. The product has a Zacks ETF Rank #4 (Sell) with a Medium risk outlook.
 

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): ETF Research Reports

ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK): ETF Research Reports

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT): ETF Research Reports

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

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26.

1 Tech ETF to Buy Hand Over Fist and 1 to Avoid

2025-08-19 13:53:00 by Neil Patel, The Motley Fool from Motley Fool

Key Points

• Tech-driven secular trends should continue to drive the U.S. economy -- and reward investors along the way.

• The Invesco QQQ Trust has delivered stellar results thanks to its exposure to the largest companies on Earth.

• The Ark Innovation ETF has been a long-term underperformer, and also charges high fees to investors.

• 10 stocks we like better than Invesco QQQ Trust ›

Most of the largest companies in the world today are involved in technology-related industries. Their financial successes, as well as their shareholder returns, have certainly drawn the attention of investors. Given its growth history and its bullish outlook, it makes sense for retail investors to put some of their money to work in this lucrative part of the economy.

It's not difficult to find exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that can provide this tech-sector exposure -- but some are undoubtedly better than others. Here's one tech ETF I'd recommend buying hand over fist and one to avoid.

Buy the Invesco QQQ Trust

The tech ETF that investors should scoop up today is the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ). It tracks the performance of the Nasdaq-100 index, which includes the 100 largest non-financial companies that trade on the Nasdaq stock exchange. That makes it a more concentrated investment vehicle than the S&P 500 index, for example.

A notable 61% of the QQQ's holdings come from the technology sector. The "Magnificent Seven" combine to make up 44% of this ETF's asset allocation. Overall, their share price performances in recent years have definitely had major positive impacts on the QQQ.

Among the powerful secular trends in the economy today are the growth of cloud computing, digital payments, digital advertising, streaming entertainment, and e-commerce. We also can't forget about artificial intelligence, a revolutionary technology that is likely to become more important in our lives. Investors can gain exposure to companies capitalizing on all of these trends and more through the Invesco QQQ Trust.

Its low cost is another key selling point. The Invesco QQQ Trust carries an expense ratio of 0.2%. So on a hypothetical $1,000 investment, Invesco charges just $2 per year in management fees.

The bigger reason to buy this ETF is performance. Over the past five years (as of Aug. 13), the QQQ has delivered a fantastic total return of 120%. That translates to an annualized gain of 17.1%. 

Looking ahead, it's anyone's guess how the Invesco QQQ Trust will perform, but there are reasons to be optimistic. The combination of passive investment flows into large-cap stocks, the dominance of select tech companies, and ongoing currency debasement could help propel this ETF higher.

Avoid the Ark Innovation ETF

By contrast, I think investors would be better off avoiding the Ark Innovation ETF (NYSEMKT: ARKK). This actively managed fund is the largest of the ETFs created by Ark Invest, the asset management firm founded and led by Cathie Wood. Its portfolio holds "securities of companies that are relevant to the Fund's investment theme of disruptive innovation."

Wood and Ark Invest get a lot of attention thanks to their bold predictions. But those forecasts don't always pan out. Over the past five years, the Ark Innovation ETF has produced a total return of negative 7%. That's obviously a disappointing track record. And investors in that underperforming fund must pay a hefty expense ratio of 0.75%, nearly four times the cost of the Invesco QQQ Trust.

To be fair, though, this ETF has climbed 79% just in the past year. It's certainly having a moment in the spotlight. However, these kinds of gains aren't likely sustainable. They are a reflection of the fact that the Ark Innovation ETF invests in less-proven and earlier-stage businesses, which makes it much more volatile than a large-cap index fund.

It would be an unwise move for investors to shy away from investing in the technology trends that will continue to shape our economy. But to properly position their portfolios to benefit from those trends over the long term, I believe they'd be better off putting money into the Invesco QQQ Trust and staying away from the Ark Innovation ETF.

Should you invest $1,000 in Invesco QQQ Trust right now?

Before you buy stock in Invesco QQQ Trust, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Invesco QQQ Trust wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $671,466!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,115,633!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,076% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 184% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of August 18, 2025

Neil Patel has positions in Invesco QQQ Trust. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

1 Tech ETF to Buy Hand Over Fist and 1 to Avoid was originally published by The Motley Fool

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27.

Exchange-Traded Funds Lower, Equity Futures Mixed Pre-Bell Tuesday Amid Anticipated Rate Cut, Tariff Impact Uncertainty

2025-08-19 12:28:56 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.03% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.1% lower in Tuesday's premarket activity as concerns around the impact of tariffs and interest rate uncertainty continue to cloud sentiment.

US stock futures were mixed, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.1% before the start of regular trading.

The July housing starts and permits bulletin will be released at 8:30 am ET, followed by the Q2 e-commerce retail sales report at 10 am ET.

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman speaks on Tuesday.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 0.6%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.7% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) was down 1.2%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) declined by 0.1%.

Power Play:

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) was flat. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.03%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.2% higher.

X Financial (XYF) shares were up more than 8% in premarket activity Tuesday after the company reported higher Q2 results.

Winners and Losers:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.03%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was flat, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was inactive. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was inactive, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) was up by 0.1%.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) shares were up more than 6% in recent premarket activity after the company overnight reported a stronger-than-expected increase in fiscal Q4 earnings and sales.

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was up marginally by 0.01%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was inactive. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.4%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) were inactive.

Amer Sports (AS) shares were down more than 3% pre-bell even after the company reported higher Q2 financial results.

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.1%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was up 0.2% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) gained 0.02%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was inactive.

Medtronic (MDT) stock was down more than 2% premarket. The company reported higher fiscal Q1 non-GAAP earnings and adjusted revenue.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) retreated 0.02% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.

AeroVironment (AVAV) stock was up more than 2% before the opening bell after Mercury Systems (MRCY) said it has signed a new production deal with AeroVironment to supply technology for two more BADGER ground communication systems as part of the US Space Force's $1.40 billion Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource program.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down by 0.1%.

Indonesia Energy (INDO) stock was down more than 1% before Tuesday's opening bell. The company said it signed an MOU with a Brazilian energy company to explore potential oil and gas-related projects in Brazil.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 1% at $62.79 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas retreated 1.8% to $2.84 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) declined 0.9%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) fell 2%

Gold futures for December gained 0.2% to reach $3,386 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were up 0.3% at $38.62 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced 0.2%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was marginally higher.

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28.

Is AI Market Forming a Bubble? Nasdaq-100 ETF in Focus

2025-08-19 10:00:00 by Sanghamitra Saha from Zacks

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has recently suggested that the artificial intelligence (AI) industry is currently experiencing a bubble fear, as quoted on CNBC. He explained that while AI represents one of the most significant technological shifts in decades, the excitement around it has led to overinflated expectations from investors.

Altman sees similarity between the current environment to the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, which was hit hard when many Internet companies failed to materialize the euphoria into profits.

Warnings From Industry Leaders

Altman’s remarks mirror concerns raised by other influential figures in business and finance. Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai, Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio, and Apollo Global Management’s chief economist Torsten Slok have all cautioned that AI valuations may be overheating.

Slok has even argued that the present AI surge could be more inflated than the Internet bubble, pointing out that today’s most valuable companies in the S&P 500 are more stretched in valuation than they were during the 1990s. Note that between March 2000 and October 2002, the Nasdaq lost nearly 80% of its value.

Analysts Divided on the Bubble Narrative

Not all analysts think that the entire AI market has entered bubble territory. Some experts argue that the fundamentals of AI and semiconductor supply chains remain strong and that the long-term growth prospects justify continued investment. However, many fear that capital is being invested in companies with weaker fundamentals, which may cause problems later on.

Rising Competition From Low-Cost Chinese Peers

The concerns intensified earlier this year when the “Magnificent Seven” had fallen from grace due to factors such as new, cheaper-cost AI entrants (e.g., DeepSeek) and individual companies’ ability to handle broader macro uncertainty.

DeepSeek, a Chinese startup developing AI models, revealed in late January that training the R1 model cost just $5.6 million, significantly less than the $100 million required to train OpenAI's GPT-4 model.

On the other hand, Alibaba BABA introduced the QwQ-32B model, an AI system that rivals DeepSeek but requires only a fraction of the data. Such advancements triggered doubts that the huge capital investments deployed by U.S. tech majors to develop AI technologies will generate the expected returns at all.

Rocky Journey of ChatGPT-Fame Open AI

Although the credibility of these claims has been questioned, the development has raised questions about whether current spending levels in AI are sustainable. Despite OpenAI’s huge success and its annual recurring revenue projection to top $20 billion this year, the company remains unprofitable.

The rollout of its latest GPT-5 model has also been anything but smooth, with some users finding it less intuitive than expected.

Nasdaq-100 ETF in Focus

Most AI biggies have exposure to the Nasdaq-100-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 QQQ. The P/E ratio of QQQ stands at 59.27X. The 10-year range of the P/E ratio is 19.7X to 59.46X. The median P/E of the past 10 years is 25.8X. This shows the overvaluation concerns associated with QQQ.

However, the price-to-book (P/B) ratio of QQQ is currently 3.6X, which is the lowest value considering the past 10-year range. The 10-year median P/B is 6.03X, per Gurufocus.com. Moreover, with the Fed likely to cut rates in the coming months amid a weakening labor market, the growth stocks of QQQ should see some tailwinds.

Hence, the sudden crash of AI euphoria (if there is any) may not hurt QQQ that hard. Still, investors should be mindful of relentless AI investing going forward. Their portfolio may need diversification at the current juncture.

Note that the annualized return of QQQ is 18.78% over the past 10 years, while it is 21.23% over the past three years (due to the AI rally).

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

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29.

Questcorp Mining Completes 25 Percent of Maiden Drilling Program at the La Union Gold & Silver Project in Mexico

2025-08-19 07:15:00 by Newsfile Corp. from Newsfile

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 19, 2025) - Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ) (OTCQB: QQCMF) (FSE: D910) (the "Company" or "Questcorp") is pleased to announce they have completed 25% of the planned drilling program on its La Union Project in northwest Sonora, Mexico. This work is being carried out by property vendor and operator Riverside Resources Inc. (TSXV: RRI).

Highlights

• The Company has completed 300 metres of the planned drill program of 1200 to 1500m.
• Drilling to test the carbonate-hosted replacement deposit (CRD) style of mineralization, with gold associated with mantos, chimneys, and along structural zones.
• Angled drill holes are aimed at cutting perpendicular to stratigraphic targets and some structural targets which is typical in CRD systems
• Structural features may have served as mineralizing conduits and are key targets in the current drill program.

Questcorp is capitalizing on the recent exploration work over the past three months by Riverside that improved the understanding of the structural geology and stratigraphy that is guiding current exploration efforts at La Union. The exploration target focus is for a large potential gold discovery that expands from previous smaller scale mine operations on the property. The drill program will begin to test the new concepts and expand past previous mining.

Saf Dhillon, President & CEO states, "Questcorp is pleased with the progress being made at this first ever drill program at La Union. The Riverside team has been able to work throughout these hot summers months to enable the successful completion of this Maiden drill.

Earlier this year, Questcorp entered into a definitive option agreement with Riverside's wholly owned subsidiary, RRM Exploracion, S.A.P.I. DE C.V. to acquire a 100% interest in the La Union Project. As part of the agreement, Questcorp issued shares to Riverside, making Riverside a shareholder and aligning both parties' interests in the Project's success. With funding provided by Questcorp, an initial C$1,000,000 exploration program is now underway. This marks the first phase of a larger, C$5,500,000 work commitment, contingent on exploration results and Questcorp's continued participation.

The Drill Program Targets include more than four different areas, beginning with this early-stage stratigraphic and orientation phase of drilling exploration aimed at evaluating the scale of alteration and indications of a mineralized system. This will be the first drilling ever conducted on most of the targets, despite past mining having occurred in the majority of these areas. The initial program will consist of one to three holes per area, primarily for orientation purposes. Follow-up drilling is planned and can be expanded based on initial results, which will help verify the stratigraphy, lithologies, and structural features allowing for improved modeling and next-stage discovery targeting. The four areas are listed below:

• Union Main Mine Area - The program will use angled drill holes to test limestone and other carbonate stratigraphic hosts within the Clemente Formation, with the potential to reach the underlying Caborca Formation. These units are considered the primary hosts for replacement-style mineralization.
• North Union Mine Area - The initial focus of the program will be on testing structural interpretations. Additional drilling is anticipated following this first phase, as results will help guide future drill testing of areas with past mining activity and various structural orientations.
• Cobre Mine Area - The Clemente Formation is the primary host unit, and structural features combined with areas of past mining provide multiple target zones. Drilling will begin with an initial stratigraphic test hole to help orient around the thickness of the host unit and extend into the lower Caborca Formation, which is also a favorable host for CRD-style mineralization.
• Central Union Area - Structural targets, as possible mineralization feeder zones, are a key focus in this past mining manto area. There are extensive additional target zones in the area, and this initial orientation drilling will provide vectoring for the next stage of drilling and further study of the Clemente Formation, and possibly into the Caborca Formation as currently interpreted.

General Overview of La Union Project

The Project is summarized in a recently published NI 43-101 Technical Report available under Questcorp's SEDAR+ profile (www.sedarplus.ca). Riverside initially acquired the Project and subsequently consolidated additional inlier mineral claims, building a strong land position. Riverside then advanced the Project through surface access agreements and drill permitting, making it a turn-key exploration opportunity for Questcorp.

The Project was originally identified through Riverside's exploration work in the western Sonora Gold Belt, conducted in collaboration with AngloGold Ashanti Limited, Centerra Gold Inc., and Hochschild Mining Plc. Earlier research by Riverside Founder John-Mark Staude also contributed to recognizing the district's potential. Initial work by members of the Riverside team, drawing on more than two decades of geological compilation and analysis, further confirmed the region as highly prospective.

At the Project, historical mining by the Penoles Mining Company targeted chimney and manto-style replacement bodies within the upper oxide zones. As a result, the underlying sulfide zones represent immediate and compelling drill targets for further exploration.

At the La Union Project, immediate drill targets offer the potential for significant-scale discoveries. La Union is well positioned for near-term exploration success, with targets that include both oxide and deeper sulfide mineralization.

The La Union Project

The La Union Project is a carbonate replacement deposit ("CRD") project hosted by Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks (limestones, dolomites, and siliciclastic sediments) overlying crystalline Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Caborca Terrane. The structural setting features high-angle normal faults and low-to-medium-angle thrust faults that sometimes served as mineralization conduits. Mineralization occurs as polymetallic veins, replacement zones (mantos, chimneys), and shear zones with high-grade metal content, as shown in highlight grades of 59.4 grams per metric tonne (g/t) gold, 833 g/t silver, 11% zinc, 5.5% lead, 2.2% copper, along with significant hematite and manganese oxides, consistent with a CRD model (see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Union Project, State of Sonora, Mexico" dated effective May 6, 2025 available under Questcorp's SEDAR+ profile). These targets also demonstrate intriguing potential for large gold discoveries potentially above an even larger porphyry Cu district potential as the Company's target concept at this time.

Questcorp cautions investors that grab samples are selective by nature and not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization on the property.

The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P. Geo (BC), a director of the Company and a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Questcorp Mining Inc.

Questcorp Mining Inc. is engaged in the business of the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in North America, with the objective of locating and developing economic precious and base metals properties of merit. The Company holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 1,168.09 hectares comprising the North Island Copper Property, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, subject to a royalty obligation. The Company also holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 2,520.2 hectares comprising the La Union Project located in Sonora, Mexico, subject to a royalty obligation.

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to Riverside's arrangements with geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to: the ability of Riverside to secure geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets as contemplated or at all, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the geophysical surveys will be completed as contemplated or at all and that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262984

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30.

EU Pushes Back on U.S. Trade Deal Digital Rules

2025-08-18 21:34:21 by Undercovered Deep Insights from GuruFocus.com

The European Union is pushing back against U.S. efforts to wrap its digital regulations into a new trade deal, slowing progress on an agreement announced last month, the Financial Times reported.

EU officials told the paper that language on non-tariff barriers remains the sticking point. Washington views the bloc's digital laws as such barriers, but Brussels disagrees. That dispute has held up a joint statement that was supposed to follow quickly after July's accord between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Donald Trump.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 7 Warning Signs with SHCO.

That deal had already eased tensions by cutting tariffs to 15% on most EU goods, half the rate the U.S. initially threatened, and calming fears of a deeper transatlantic rift. Together, the U.S. and EU account for nearly a third of global trade.

The U.S. side wants leeway to negotiate over the EU's Digital Services Act, which forces platforms to remove harmful or illegal content. American officials argue it's costly and limits free speech, while Brussels has drawn a red line against any weakening of the rules.The FT added that a Trump executive order cutting tariffs on EU car exports from 27.5% to 15% is now on hold until the joint communique is resolved.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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31.

Bank of America suggests the era of the biggest stocks dominating markets 'may be done'

2025-08-18 20:13:36 by Josh Schafer from Yahoo Finance

The stock market has been all about the biggest companies driving the largest gains for the better part of the last decade.

That era could be coming to an end. 

"History would suggest there is more to go in cap-weighted dominance," Bank of America's head of US equity and quantitative strategy, Savita Subramanian, wrote in a note to clients. 

"But if the Fed's next move is a rate cut, and if the Regime indicator is shifting to a Recovery, we think the run may be closer to done."

Work from Subramanian's team found that the largest 50 stocks in the S&P 500 (^GSPC) have outperformed the benchmark index by 73 percentage points since 2015. BofA noted that the last notable run of similar outperformance for the 50 largest stocks in the index came in the late 1990s, leading into the bursting of the dot-com bubble. 

Following the bust, the market saw a large shift from megacap growth, leading to value and small-cap stocks outperforming during the early 2000s. 

Subramanian thinks a similar tide shift might be coming to markets now.

BofA's "regime indicator" breaks market cycles into four parts: Recovery, Mid Cycle, Late Cycle, and Downturn. 

The firm looks at a variety of factors such as corporate earnings revisions, inflation data, and economic growth projections. Currently, its work suggests markets moving from the Downturn phase — which is positive for megacaps with the most earnings power and strongest market position — to the Recovery phase.

"[Federal Reserve] easing has been accompanied by Mega caps lagging more than leading, and higher inflation should support a broadening of the S&P 500 beyond defensives/secular growth," Subramanian wrote.

Subramanian's call would mark a massive shift in the dominant market narrative. 

Since the start of the current bull market in October 2022, large-cap technology has been the clear winner in the stock market as the artificial intelligence boom has taken hold. For much of both 2023 and 2024, a small group of technology stocks, once dubbed the "Magnificent Seven," have been pulling the stock market higher.

This had also been the case since the most recent market bottom in April. 

In a note to clients on Aug. 13, DataTrek Research co-founder Jessica Rabe highlighted how the top 20 stocks by market cap in the index have risen an average of 40.6% since the bottom, far outpacing the benchmark index's 27.9% gain over the same time period. 

This means the top 20 holdings have helped pull the index higher, while the other 480 stocks have been "a net drag" on the index in relative terms, Rabe wrote.

Nvidia (NVDA), the world's largest company, has seen its stock nearly double since April 9.

Nearly all of the names in the group that have outperformed the S&P 500 index — including Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG), Meta (META), and Palantir (PLTR) — have some sort of AI growth story.

But in recent weeks, there have been some signs of rotation under the surface.

The small-cap Russell 2000 (^RUT), which hasn't hit a new high since 2021, is up about 6% in August, outperforming the S&P 500's roughly 3.5% gain over the same time period. 

Josh Schafer is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on X @_joshschafer.

Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

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32.

Exchange-Traded Funds Mixed, US Equities Fall After Midday

2025-08-18 17:10:42 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded fund IWM rose and IVV declined. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) fell 0.3%.

US equity indexes were lower in midday trading on Monday as geopolitical risk unnerved investors ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the likely tough conditions from Moscow to end the deadly war.

Energy

iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) slid 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) was down 0.1%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) were also lower.

SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) gained 0.5%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) added 0.1%.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) was marginally up. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was 0.1% higher, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), fractionally down.

Commodities

Crude oil added 0.5%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) was up 0.2%. Natural gas retreated 0.5%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) lost 0.2%.

Gold slid 0.1% on Comex, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell 0.2%. Silver gained 0.2%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.1% fractionally higher.

Consumer

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) was up 0.2%; Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) and the iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) were up.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) lost 0.3%, and VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) were in the green.

Health Care

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) rose 0.3%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) also edged higher. iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.1%.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) added 0.3%. Vanguard Industrials (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were higher.

Cryptocurrency

In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) slipped 1.5%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) fell 0.8%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) shed 1.4%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was flat.

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33.

Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Monday Ahead of Jackson Hole Fed Meeting

2025-08-18 12:49:24 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.1% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) retreated 0.2% in Monday's premarket activity, ahead of the Jackson Hole Federal Reserve meeting and Jerome Powell's speech on Friday.

US stock futures were mixed, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.2% before the start of regular trading.

The NAHB Housing Market Index for August will be released at 10 am ET.

In premarket action, bitcoin was down by 2.2%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 1.5% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) was down 2.9%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) fell 1.1%.

Power Play:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.2%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.03% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 0.6%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was flat, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) declined by 0.4%.

Dayforce (DAY) shares were up more than 27% in recent premarket activity after Bloomberg News reported the company is being considered for takeover by tech-focused private equity firm Thoma Bravo.

Winners and Losers:

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was down 0.02%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) fell 1%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was flat, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.1%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) were inactive.

Soho House (SHCO) shares were up more than 16% pre-bell after the company said it has signed agreements to be taken private by an investor group led by MCR Hotels and its chief executive, Tyler Morse, in a deal representing a total enterprise value of roughly $2.7 billion.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) retreated 0.1% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.

Freightos (CRGO) stock was up more than 13% before the opening bell after the company reported higher Q2 revenue.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) retreated 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.4%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.4% higher.


TeraWulf (WULF) share were up by more than 11% after the company said it intends to offer $400 million of convertible senior notes due 2031 in a private offering.

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.2%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was up 0.1%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) slipped 0.02%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) gained 0.1%.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) shares were up by more than 4% premarket after the company said Friday the US Food and Drug Administration approved a new indication for semaglutide to treat adults with metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis, without cirrhosis.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up by 0.04%.

enCore Energy (EU) stock was up more than 1% before Monday's opening bell after the company said it has expanded its Alta Mesa Uranium project with a purchase of 5,900 acres of land.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.4% to $63.07 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas retreated 3.3% to $2.82 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) declined 0.1%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) fell 2.9%

Gold futures for December gained 0.3% to $3,391.90 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were down 0.5% to $38.65 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced 0.3%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.3% higher.

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34.

Think You Missed the Boat? Why These ETFs Are Poised for a Run.

2025-08-18 08:03:00 by Matt DiLallo, The Motley Fool from Motley Fool

Key Points

• The Invesco QQQ Trust holds the 100 top non-financial stocks listed on the Nasdaq.

• The Vanguard Growth ETF holds 165 top growth stocks.

• The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has a long record of delivering attractive returns.

• 10 stocks we like better than Invesco QQQ Trust ›

Many of the best ETFs have delivered strong returns over the past year. The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) and Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT: VUG) have gained more than 20% over the past 12 months, while the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) has rallied more than 15%. Given these recent gains, investors might think they missed the boat.

However, the factors behind these gains aren't likely to fade anytime soon. As a result, these ETFs appear poised to continue their run in the coming years.

A high-return fund

The Invesco QQQ Trust tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index, which comprises the 100 largest non-financial stocks listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. These companies invest heavily in research and development (R&D) -- around 11% of their annual sales over the past three years -- to drive innovation. That has supported 10% or greater compound annual growth rates for revenue, earnings, and dividends over the past decade -- significantly outpacing S&P 500 Index companies, whose comparable annual growth rates are in the mid-single digits.

As a result, these Nasdaq-100 companies have delivered robust returns for the Invesco QQQ Trust. Over the past 10 years, the ETF has gained nearly 450%, compared with the more than 250% return of the S&P 500 over the same period. At that rate, the fund has grown a $10,000 investment made a decade ago into more than $54,500 today.

The fund's past performance doesn't guarantee similar returns in the future. However, with these companies' ongoing focus on R&D, they are well positioned to continue developing new distributive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and robotics. This next wave of innovation could drive strong returns for the Invesco QQQ Trust in the decade ahead.

More growth ahead

The Vanguard Growth ETF tracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index, which is focused on the country's largest growth stocks. It currently holds more stocks than the Invesco QQQ Trust, at 165. Its holdings include top growth companies listed on the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchanges, including financial stocks. As a result, it provides investors with even greater exposure to the country's fastest-growing large companies.

This fund has also produced strong returns over the years:

Fund	1-Year	3-Year	5-Year	10-Year	Since inception (1/26/04)
VUG	24.5%	22.5%	16.6%	16.3%	11.9%

Data source: Vanguard.

A $10,000 investment made at its inception more than 20 years ago would have grown into over $93,000 today.

This fund remains in an excellent position to continue delivering strong returns. Like the Invesco QQQ Trust, its holdings continue to invest in innovation, including new financial technologies, which should support above-average growth rates and returns for investors.

Old reliable

The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is the largest ETF in the world by assets under management (AUM), at more than $700 billion. Investors entrust this Vanguard fund with their capital because of its exceptional record of delivering returns in line with the S&P 500, which tracks the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States.

The S&P 500 is the gold-standard benchmark for investors. While many investors aim to beat the S&P 500's returns, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF enables investors to join in on the index's returns. Over the past 50 years, the average stock market return as measured by the S&P 500 has been 10% annually. At that rate, the ETF can double an investor's money about every seven years.

While the S&P 500's greater diversification across other sectors and inclusion of slower-growing companies will probably lead it to deliver lower returns compared with QQQ and VUG over the long term, the fund has a lower risk profile. As such, the S&P 500, and therefore this fund, is less likely to decline as much as QQQ and VUG during a stock market selloff. This tradeoff makes the fund an ideal long-term investment to complement those funds.

Great ETFs to buy and hold long term

The Invesco QQQ Trust, Vanguard Growth ETF, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF are among the top ETFs to buy. They enable investors to participate in the growth of the economy. Given the ongoing expansion driven by innovation, these are great ETFs to buy and hold long-term, even after their runup over the past year.

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Matt DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Think You Missed the Boat? Why These ETFs Are Poised for a Run. was originally published by The Motley Fool

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35.

Richmond's Fed Chief Barkin: Job Market Holding Steady

2025-08-15 22:02:32 by Undercovered Deep Insights from GuruFocus.com

Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin isn't hitting the panic button on jobs just yet. Speaking Thursday, he said hiring and firing have both slowed, but the unemployment rate is still holding steady near historic lows. Any real cracks in the labor market, he suggested, are a ways out there.

He's been hearing a cautiously upbeat tone from businesses in his district, with more clarity now around taxes, tariffs, and immigration rules. Maybe the fog is starting to lift, Barkin said, though he admitted it's not lifting much on the hiring side and only a little on investing.

It will be interesting to see how these developments converge, on the back of the Trump/Powell spat. WIth investors hoping for a likely rate cut within the next few months, these broader market moves will be a critical gauge in getti nga feeler for things to come.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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36.

Exchange-Traded Funds Fall, US Equities Mixed After Midday Friday

2025-08-15 17:09:04 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were lower. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) fell 0.4%.

US equity indexes were mixed in midday trading prior to the Alaska summit on Friday, while investors weighed retail sales and the University of Michigan's survey data for inflation expectations.

Energy

iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each rose 0.8%.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) dipped 0.8%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) also moved lower.

SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) dropped 1.6%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) was 2.3% down.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) shed 0.9%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) fell 2.6%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), rose 2.8%.

Commodities

Crude oil lost 1.2%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) was down 1.1%. Natural gas climbed 2.9%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) gained 2.9%.

Gold rose 0.1% on Comex, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell fractionally. Silver lost 0.3%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was down 0.2%.

Consumer

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) rose 0.1%; Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) and the iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) were mixed, with the latter rising 0.5%.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) lost 0.2%, and VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) were in the red.

Health Care

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) rose 1.7%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) also edged higher. iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) added 0.9%.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) shed 0.2%. Vanguard Industrials (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were lower.

Cryptocurrency

In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) dipped 0.5%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) fell 0.6%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) shed 3%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was down 0.9%.

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37.

Hot & Cold Data on Retail Sales, Imports/Exports, Manufacturing

2025-08-15 14:27:00 by Mark Vickery from Zacks

Friday, August 15, 2025

It’s a big morning for economic data this Friday, with U.S. Retail Sales and Import/Export Prices for July and Empire State manufacturing for August. Pre-market futures have not moved much on the news — the Dow is +270 points, the S&P 500 is +8 and the Nasdaq -20 points — but bond yields have moved around a bit, first ticking up 2 points on the 10-year and 2-year, and now down two basis points (bps).

Retail Sales In-Line, Off Hotter Revisions

U.S. Retail Sales last month came in as expected at +0.5%, cooler than a more heated +0.9% in June, which was revised up 30 bps to +0.9%, the second-highest level of the year. Subtracting auto sales for July, we were in-line with estimates at +0.3%, down half a full point from the upwardly revised +0.8% the previous month. 

Ex-autos and gas, we ratchet down further: +0.2%, the lightest we’ve seen since May, again off an upwardly revised +0.8% from June. The Control print (core Retail Sales, which finds its way into prominence in other economic data like Personal Consumption Expenditures [PCE]) was also +0.5% for July, down from the 30-bps upward revision in June to +0.8%.

Imports Heating Up, Exports Cooling Off

July Import Prices jumped much higher than expected to +0.4% from a consensus estimate of 0.0%. This follows a downward revision from the prior month: to -0.1% from +0.1% reported a month ago. This +0.4% print is the hottest level since April 2024. Subtracting fuel prices, +0.3% is the figure, up from the downwardly revised -0.2% from June. Year over year, we’re now three-straight months at -0.2%.

Exports for July went the opposite direction: +0.1%, from +0.5% reported for June. Year over year, Exports are down to +2.2% from +2.6% from the month-ago report. Generally speaking, this is a suboptimal position on trade: paying more for Imports while getting less for Exports. Then again, one month’s worth of data does not a trend make.

The bigger question is that which is asked while looking through the prism of tariffs: who’s paying them? If Import Prices are going up, this is a signal that U.S. trading partners are not absorbing tariff costs — otherwise this metric would be trending down, not up. Again, we won’t make too much of July trade data, but we should be paying attention to these numbers closely as time unfolds.

Empire State Numbers Higher than Expected

The monthly manufacturing report for New York State — the Empire State Index — came in higher than expected at 11.9, which is the second highest month since November of last year. It’s also the second-straight positive Empire State number after four straight months in the negative. This is regional data on the goods-producing side, but just like trade data, it’s worth keeping an eye on as our economy continues to transition.

What to Expect from the Stock Market Going Forward

The S&P 500 looks to keep its winning streak alive, establishing new record closing highs for the majority of the week so far. There is more econ data coming out 15 minutes before and a half hour after today’s opening bell, which is worth considering as well. Next week brings us a number of housing data reports and, later in the week, the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, where all eyes will be on Fed Chair Jerome Powell as he discusses potential rate cuts at the Fed’s September meeting.

Questions or comments about this article and/or author? Click here>>

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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38.

Fed's Goolsbee Flags Tariff Risks to Inflation Fight

2025-08-15 13:57:42 by Undercovered Deep Insights from GuruFocus.com

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee isn't mincing words he says tariffs are a stagflationary shock that can push prices higher while slowing growth, a nasty combo that makes the Fed's inflation-and-jobs balancing act a lot tougher.

Speaking Wednesday, Goolsbee said the effects are already trickling into the data, with price pressures building and the labor market stuck in a low-hiring, low-firing mode. The challenge for the Fed now, he explained, is figuring out which part of its mandate is taking the bigger hit and how long the pain will last.

Some economists suggest brushing off one-time tariff spikes, but Goolsbee's not buying it. That makes me uneasy, he said, warning that multiple months of tariff-driven inflation could force a policy response.

July's CPI showed a bump in services inflation that wasn't tied to tariffs maybe a one-off, maybe not. If it sticks, the Fed's golden path of slowing inflation with steady growth could be in jeopardy.

He's keeping an open mind ahead of the Fed's Sept. 1617 meeting, waiting on wholesale inflation and another CPI print before deciding on rates. If inflation goes the wrong way, we'll have to act, he said.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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39.

Exchange-Traded Funds Higher, Equity Futures Mixed Pre-Bell Friday Ahead of Key Inflation Data

2025-08-15 12:25:38 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.2% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.03% higher in Friday's premarket activity as investors focus on upcoming key inflation reports.

US stock futures were mixed, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.2%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.7%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.04% before the start of regular trading.

The July national retail sales report, the Empire State Manufacturing Index for August, and the import and export prices bulletin for July will be released at 8:30 am ET.

The July industrial production index is slated for a 9:15 am ET release, followed by the June report on business inventories and the University of Michigan August consumer sentiment report at 10 am ET.

The Baker Hughes domestic oil-and-gas rig count posts at 1 pm.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was up by 0.9%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.9% higher, Ether ETF (EETH) was up 2%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was flat.

Power Play:

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.3%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.7%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.5% lower.

BitFuFu (FUFU) shares were up more than 15% pre-bell Friday after the company reported higher Q2 earnings.

Winners and Losers:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.1%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.02% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was inactive. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was down 0.1%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) fell 1%.

Applied Materials (AMAT) shares were down 13% in recent premarket activity Friday after the company provided fiscal Q4 guidance below market expectations.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced 0.01% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.

T1 Energy (TE) stock was up 10% before the opening bell after the company said it will source hyper-pure polysilicon and solar wafers from Corning (GLW) under a new strategic commercial agreement.

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was flat, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was up 0.3%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) gained 0.3%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was 0.8% higher.

Flower Foods (FLO) shares were down more than 3% pre-bell after the company reported lower fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings and cut its fiscal 2025 guidance.

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 1.2%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was up 0.7% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was inactive.

Hims & Hers Health (HIMS) stock was down more than 2% premarket after Bloomberg reported the company has been under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission for more than a year over allegations that the company has made it too difficult for customers to cancel their subscriptions.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up by 0.1%.

Obsidian Energy (OBE) stock was down more than 2% before Friday's opening bell after the company said it has completed its previously announced tender offer to buy up to a total of $48.4 million, for cash, of its outstanding 11.95% senior unsecured notes due July 2027.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.8% at $63.48 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas advanced 1.6% to $2.89 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) declined 0.6%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was up 2%

Gold futures for December gained 0.2% to reach $3,389.90 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were down 0.5% at $37.90 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced 0.2%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.4% lower.

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40.

Stocks Are Mixed After Hot PPI Report

2025-08-14 15:50:55 by Rich Asplund from Barchart

On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

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41.

Stocks Fall Back on Hot PPI Report

2025-08-14 14:04:11 by Rich Asplund from Barchart

On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

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42.

Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Thursday Ahead of Inflation Data

2025-08-14 12:22:50 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.1% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.04% lower in Thursday's premarket activity as investors brace for incoming inflation indicators.

US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.01%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.1% before the start of regular trading.

The July producer price index bulletin and the weekly jobless claims bulletin will be released at 8:30 am ET.

The weekly EIA natural gas report will be released at 10:30 am ET.

Federal Reserve Richmond President Thomas Barkin speaks on Thursday.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 1.6%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 1.5% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) was down 0.8%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was flat.

Power Play:

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) retreated 0.02%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.1%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was flat.

TeraWulf (WULF) shares were up more than 25% pre-bell Thursday after gaining 4% at the previous close. The company said it signed two 10-year colocation deals with Fluidstack for more than 200 megawatts of critical IT load at its Lake Mariner data center in New York.

Winners and Losers:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) advanced 0.03%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.1% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.9%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was down 1.1%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) declined by 0.2%.

Coherent (COHR) shares were down more than 19% in recent premarket activity after the company reported quarterly earnings and issued fiscal Q1 guidance.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) retreated 0.2% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.

Intuitive Machines (LUNR) stock was down more than 10% before the opening bell after the company said Wednesday it priced $300 million of 2.5% convertible senior notes due 2030 in a private sale to qualified institutional buyers.

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was down by 0.1%.

TORM (TRMD) stock was up more than 4% before Thursday's opening bell after the company raised its guidance for 2025 time charter equivalent earnings.

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.1%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT), the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) were inactive.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR) stock was down more than 5% premarket after Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) said late Wednesday it has sold about 9.3 million Arrowhead shares for at least $174 million in gross proceeds. Sarepta shares were up more than 2%.

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was flat, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was up 0.3%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) lost 0.1%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was down 0.1%.

Vipshop (VIPS) shares were up more than 3% pre-bell after the company reported higher-than-expected Q2 non-GAAP earnings and net revenue.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 0.4% at $62.92 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas retreated 0.7% to $2.81 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) gained 0.3%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) declined by 0.6%

Gold futures for December retreated 0.1% to $3,404.20 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were down 0.6% at $38.39 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) slipped 0.1%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.6% lower.

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43.

4 Factors That Could Give Small-Cap ETFs a Boost Ahead

2025-08-14 10:00:00 by Sanghamitra Saha from Zacks

Small-cap stocks, as indicated by the Russell 2000 Index, have lagged their bigger peers so far this year. Small-cap exchange-traded fund (ETF) iShares Russell 2000 IWM is up about 3.7% this year compared with gains of about 10% in the S&P 500, 13% in the Nasdaq-100 ETF QQQ and 5% in the Dow Jones.

And why not? While higher borrowing costs have weighed on the small caps’ capital expenditure, inflationary fears have dampened consumer confidence. After such a lackluster performance, can small caps turn around? Let’s delve a little deeper.

Less-Than-Expected Inflation in July: Rate Cuts Ahead?

Fed Chair Jerome Powell initially feared that Trump’s tariffs would raise inflation considerably. So far, the data suggests otherwise. The latest CPI report came in better than expected, sparking a sharp rally on Wall Street.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.2% sequentially and 2.7% year over year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This compares with Dow Jones’ forecasts of 0.2% monthly and 2.8% annual growth, as quoted on CNBC.

Excluding volatile food and energy prices, core CPI rose 0.3% in July and 3.1% annually, in line with monthly expectations but slightly above the 3% yearly forecast. Following the bullish inflation print, Polymarket now places the probability of a 25 bps Fed rate cut on Sept. 17 at 81% (read: Less-Than-Expected Inflation in July: Growth ETFs to Gain?).

Small-cap companies are more debt-dependent than their mega-cap counterparts, meaning lower interest rates directly reduce their borrowing costs. Rate cuts also tend to stimulate domestic growth—a key revenue driver for smaller firms.

Rotation Potential: From Mega-Cap Tech to Small Caps

High rates have kept small caps out of favor, but with Nasdaq valuations looking rich and the Russell 2000 still trading at reasonable levels, a rotation could be in the cards. If overbought tech takes a breather, small caps may be up for a rally.

In terms of book value, the S&P 500 is trading at five times book value compared to only two times for the Russell 2000. These valuation differences indicate that small-cap stocks are currently undervalued, per a CME Group article.

Rising Small-Cap Business Optimism

The Small Business Optimism Index, as reported by the NFIB, increased by 1.7 points in July to reach 100.3, slightly surpassing the index’s long-term average of 98. The rise was fueled by improved business conditions and greater belief in the potential for business expansion.

Despite the positive outlook, there is still a substantial level of uncertainty, as indicated by an 8-point spike in the uncertainty index, which now stands at 97.

Earnings Growth to Resume in 2025?

For the S&P 600 index, we now have Q2 results from 154 index members. Total earnings for these companies are up 6.6% from the same period last year on 5.8% higher revenues, with 76.0% beating EPS estimates and 73.4% beating revenue estimates, per the Earnings Trends issued on July 29, 2025.

The Q3 earnings of the S&P 600 companies are likely to increase 23.2% on 3.7% higher revenues. Overall, the S&P 600 is expected to log 10.8% earnings growth in 2025, 17.5% growth in 2026 and 11.2% growth in 2027.

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Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM): ETF Research Reports

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

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44.

Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell Wednesday as Inflation Cooldown Favors Rate Cut Bets

2025-08-13 12:36:23 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was up 0.2% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.3% higher in Wednesday's premarket activity after July's cooler-than-anticipated inflation readings triggered fresh hopes of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut.

US stock futures were also higher, with S&P 500 Index futures up 0.2%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures advancing 0.3%, and Nasdaq futures gaining 0.3% before the start of regular trading.

US mortgage applications rose 10.9% in the week ended Aug. 8 as falling rates fueled a 23% rise in refinancing and a modest gain in purchase activity, Mortgage Bankers Association data showed Wednesday.

The weekly EIA domestic petroleum inventories report will be released at 10:30 am ET.

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic are slated to speak on Wednesday.

In premarket action, bitcoin advanced by 0.8%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.7% higher, Ether ETF (EETH) gained 3.6%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was up 0.01%.

Power Play:

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) was up 0.3%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.3% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was inactive. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was up 0.6%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.6%.

Sapiens International (SPNS) shares were up more than 43% in recent premarket activity after the company said it agreed to be acquired by private equity investor Advent in an all-cash deal for $43.50 per common share, or about $2.50 billion.

Winners and Losers:

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was inactive, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up by 0.1%.

ProFrac Holding (ACDC) stock was down more than 29% before Wednesday's opening bell after the company said it priced its public offering of 18.75 million Class A common shares at $4 each for expected gross proceeds of about $75 million.

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was down 0.1%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) fell 1.3%. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) gained 0.2%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was marginally lower by 0.02%.

Hanesbrands (HBI) shares were down more than 3% pre-bell after the company agreed to be acquired by Gildan Activewear (GIL) for an implied equity value of about $2.20 billion. Gildan stock was down nearly 1%.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.3%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was up 0.9%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.9% lower.

Marex Group (MRX) shares were up more than 8% pre-bell Wednesday after the company reported higher Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI) advanced 0.2% while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) was inactive and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was up 0.1%.

Elbit Systems (ESLT) stock was up more than 6% before the opening bell. The company reported higher Q2 financial results and said it received a $1.64 billion contract to provide defense services to an unspecified European country.

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.4%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was up 0.6% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was inactive. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was inactive.

ARS Pharmaceuticals (SPRY) stock was down nearly 1% premarket after the company reported a wider Q2 net loss.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.5% at $62.87 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas retreated 0.4% to $2.80 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) was down 0.5%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was up 0.5%

Gold futures for December gained 0.4% to reach $3,411.40 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were up 1.6% at $38.60 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) advanced 0.4%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 1.8% higher.

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45.

Trump Selects EJ Antoni To Lead The Bureau Of Labor Statistics

2025-08-12 17:39:15 by Undercovered Deep Insights from GuruFocus.com

U.S. President Donald Trump tapped EJ Antoni, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, saying on Truth Social that he wants numbers that are honest and accurate. The job requires Senate confirmation.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with INTC.

The move comes after Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on August 1 following a weak July jobs report and downward revisions to the prior two months. Antoni has been outspoken about BLS methods and revisions, so expect tough questions on data independence, seasonal adjustments and how he would handle future revisions if confirmed.

Economists across the spectrum quickly defended McEntarfer and the BLS, calling the agency a gold standard for apolitical statistics. Critics warn that politicizing labor data could erode investor trust, complicate Federal Reserve communication and inject more volatility into payrolls days if market participants start doubting the goalposts.

credible labor data anchors rate expectations, equity risk premia and Treasury pricing. Even minor doubts can move markets.the nomination puts BLS governance in the spotlight. Watch the Senate process and the next jobs reports for any sign of methodological shifts.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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46.

Exchange-Traded Funds, US Equities Climb After Midday

2025-08-12 17:11:51 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were higher. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was up 1%.

US equity indexes jumped Tuesday, with the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 hitting record highs as inflation data for July sent bets in favor of an interest-rate cut in September soaring.

Energy

iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) were 0.7% higher.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rose 1.1%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) also moved higher.

SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) gained 4.1%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) was 2.8% up.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) added 1.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) climbed 3.1%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), declined 3.5%.

Commodities

Crude oil lost 1.2%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) was down 1.1%. Natural gas dropped 5.2%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) shed 6.1%.

Gold dipped 0.2% on Comex, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell 0.1%. Silver rose 0.6%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) added 0.8%.

Consumer

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) rose 0.1%; Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) and the iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) were mixed, with the latter slipping 0.1%.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) gained 0.8%, and VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) also moved higher.

Health Care

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) added 0.3%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) were also up. iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 1.2%.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) gained 0.9%. Vanguard Industrials (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were also rising.

Cryptocurrency

In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 0.4%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) added 0.5%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) climbed 4.5%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) added 1.7%.

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47.

IVZ's July AUM Rises on Solid Market & Inflows: Will the Upside Last?

2025-08-12 15:07:00 by Zacks Equity Research from Zacks

Invesco’s IVZ preliminary assets under management (AUM) for July 2025 were $2.02 trillion, up 1.2% from the previous month. The rise reflected the positive impact of market (AUM up by $22 billion) and long-term net inflows of $5.8 billion, partially offset by unfavorable FX market (AUM down by $8.5 billion).

Invesco’s preliminary average total AUM in the quarter through July 31 was $2.03 trillion, and the preliminary average active AUM came in at $1.1 trillion.

At the end of July, Invesco’s AUM under ETFs & Index Strategies was $559 billion, up 2.2% from the previous month. Also, Global Liquidity AUM was $200.5 billion, up 2.1% sequentially. Further, China JV & India AUM rose 2.9% from June 2025 to $123.7 billion. AUM under Multi-Asset/Other was $64.5 billion, increasing marginally from the previous month’s end. QQQ’s AUM was $360.6 billion, which grew 2.2%.

On the other hand, in July, the Fundamental Fixed Income AUM of $298.5 billion declined 1% from the previous month. Fundamental Equities AUM was $287 billion, down marginally from June 2025-end, while Private Markets AUM decreased marginally to $130.7 billion.

IVZ has been recording a consistent rise in its AUM balance. Over the last five years (ending 2024), the company’s AUM saw a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5%, with the uptrend continuing in the first six months of fiscal 2025. In April 2025, the company collaborated with MassMutual’s subsidiary, Barings, to boost private credit offerings. Moreover, the 2019 acquisition of OppenheimerFunds resulted in a substantial rise in the company's AUM. Invesco has also been capitalizing on the growing demand for passive products, which constituted 45.7% of total AUM as of June 30, 2025.

Invesco’s efforts to diversify its business into asset classes that are seeing growing client demand are expected to propel AUM growth.

IVZ’s Competitors Witnessing AUM Growth

Invesco’s peers like Franklin Resources, Inc. BEN and T. Rowe Price TROW have also been witnessing steady AUM growth.

Franklin reported its preliminary AUM of $1.62 trillion for July 2025, reflecting a marginal rise from the prior month on the back of the positive impact of markets and stable preliminary long-term net inflows (inclusive of $3 billion of long-term net outflows at Western Asset Management).

Franklin has been recording a consistent rise in its AUM balance. Over the last five fiscal years (ending fiscal 2024), the company’s AUM saw a CAGR of 3.1%, with the uptrend continuing in the first nine months of fiscal 2025. Strategic acquisitions have been supporting AUM growth.

T. Rowe Price’s diversified AUM across various asset classes, client bases and geographies offers support. The company’s AUM balance witnessed a CAGR of 2.3% over the past four years (2020-2024), with the uptrend continuing in the first half of this year. A strong brand, consistent investment track record, and decent business volumes are expected to keep supporting T. Rowe Price’s AUM growth in the upcoming period.

IVZ’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimate Analysis

Shares of Invesco have rallied 17% so far in 2025 against the industry’s marginal decline.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, IVZ trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 9.89, well below the industry average.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Invesco’s 2025 earnings indicates a year-over-year rise of 4.7%, whereas the same for 2026 suggests growth of 25.5%. Over the past 30 days, earnings estimates for both years have been revised upward.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Invesco currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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Invesco Ltd. (IVZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

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48.

Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Tuesday Ahead of Key Inflation Reading

2025-08-12 12:26:59 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.04% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.1% lower in Tuesday's premarket activity as investors await the July inflation data.

US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.1%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.1%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.1% before the start of regular trading.

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose to 100.3 in July, its highest since February and up from 98.6 in June and 93.7 a year earlier.

The Consumer Price Index report for July is scheduled to be released at 8:30 am ET.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin is slated to speak at 10 am ET, while Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid speaks at 10:30 am ET.

In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 0.5%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.6% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) was flat, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) declined by 0.02%.

Power Play:

Consumer

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) was up 0.3%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Fund (VDC) was 0.1% higher. The iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was inactive, and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) gained 0.2%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) were inactive

On Holding (ONON) shares were up more than 12% pre-bell after the company raised its 2025 net sales guidance.

Winners and Losers:

Energy

The iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was down 0.04%, while the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was 0.1% lower.

Venture Global (VG) stock was up more than 7% before Tuesday's opening bell after the company reported higher Q2 net income and revenue.

Health Care

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) advanced 0.1%. The Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was up by 0.01% while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) gained 0.04%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was inactive.

Valneva (VALN) stock was up more than 8% premarket after the company reported higher H1 revenue.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) retreated 0.1%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.01% lower, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 0.5%. Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was inactive, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) rose by 0.1%.

Intel (INTC) shares were up more than 3% in recent premarket activity after President Donald Trump said on social media that he met with CEO Lip-Bu Tan, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI), the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) were inactive.

SPX Technologies (SPXC) stock was down more than 4% before the opening bell after the company said late Monday it plans to offer $500 million worth of common shares in an underwritten public offering.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) advanced 0.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 0.04%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 0.4% lower.

Virtus Investment Partners (VRTS) shares were up nearly 1% pre-bell after the company reported higher preliminary assets under management as of July 31.

Commodities

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.6% at $63.55 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas retreated 0.5% to $2.94 per 1 million British Thermal Units. United States Oil Fund (USO) was down 0.8%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) fell 1.3%

Gold futures for December retreated 0.4% to $3,392.80 an ounce on the Comex, while silver futures were down nearly 0.1% at $37.75 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) declined by 0.2%, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was 0.2% higher.

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49.

Is the Invesco QQQ Trust Your Ticket to Becoming a Millionaire?

2025-08-12 08:31:00 by Reuben Gregg Brewer, The Motley Fool from Motley Fool

Key Points

• The Invesco QQQ Trust tracks the 100 largest nonfinancial stocks on the Nasdaq exchange.

• The ETF has handily outdistanced the returns of the S&P 500 index.

• But it can be hard to own when times get tough.

• 10 stocks we like better than Invesco QQQ Trust ›

The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) has turned a $10,000 investment at its inception in March 1999 into $125,000. Its returns handily outdistance the performance of the S&P 500 index over that span.

Given that backdrop, it seems like this could be the millionaire-maker investment that you've been looking for! But don't rush out to buy it -- there are some pretty big caveats to consider.

What does the Invesco QQQ Trust do?

The Invesco QQQ Trust is an index-tracking exchange-traded fund (ETF). The index it follows is the Nasdaq 100. They can pretty much be seen as interchangeable from an investment standpoint.

The Nasdaq 100 is a fairly simple index, made up of the 100 largest nonfinancial stocks on the Nasdaq exchange. Holdings are weighted by market cap, so the largest holdings have the largest impact on performance.

While simple to understand, the ETF has also managed to put up very impressive performance numbers. Notably, the S&P 500 index has risen around 660% (assuming dividends were reinvested) since early March 1999, while the Invesco QQQ's total return was a huge 1,100% or so. It is very difficult to beat the S&P 500 index, but the Invesco fund seems to have achieved the feat.

But don't buy this ETF just yet -- there are some things you need to know before you start putting your money at risk.

The problems with the Invesco QQQ Trust

For starters, the ETF does exactly what it sets out to do. So if you want to track the Nasdaq 100 index, well, it's a great choice. And while the expense ratio of 0.20% is a bit high for an ETF, it isn't outlandish when you compare the cost to the long-term performance.

But the long-term performance is where the biggest problems lie. For starters, the Nasdaq is home to some of the best-known technology companies. Tech companies have a long history of being volatile, going through boom-and-bust periods heavily influenced by investor sentiment. Technology currently makes up roughly 60% of the Invesco QQQ Trust's assets, so this is an ETF that is heavily reliant on tech.

The concentration risk here is even worse than it seems. Every one of the top 10 holdings is a technology stock. And the top 10 positions account for just over 50% of the fund's assets.

Here's the thing: The Invesco QQQ Trust's performance has been particularly strong over the last few years and almost entirely because of a small number of large technology stocks. This should be a big problem for more conservative investors.

Which brings the story to the drawdown risk. The last time technology stocks were as hot as they are today was during the dot.com boom at the turn of the century. The Invesco QQQ Trust was created just before the boom turned into a bust. During that technology downturn, it lost over 80% of its value. And it took over a decade for the price of the ETF to get back to breakeven.

It seems highly likely that the ETF will provide strong long-term returns. But that means you need to hold on for the long term, which can be very difficult if you are staring at losses of 80% and years of languishing performance. The risk here, meanwhile, is likely to be highest if you buy into the fund while it is drastically outperforming the S&P 500 index, as it is today.

Go in understanding the risks and your investment time frame

Could the Invesco QQQ Trust be a millionaire-maker investment? Sure, the inherent focus on strongly performing technology stocks is likely to work out well over the long term. However, the huge drawdown risk here should probably result in conservative investors avoiding this ETF.

And even if you are an aggressive investor, you need to understand that "long term" here could mean you need to own it for decades. That includes sticking out periods in which technology falls deeply out of favor.

Should you buy stock in Invesco QQQ Trust right now?

Before you buy stock in Invesco QQQ Trust, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Invesco QQQ Trust wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,119,863!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

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*Stock Advisor returns as of August 11, 2025

Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Is the Invesco QQQ Trust Your Ticket to Becoming a Millionaire? was originally published by The Motley Fool

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50.

Exchange-Traded Funds Edge Higher, US Equities Mixed After Midday

2025-08-11 17:18:20 by MT Newswires from MT Newswires

Broad Market Indicators

Broad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were fractionally higher. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was up 0.2%.

US equity indexes and government bond yields traded mixed after midday on Monday as investors weighed geopolitical risks ahead of July's inflation data.

Energy

iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) were about 0.6% down.

Technology

Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rose 0.1%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) also moved higher.

SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) gained 0.5%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) was 0.8% up.

Financial

Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) shed 0.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) dipped 0.5%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), rose 0.4%.

Commodities

Crude oil rose 0.2%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) was up 0.9%. Natural gas fell 1.2%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) shed 1.9%.

Gold was down 2.5% on Comex, and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell 1.7%. Silver declined 2%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) slipped 1.9%.

Consumer

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) fell 0.4%; Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) and the iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) also moved lower.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) gained 0.4%, and VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) were mixed, with the latter rising 0.3%.

Health Care

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) added 0.1%, and iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) were also higher. iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) shed 0.4%.

Industrial

Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) fell 0.4%. Vanguard Industrials (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were also in the red.

Cryptocurrency

In midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 1.2%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) added 3.2%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) climbed 6.4%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) rose 4.1%.