China Services Sector Gauge Slips to Lowest Since September
A private gauge of China's services sector signaled that activity slowed in April, as rising trade tension hurt new orders and market sentiment.
The Caixin services purchasing managers index dropped to 50.7 in April from 51.9 in March, Caixin Media Co. and S&P Global said Tuesday.
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1 Top Vanguard ETF That Could Turn $50,000 Into $542,000 in 25 Years
The Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF invests in the top growth stocks in the country. The ETF has soundly beaten the S&P 500 in recent years. There's still a lot more growth on the horizon, particularly in tech, due to artificial intelligence. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF › Generating a 10x return in the stock market doesn't have to be difficult -- if you're willing to be patient. By investing your money into a solid exchange-traded fund (ETF) and letting it grow, you can position yourself for some excellent gains, thanks to the effects of compounding. One of the better ETFs to hold for the long haul is the Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF (NYSEMKT: VUG). As its name suggests, it holds growth stocks, and that has yielded some impressive returns for investors in recent years. Here's why this can be a great investment to hang on to, and why over a period of 25 years it could turn a $50,000 investment into $542,000. The Vanguard Growth ETF can be an ideal fund to pile money into, simply because it'll give you exposure to many of the best growth stocks in the world. It specifically focuses on top U.S. stocks, which can be important if you want to limit international exposure. As of April 30, there were 166 stocks in the ETF, which gives you some excellent diversification. And at the same time, it's not overly diverse where top holdings account for just tiny pieces of its overall net assets. With an expense ratio of only 0.04%, you'll also barely get hit with any fees from this fund. Fees can add up significantly with an ETF, especially as your investment rises in value, which is why this Vanguard fund can be an excellent option to hang on to for years as it'll allow you to keep the vast majority of your gains. In recent years, the Vanguard Growth ETF has been a market-beating investment to hold on to. And when you consider that the majority (57%) of its holdings are in tech stocks, which have been red hot of late due to the boom in artificial intelligence (AI), that should come as little surprise. Tech giants Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft are its three largest holdings. Together, they make up more than 31% of the ETF's overall net assets. As these companies invest in AI and continue to grow their operations, there can be more gains ahead for them. While their valuations are undoubtedly high and there may be a period of slowdown in the future, especially amid worries of a recession and trade war on the horizon, the ETF still has the potential to outperform the broader market in the long run. Even if you assume that the ETF slows down and merely does as well as the S&P 500 -- its historical average is an annual return of 10% -- that can still be sufficient to turn your investment into more than 10x its original value. If you invest $50,000 into the ETF today and it grows by an average of 10% for 25 years, it'll grow to be worth approximately $542,000. Future returns are never a guarantee, but historically, growth stocks have generated fantastic gains for investors, and with this ETF, you can gain exposure to the best of the best. Regardless of where you think the market may be headed in the short term, as long as you're willing to hang on for the long haul, it's not likely you'll go wrong by investing in the Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF. This can be a solid investment to build your portfolio around for decades. Before you buy stock in Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF 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 $653,702!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $870,207!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 988% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool 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. 1 Top Vanguard ETF That Could Turn $50,000 Into $542,000 in 25 Years was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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26 minutes ago
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I tried 2 ways of investing in bitcoin. One thrived and one failed miserably, teaching me a valuable lesson.
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an hour ago
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Boeing Dreamliner crash, military escalations darken mood at Paris Air Show
Kelly Ortberg's first Paris Air Show as Boeing CEO was set to be relatively upbeat. Under his leadership that began in August, the company has made strides in ramping up production of its bestselling 737 Max jets, increasing cash-generating deliveries of new planes, and indicating that it's turning a corner from a series of manufacturing and safety crises and years of lost ground to rival Airbus. Shares are up more than 13% this year, outpacing the S&P 500. But after an Air India flight crashed on Thursday, marking the first fatal air disaster of a Boeing Dreamliner, Ortberg canceled plans to go to the massive air show that begins on Sunday. The trade event is a big draw for the industry and is held every other year, alternating with the Farnborough Air Show in the U.K. Boeing, Airbus and other aerospace giants host champagne-flowing parties, hold flashy deal-signing ceremonies with executives flanked by model planes, and show off their new aircraft with extreme maneuvers for spectators below. "As our industry prepares to start the Paris Air Show, Stephanie and I have both canceled plans to attend so we can be with our team, and focus on our customer and the investigation," Ortberg said in a note to employees late Thursday, referring to Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope. All but one of the 242 people aboard Air India Flight 171 were killed when the more than 11-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that was headed for London on a sweltering day crashed into a medical student dining hall seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad in western India. The sole survivor was an India-born British national in seat 11A. The cause of the crash is unknown and will take weeks or months to determine. Questions focus on how the plane so quickly and evenly lost altitude, appearing to glide into a fireball crash. Cockpit voice and data recorders, known as "black boxes," will provide key information. "It is important that we do not speculate about the accident and let the investigators do their work," Ortberg wrote. The plane's engine maker, GE Aerospace, said it will postpone an investor day scheduled for Tuesday. The crash isn't the only outside factor changing the gathering in Paris. Shortly before the Paris Air Show was set to begin, Israel launched overnight missile strikes on Iran. Hours later, Iran launched drones toward Israeli territory. Airlines canceled flights, with jets in the air diverting or returning to their destinations, while hundreds of others skirted the airspace. The escalating tensions will make military budgets and spending an even bigger focus for the air show, but they also raise concerns about how conflicts and geopolitical tensions could impact demand for commercial air travel. Despite the crash and other external concerns, Boeing, Airbus and Embraer are expected to lock in hundreds of airplane orders. Wait times for popular new aircraft models already stretch into the next decade with demand still strong. Boeing forecast on Saturday that the world will need 43,600 commercial airplanes over the next two decades, with emerging markets driving growth. It expects those markets will account for more than half of the world's fleet in 2044, up from a 40% share last year. Some of the order signings could come from previously undisclosed customers, though there are many new orders on the line, aviation analysts say. Ongoing issues, such as a lack of trained workers, have delayed deliveries of new planes, while on-again, off-again tariffs have raised concerns about more expensive aircraft and components. Pricing has also firmed up. A new Airbus A321neo was going for $65 million as of the end of April, up from $58 million at the start of 2023, while a new Boeing 737 Max 8 cost about $55.5 million in April, compared with $50.25 million in early 2023, according to Ishka an aviation data and advisory firm. With aircraft still in short supply, lease rates are also going up for older planes for airlines that prefer not to make multimillion-dollar aircraft purchases up front or that might need them for shorter time periods. A 12-year-old Boeing 737 costs $241,000 a month to rent as of the end of April, up nearly 42% from two years earlier, and an Airbus A320 of the same age was $239,000 a month, a 50% gain, according to IBA Insight, another aviation data firm. U.K.-based IBA predicted manufacturers could see between 700 and 800 commercial aircraft orders during the Paris show, a tally that includes firm orders, options, and looser commitments like purchase intention letters and memoranda of understanding. Customers could include Ethiopian Airlines and Polish carrier Lot, as well as Vietnam Airlines, AirAsia, Royal Air Maroc, Etihad and Saudi carrier Riyadh, said Ishka. "A large deal from China is inevitable sometime, for replacement if not growth reasons," Ishka said in a note last week. Air India, which Ishka had previously listed as a potential customer, was no longer expected to buy new planes given last week's tragedy. Airplane customers are going bigger as international travel continues to bring in money. "It used to be all about single-aisle orders," said Richard Aboulafia, managing director at aerospace consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory. Now, "everyone is booking these monster twin-aisle orders for international traffic." He said major international airlines like Turkish Airlines, Gulf carriers and others have expanded in recent years, competing for more global travelers, "slicing the pizza into smaller pieces." Since orders are placed years in advance, Aboulafia said he doesn't expect a big impact on demand because of the crash, though some might be held back during the show. "It's a terrible tragedy. It doesn't make anyone's lives easier," he said. "I just don't think given what we know now it has anything to do with the design or the build of the airplane. It sure doesn't look like it."
