Trade Tracker: Kevin Simpson sells a covered call on Microsoft
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jim Cramer Says Don't Quit Market When It's Frothy: 'Is Widespread Irrationality a Reason To Sell Down in Perfectly Rational Stocks? Absolutely Not'
In the face of a frothy market, financial expert Jim Cramer encourages investors to stay the course, highlighting numerous positive stock narratives that counterbalance the market's irrationality. What Happened: Cramer made a case last week, asserting that the current market conditions are far removed from the dotcom bubble burst of the late 90s. He emphasized that despite the froth, today's market is more rational. Cramer drew attention to the irrationality in recent IPOs like Circle, Figma, and Bullish, which have witnessed significant gains since their launch. On CNBC, he also noted Oklo Inc., a firm with ambitions to construct a compact nuclear reactor powered by nuclear waste, whose stock has surged 247% year-to-date. 'Flying cars, supercharged crypto ETFs, secretive companies that consult in magical ways, all irrational. I could go on and on,' Cramer said. 'Is the widespread irrationality a reason to sell down your positions in perfectly rational stocks? Absolutely not.' Also Read: Jim Cramer Has Blunt Message for Fed Chair Powell After July Job Numbers Tanked On the other hand, Cramer pointed to Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) as instances of rationality. Amazon's stock climbed by 3% after the introduction of same-day fresh food delivery in over 1,000 U.S. cities and towns. Eli Lilly's stock also experienced a boost when a team from the pharmaceutical company's management and board of directors purchased stock on the open market. 'Sure, there's froth, but there are also perfectly legitimate moves in the stocks of great companies. I am calling this the year of magical thinking, but the truth is you can't get the runs in the good ones without the runs in the bad ones,' Cramer added. Read Next Short Seller Slams Jim Cramer Over Palantir, Accuses Him Of Hyping 'High-Multiple, Hype-Driven Narrative' Image: Shutterstock/katz Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report ELI LILLY (LLY): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Jim Cramer Says Don't Quit Market When It's Frothy: 'Is Widespread Irrationality a Reason To Sell Down in Perfectly Rational Stocks? Absolutely Not' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Best equal-weight index funds
One of the most common and best pieces of investment advice is to invest in a low-cost S&P 500 index fund. These funds allow investors to participate in the long-term growth of the economy by purchasing a diversified basket of stocks at a low cost. But recently some investors have raised concerns about the increased concentration of market indexes like the S&P 500. The S&P 500 is a market-cap weighted index, which means the highest-valued companies make up the largest weights in the index. Due to the strong performance of a handful of large tech companies such as Nvidia and Microsoft (MSFT), just seven companies account for more than 30 percent of the S&P 500, as of August 2025. Invest in Gold American Hartford Gold: #1 Precious Metals Dealer in the Nation Priority Gold: Up to $15k in Free Silver + Zero Account Fees on Qualifying Purchase Thor Metals Group: Best Overall Gold IRA Equal-weight index funds are a way to combat this concentration risk. Equal-weight funds hold an equal proportion of each stock that makes up an index, rather than their corresponding index weights. For example, Nvidia (NVDA) is the largest company in the S&P 500 based on market value, as of August 2025. Nvidia accounts for 7.7 percent of the S&P 500 as of August 2025. However, in an equal-weight S&P 500 index fund, Nvidia would account for just 0.2 percent of the fund, the same weighting as the other roughly 500 stocks in the fund because each holding is in equal proportion. Investors may choose to buy an equal-weight fund as a way to reduce their exposure to the largest companies or boost their positions in smaller stocks in the index. If you're concerned about the level of concentration in the S&P 500, equal-weight funds are a way to manage that risk. Top equal-weight index funds Here are some of the top equal-weight index funds to consider for your portfolio. *Fund data as of August 14, 2025. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF tracks an equal weight S&P 500 index and is rebalanced quarterly. The fund increases exposure to smaller companies and reduces concentration risk, relative to market-cap weighted indexes. 5-year returns (annualized): 13 percent Expense ratio: 0.20 percent Assets under management: $72.4 billion Dividend yield: 1.6 percent Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSEW) The Goldman Sachs Equal Weight U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF tracks an index that equal weights the largest U.S. stocks and is rebalanced monthly. The fund aims to benefit from a broad range of market environments and reduce exposure to 'isolated market incidents.' 5-year returns (annualized): 12.5 percent Expense ratio: 0.09 percent Assets under management: $1.3 billion Dividend yield: 1.5 percent Invesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight ETF (EQAL) The Invesco Russell 1000 Equal Weight ETF is based on the Russell 1000 Equal Weight Index and is rebalanced quarterly. The fund is equally weighted across 11 sectors and each holding is equally weighted within each sector. 5-year returns (annualized): 10.8 percent Expense ratio: 0.20 percent Assets under management: $672.4 million Dividend yield: 1.7 percent Direxion Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Shares (QQQE) The Direxion Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Shares aims to track the performance of the Nasdaq-100 Equal Weight Index. The Nasdaq 100 includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq. Initial weightings are set at one percent and rebalanced quarterly. 5-year returns (annualized): 10.9 percent Expense ratio: 0.35 percent Assets under management: $1.2 billion Dividend yield: 0.6 percent iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF (EUSA) The iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF aims to track the performance of an equal weighted index of U.S. stocks. The fund offers more exposure to mid-cap stocks and reduces the bias toward the largest companies. More than 500 stocks are held in the fund. 5-year returns (annualized): 12.2 percent Expense ratio: 0.09 percent Assets under management: $1.6 billion Dividend yield: 1.5 percent First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF (EDOW) The First Trust Dow 30 Equal Weight ETF aims to track the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average Equal Weight Index. The fund holds the 30 stocks that comprise the Dow, but holds them in equal weights, whereas the Dow is price-weighted, meaning the highest priced stocks account for the largest percentage of the index. 5-year returns (annualized): 11.7 percent Expense ratio: 0.50 percent Assets under management: $221.5 million Dividend yield: 1.4 percent Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation. 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
Gizmodo
4 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Microsoft Probing Whether Israel Used Its Cloud to Build Palestinian Surveillance System
For the past two years, Microsoft has been dogged by accusations—both within and outside the company—that its technology is aiding the Israeli war effort. Microsoft's own employees have protested the firm's contracts with Israel, and protesters have disrupted the company's various talks and conferences. Even the company's 50th anniversary was ruined by shouts from one of its own employees, who reportedly yelled 'Shame on you' while calling the company's head of AI a 'war profiteer' who was 'using AI for genocide.' Now, the company claims it's launched an 'urgent' probe into whether its cloud business is being used by Israel to conduct a massive surveillance operation in Gaza. The company's announcement comes on the heels of a report published by The Guardian, which claims that Unit 8200, Israel's shadowy intelligence agency, had been using Microsoft's Azure cloud servers. The report claimed that, as part of a deal with Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, the spy unit had been granted access to a 'customised and segregated area within Microsoft's Azure cloud platform.' The siloed cloud setup was ultimately used to build a 'sweeping and intrusive system' designed to collect and store 'recordings of millions of mobile phone calls made each day by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,' the report claimed. On Friday, Microsoft told The Guardian: 'Microsoft appreciates that the Guardian's recent report raises additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review.' The review of Microsoft's dealings with Israel will be overseen by attorneys at the law firm Covington & Burling, the outlet wrote. Gizmodo reached out to Microsoft for more information. In a statement previously shared with The Guardian, the company said that, if Israel is 'using Azure for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank,' it would represent a violation of its terms of service. This is the second legal probe Microsoft has opened into its relationship with the Israeli government. The prior probe took place earlier this year, after its employees' protests. In May, Microsoft released a report in which it claimed to have found 'no evidence to date that Microsoft's Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza.' Other big tech firms—most notably Amazon and Google—have also been accused of complicity in Israel's military efforts. In July, a U.N. group released a report that claimed that Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon grant Israel virtually government-wide access to their cloud and artificial intelligence technologies, enhancing data processing, decision-making, and surveillance and analysis capacities.'
