Latest news with #SPDRETF
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Consumer Confidence Surges in May: ETFs to Gain
Consumer sentiment got a strong boost in May, thanks to optimism over easing trade tensions between the United States and China. According to a survey released on May 27, 2025 by The Conference Board, the Consumer Confidence Index jumped to 98.0, marking a 12.3-point increase from April. This figure also far exceeded the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 86.0, as quoted on CNBC. The primary driver of the surge was the progress in U.S.-China trade negotiations. President Donald Trump's decision on May 12 to halt severe tariffs appears to have reassured consumers. The May uptick follows five consecutive months of declining consumer confidence, a trend fueled by the escalating trade war initiated by President Trump. China was a key focus of U.S. tariff actions until both sides reached a temporary truce in early May. Other components of the survey also showed improvement. The Present Situation Index climbed to 135.9, up 4.8 points. The Expectations Index surged to 72.8, an increase of 17.4 points. Investor sentiment improved as well, with 44% now expecting stock prices to rise over the next 12 months, compared to 37.6% in April. Perceptions of the labor market also improved: about 19.2% of respondents expect more job availability in the next six months (up from 13.9%). Those expecting fewer jobs fell to 26.6% (from 32.4%). A slightly increased 31.8% said jobs are 'plentiful.' Against this backdrop, both consumer discretionary and staples-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) should benefit. These ETFs include Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund XLY, Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF VCR, Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF FDIS, SPDR S&P Retail ETF XRT, Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund XLP, iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF IYC and iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF IYK. 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 Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP): ETF Research Reports SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT): ETF Research Reports Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY): ETF Research Reports Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR): ETF Research Reports iShares U.S. Consumer Staples ETF (IYK): ETF Research Reports Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (FDIS): ETF Research Reports iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF (IYC): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vanguard ETF poised to overtake State Street's fund as world's biggest
By Suzanne McGee (Reuters) - Vanguard Group's Standard & Poor's 500 ETF is on the edge of finally seizing the title of the world's largest exchange-traded fund from rival State Street Global Advisors' product, the SPDR S&P 500 Trust, according to data from FactSet, LSEG and other sources. As of late Friday, the State Street fund was still clinging to the lead, with $633.1 billion in assets compared with $631.8 billion for the Vanguard ETF. That gap, however, has been narrowing consistently in recent months. Final data for inflows into both ETFs will not be available until later on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, FactSet and others said. Analysts at Citi Research tracking monthly flows into and out of exchange-traded funds reported earlier this month that SPY had $19.4 billion in outflows, accounting for 25.7% of all U.S. equity ETF outflows. Meanwhile, the Vanguard ETF raked in 12.9% of all inflows in January, for a total of $21.3 billion. The SPDR ETF, launched in 1993, was the first U.S. exchange-traded fund. It has reigned as the largest U.S. stock ETF ever since and remains the first choice of hedge funds and traders who prize its liquidity and tight trading spreads. But Vanguard's lower-fee challenger, launched in 2010, won admirers among financial advisors and retail investors interested in paring costs to the bone. "SPY's transition from being primarily an investment tool to more of a trading vehicle has made flows more volatile," said Ryan Jackson, senior analyst of passive strategies at Morningstar. The ETF industry has also undergone massive changes, with the three biggest firms in the U.S. industry - BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street - coming under siege from relative newcomers. "There is now more of a fight for market share," said Anna Paglia, who last year left her post as global head of ETFs at Invesco to join State Street as executive vice president and chief business officer. "SPY does keep growing in size because it's still the most traded ETF in the world," Paglia told Reuters. She added that flows into and out of SPY tend to be seasonal in nature and that outflows early in the year are "not unforeseen." Moreover, Paglia said flows into a retail-focused S&P 500, the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF remain robust. According to the recent Citi Research report, this ETF - a "mini" version of SPY launched in 2005 designed to appeal to retail investors and with fees of only 0.02% - was the fifth-largest ETF in terms of inflows for January, attracting $3.2 billion. "We don't look at SPY in isolation," Paglia told Reuters. "We look at the ecosystem." That does not alter the reality that Vanguard's ETF may have finally toppled its State Street rival, said Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi. "State Street remains a dominant player in the ETF universe, but these are two different products."
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysts Predict Gold to Reach $3,200 Later This Year
Gold prices have already increased 10 percent in 2025 to $2,900 (£2,300), but UBS has upgraded its target price for the precious metal again. UBS analyst Joni Teves said gold has had 'unprecedented market dislocations' and reached a record high in 2024, but it's only expected to move higher in 2025. Teves explained that the gold market is currently experiencing 'deep-rooted bullish sentiment,' with the metal seen as a safe-haven asset amid a highly uncertain and volatile macro environment. 'After missing several buying opportunities in 2024, investors are likely wary of repeating the same patterns and may want to take advantage of corrections sooner this time around,' she said. Teves added that with uncertainty regarding tariffs, worries that stagflation may rear its head again, and continued global conflicts, the 'safe haven' of gold is likely to benefit. In addition, UBS expects stronger-than-expected official sector demand, such as through China's pilot programme, which allows insurance companies to invest in gold, which provides important support to the market. The bank's new forecasts predict that gold will climb to $3,200 later this year, then ease down slowly, ending 2025 above $3,000. UBS noted a continued lack of investor positioning toward the precious metal, 'suggesting plenty of scope to add gold to portfolios.' Alec Cutler, director at Orbis Investments, explained that despite the surging price of gold, Western investors have largely avoided rushing into the asset class. 'The number of iShares and SPDR ETF investors has been dropping for the last two years… meaning gold's rally so far is being driven by central banks and Asian investors,' he told City AM. He said that the strong returns of the Magnificent Seven, as well as the attractiveness of crypto, had been holding investors back from gold, but this would likely shift throughout the year. Therefore, Cutler predicted that gold's rally would accelerate further once Western investors began investing in it. Meanwhile, the UBS analysts kept their forecasts for other precious metals, like silver and platinum, unchanged. While the analysts said the other metals have the potential to outperform gold from their current levels, silver suffers from higher volatility and lower investor conviction, while platinum interest could 'stay muted' due to liquidity issues, leaving them reluctant to shift expectations. By City AM More Top Reads From this article on
Reuters
18-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Vanguard ETF poised to overtake State Street's fund as world's biggest
Feb 18 (Reuters) - Vanguard Group's Standard & Poor's 500 ETF (VOO.P), opens new tab is on the edge of finally seizing the title of the world's largest exchange-traded fund from rival State Street Global Advisors' product, the SPDR S&P 500 Trust (SPY.P), opens new tab, according to data from FactSet, LSEG and other sources. As of late Friday, the State Street fund was still clinging to the lead, with $633.1 billion in assets compared with $631.8 billion for the Vanguard ETF. That gap, however, has been narrowing consistently in recent months. Final data for inflows into both ETFs will not be available until later on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, FactSet and others said. Analysts at Citi Research tracking monthly flows into and out of exchange-traded funds reported earlier this month that SPY had $19.4 billion in outflows, accounting for 25.7% of all U.S. equity ETF outflows. Meanwhile, the Vanguard ETF raked in 12.9% of all inflows in January, for a total of $21.3 billion. The SPDR ETF, launched in 1993, was the first U.S. exchange-traded fund. It has reigned as the largest U.S. stock ETF ever since and remains the first choice of hedge funds and traders who prize its liquidity and tight trading spreads. But Vanguard's lower-fee challenger, launched in 2010, won admirers among financial advisors and retail investors interested in paring costs to the bone. "SPY's transition from being primarily an investment tool to more of a trading vehicle has made flows more volatile," said Ryan Jackson, senior analyst of passive strategies at Morningstar. The ETF industry has also undergone massive changes, with the three biggest firms in the U.S. industry - BlackRock (BLK.N), opens new tab, Vanguard and State Street - coming under siege from relative newcomers. "There is now more of a fight for market share," said Anna Paglia, who last year left her post as global head of ETFs at Invesco (IVZ.N), opens new tab to join State Street as executive vice president and chief business officer. "SPY does keep growing in size because it's still the most traded ETF in the world," Paglia told Reuters. She added that flows into and out of SPY tend to be seasonal in nature and that outflows early in the year are "not unforeseen." Moreover, Paglia said flows into a retail-focused S&P 500, the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG.P), opens new tab remain robust. According to the recent Citi Research report, this ETF - a "mini" version of SPY launched in 2005 designed to appeal to retail investors and with fees of only 0.02% - was the fifth-largest ETF in terms of inflows for January, attracting $3.2 billion. "We don't look at SPY in isolation," Paglia told Reuters. "We look at the ecosystem." That does not alter the reality that Vanguard's ETF may have finally toppled its State Street rival, said Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi. "State Street remains a dominant player in the ETF universe, but these are two different products."
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysts Predict Gold to Reach $3,200 Later This Year
Gold prices have already increased 10 percent in 2025 to $2,900 (£2,300), but UBS has upgraded its target price for the precious metal again. UBS analyst Joni Teves said gold has had 'unprecedented market dislocations' and reached a record high in 2024, but it's only expected to move higher in 2025. Teves explained that the gold market is currently experiencing 'deep-rooted bullish sentiment,' with the metal seen as a safe-haven asset amid a highly uncertain and volatile macro environment. 'After missing several buying opportunities in 2024, investors are likely wary of repeating the same patterns and may want to take advantage of corrections sooner this time around,' she said. Teves added that with uncertainty regarding tariffs, worries that stagflation may rear its head again, and continued global conflicts, the 'safe haven' of gold is likely to benefit. In addition, UBS expects stronger-than-expected official sector demand, such as through China's pilot programme, which allows insurance companies to invest in gold, which provides important support to the market. The bank's new forecasts predict that gold will climb to $3,200 later this year, then ease down slowly, ending 2025 above $3,000. UBS noted a continued lack of investor positioning toward the precious metal, 'suggesting plenty of scope to add gold to portfolios.' Alec Cutler, director at Orbis Investments, explained that despite the surging price of gold, Western investors have largely avoided rushing into the asset class. 'The number of iShares and SPDR ETF investors has been dropping for the last two years… meaning gold's rally so far is being driven by central banks and Asian investors,' he told City AM. He said that the strong returns of the Magnificent Seven, as well as the attractiveness of crypto, had been holding investors back from gold, but this would likely shift throughout the year. Therefore, Cutler predicted that gold's rally would accelerate further once Western investors began investing in it. Meanwhile, the UBS analysts kept their forecasts for other precious metals, like silver and platinum, unchanged. While the analysts said the other metals have the potential to outperform gold from their current levels, silver suffers from higher volatility and lower investor conviction, while platinum interest could 'stay muted' due to liquidity issues, leaving them reluctant to shift expectations. By City AM More Top Reads From this article on Sign in to access your portfolio
