Displaying items by tag: ETFs

Post-pandemic, U.S. economic forecasts have consistently underestimated growth, a trend strategists like RBC’s Lori Calvasina believe will continue into 2025. RBC projects 2%–3% GDP growth for the year, while Bank of America estimates 2.4%, surpassing the Bloomberg consensus of 2.1%. 

Strong GDP growth is historically tied to better equity market performance, with stocks gaining 70% of the time when growth ranges between 2.1% and 3%. Value stocks, which perform well in periods of robust growth and higher interest rates, are expected to benefit from continued economic resilience and protectionist policies under the second Trump administration. 

This environment is favorable for ETFs focused on value stocks, such as Invesco S&P 500 Enhanced Value ETF (SPVU) and Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR), which have lower P/E ratios compared to broader market ETFs. 

Finsum: These value-focused ETFs may see a strong turnaround in 2025, fueled by higher bond yields and resilient economic conditions.

Actively managed ETFs combine the flexibility of active management with the tax efficiency of ETFs, making them a compelling option for taxable portfolios. Unlike mutual funds, ETFs often use in-kind redemptions to minimize taxable capital gains, helping investors defer taxes and achieve greater compounded returns over time. 

While tax efficiency is a significant advantage, investors should also evaluate the manager’s skill, market opportunities, and the cost-effectiveness of these strategies when selecting active ETFs. 

Incorporating active ETFs into a portfolio can be a strategic way to balance the potential for alpha with reduced tax drag, particularly in equity strategies where minimizing distributions is key. 

Finsum: A thoughtful approach to selecting active ETFs can enhance after-tax returns and align portfolios with long-term investment goals.

BondBloxx has introduced the PCMM ETF, the first of its kind to provide direct access to private credit markets through collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). This ETF focuses on middle-market companies, a $5 trillion subset of the $30 trillion private credit market, offering diversification for fixed-income portfolios. 

Private credit, characterized by short durations and low correlations to equities, provides resilience against Federal Reserve policy shifts. The fund, which invests 80% of its assets in private credit CLOs, delivers current yields around 7% and charges a 68-basis-point fee. 

PCMM is positioned as a liquid, transparent, and cost-effective alternative to traditional private credit vehicles like interval funds. BondBloxx envisions this ETF as a key tool for financial advisors seeking enhanced returns and diversification in their clients’ portfolios.

Finsum: This is another perfect example of ETFs making alternatives or more complicated assets easier for clients. 

Asset managers are increasingly rolling out tax-managed products, with investments in these vehicles seeing notable growth. Assets in tax-managed separately managed accounts (SMAs) surged to over $500 billion, a 67% increase within 18 months, while tax-managed mutual funds grew by 22% to $73 billion, according to Morningstar. 

Direct indexing dominates tax-managed SMA assets, offering customized tax management by investing in individual stocks within an index, though other strategies like ETF model portfolios and active equity are gaining traction. 

Morgan Stanley’s Parametric leads this area, managing $245 billion, mainly through direct indexing. Morningstar anticipates direct indexing will stay prevalent, but asset managers like JP Morgan’s 55ip and AB are exploring alternatives, focusing on model portfolios and municipal bonds for tax advantages. 

Finsum: We may see more unified managed accounts, which integrate various investment types, creating more comprehensive tax management options.

As major tech stocks like Meta and Microsoft face challenges from rising costs and AI investment, dividend stocks are gaining attention for their potential stability amid election-related uncertainty. 

For beginner investors, choosing effective dividend stocks and ETFs remains an essential consideration as dividend growth has historically outpaced inflation over the long term. In one case, a dividend investor on Reddit turned an initial $60,000 retirement account into $1.2 million over 27 years through a disciplined investment approach, later shifting his focus to high-yield dividend ETFs. 

His portfolio, which generated around $9,495 monthly, included holdings like JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF and Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF, along with tech-focused funds like Invesco QQQ Trust. With investments like the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and Ares Capital Corporation, the portfolio reflected a mix of income-generating ETFs and steady-growth investments.

Finsum: If rates stall out look to dividends to supplement income streams particularly with ETFs.