Displaying items by tag: income ETFs

Investors are increasingly flocking to US government bond ETFs as anticipation grows for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September. BlackRock's TLT, the largest ETF for long-dated Treasury bonds, saw nearly $4 billion in inflows from early August through Monday, marking one of its highest monthly inflows since inception. 

This surge indicates a resurgence in bond interest following a period of weak returns and significant outflows in 2022. As economic slowdowns push investors towards safer fixed-income options, bond yields have dropped in response to the Fed’s potential rate reductions. 

Retail and institutional investors alike are rediscovering bonds, with $12.2 billion flowing into US sovereign bond ETFs in August alone. The overall bond market's revival is evident, with taxable bond funds and ETFs attracting over $280 billion in the first seven months of the year, surpassing the total inflows for 2023.

Finsum: Holding bonds as interest rates fall and their prices rise sems to be one of the classic strategies that we haven’t been able to leverage on this scale in a long time.

Dividend-paying ETFs offer a solid approach to generating passive income. The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) stands out for its robust American-made dividends and strong fundamentals. 

The ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) provides stability with companies that have increased payouts for 25 consecutive years. The Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) combines high yields with broad risk distribution, tracking the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index. 

These ETFs cater to investors seeking reliable income without the complexity of managing individual stocks. With their diverse portfolios, these funds help mitigate risk while ensuring steady dividend payouts. They represent a straightforward, efficient way to build a dependable income stream through dividends.

Finsum: Dividends are nice, but as we head into potential volatility maybe bonds are worth considering for income investors. 

As one of the leading asset managers, BlackRock, shook the market his week when, through regulatory filings, it disclosed that its income funds are invested in its own Bitcoin ETFs. The two important funds were the Strategic Income Opportunities Fund (BSIIX) and Strategic Global Bond Fund (MAWIX),  which acquired $3.56 million and $485,000 worth of iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) respectively. 

These investments are a minor part of the $37.4 billion and $776.4 million portfolios of BSIIX and MAWIX, respectively. As of May 24, the iShares Bitcoin Trust held about $19.61 billion in Bitcoin, which trails the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC).  

Globally, spot Bitcoin ETFs hold over 1 million Bitcoin, valued at more than $68 billion, which is nearly 5.10% of Bitcoin's circulating supply of over 19.7 million BTC. Since their launch in January, over 600 investment firms, including major institutions like Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, and Wells Fargo, have invested in spot Bitcoin ETFs, with Millennium Management being the largest accumulator at $1.9 billion.

Finsum: While this fund cannibalism isn’t new, it’s definitely something to be aware of when looking at income funds.