Key Points Many investors are concerned about potential market volatility. ETFs can help diversify your portfolio and limit risk. A growth ETF can set you up for significant returns over the long term. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard S&P 500 ETF › Americans have no shortage of concerns around the economy right now. Nearly half of investors are worried about the risk of a recession, accordin...
Key Points Many investors are concerned about potential market volatility. ETFs can help diversify your portfolio and limit risk. A growth ETF can set you up for significant returns over the long term. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard S&P 500 ETF › Americans have no shortage of concerns around the economy right now. Nearly half of investors are worried about the risk of a recession, according to The Motley Fool's 2026 Investor Outlook and Predictions Report. Forty-five percent admit they're concerned about stubbornly high inflation, while 37% are also worried about a weakening labor market. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » To be clear, nobody knows how the market will perform for the remainder of 2026. But it never hurts to prepare for potential volatility anyway, and there are three Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs) I'm loading up on to set my portfolio up for long-term success. 1. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI) aims to track the market as a whole, with a whopping 3,511 stocks across all sectors of the market. Broad-market funds like this can provide extra protection against market volatility. With so many stocks, it's less likely that a single company will significantly sway the ETF's performance. Even if an entire industry is hit especially hard, there are thousands of other stocks from more established sectors to help provide stability. For investors who are worried about an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble, the diversification found in broad-market funds like the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF can help limit the impact of tech industry volatility. 2. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) is similar to the Total Stock Market ETF in that it's a broad fund tracking a major market index. Howeve...
Japanese equities are set to decline following global peers as oil surged as the conflict in the Middle East escalates and as US employment stocked concerns about growth. Nikkei 225 Stock Average futures were at 52,220.00 on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as of 8:16 a.m. Tokyo time, compared with the underlying gauge’s close of 55,620.84 on Friday. Oil surged above $110 a barrel as more major pro...
Japanese equities are set to decline following global peers as oil surged as the conflict in the Middle East escalates and as US employment stocked concerns about growth. Nikkei 225 Stock Average futures were at 52,220.00 on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as of 8:16 a.m. Tokyo time, compared with the underlying gauge’s close of 55,620.84 on Friday. Oil surged above $110 a barrel as more major producers curbed production and US equity futures slumped. This comes as the conflict nears a one-week mark with Iran, with concerns about a prolonged war. Iran picked a new supreme leader and kept up attacks on several countries on the ninth day of the war in the Middle East. Arab states across the Persian Gulf continued to face incoming missiles and drones from Iran, which said it had the capacity to sustain the war for months. “The reported next leader of Iran is someone US President Donald Trump finds unacceptable, and there is no clear path toward a resolution in sight,” said Shoji Hirakawa , chief global strategist at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Laboratory Co. “Japanese equities had been outperforming US stocks since the start of the year, which makes them more vulnerable to declines given how much they had already risen.” Sentiment was further soured as government payrolls report from the US showed that employers unexpectedly cut jobs in February and the unemployment rate rose. The nonfarm payrolls fell last month, one of the largest declines since the pandemic.
(RTTNews) - The Japanese stock market has climbed higher in two straight sessions, jumping more than 370 points or 0.7 percent along the way. The Nikkei now sits just above the 55,620-point plateau although the rally may stall on Monday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is negative on surging oil prices and the ongoing war in the Middle East. The European and U.S. markets were down and th...
(RTTNews) - The Japanese stock market has climbed higher in two straight sessions, jumping more than 370 points or 0.7 percent along the way. The Nikkei now sits just above the 55,620-point plateau although the rally may stall on Monday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is negative on surging oil prices and the ongoing war in the Middle East. The European and U.S. markets were down and the Asian bourses are expected to open in similar fashion. The Nikkei finished modestly higher on Friday following gains from the financial shares and automobile producers, while the technology companies were mixed. For the day, the index gained 342.78 points or 0.62 percent to finish at 55,620.84 after trading between 54,513.43 and 55,686.56. Among the actives, Nissan Motor accelerated 3.35 percent, while Mazda Motor perked 0.17 percent, Toyota Motor advanced 0.98 percent, Honda Motor rallied 2.13 percent, Softbank Group strengthened 1.60 percent, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial collected 0.90 percent, Mizuho Financial added 0.65 percent, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial gained 0.57 percent, Mitsubishi Electric tumbled 1.78 percent, Sony Group spiked 2.75 percent, Panasonic Holdings vaulted 1.46 percent and Hitachi lost 0.60 percent. The lead from Wall Street is weak as the major averages opened lower on Friday and remained under water throughout the trading day, ending near session lows. The Dow dropped 453.19 points or 0.95 percent to finish at 47,501.55, while the NASDAQ tumbled 361.31 points or 1.59 percent to close at 22,387.68 and the S&P 500 sank 90.69 points or 1.33 percent to end at 6,740.02. The sell-off on Wall Street came amid an extended surge by the price of crude oil. Crude oil has skyrocketed over the past week as the U.S.-Iran conflict spreads across the Middle East, leading to concerns about a global energy crisis. Crude oil prices surged on Friday after Qatar warned of a production halt in the gulf as the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has heavily disrupted energ...
The dollar strengthened against every major currency Monday as a deepening war in the Middle East pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel and boosted demand for havens. Demand for the greenback surged as crude markets faced the prospect of increased production curbs and the US threatened to deepen the conflict with Iran, denting risk sentiment. Meanwhile, Iran named a new leader and its armed forces...
The dollar strengthened against every major currency Monday as a deepening war in the Middle East pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel and boosted demand for havens. Demand for the greenback surged as crude markets faced the prospect of increased production curbs and the US threatened to deepen the conflict with Iran, denting risk sentiment. Meanwhile, Iran named a new leader and its armed forces suggested they had the capacity for sustained high-intensity war. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index climbed 0.5%, extending last week’s 1.3% gain. The Swedish krona, euro and Danish krone led losses , while the South African rand and Mexican peso dropped the most among major emerging market currencies. “The dollar has been seen as the ultimate safe-haven due to its liquidity, while also being buoyed by the rise in oil prices,” said Matthew Ryan , head of market strategy at financial services firm Ebury. “We favor continued upside in the dollar so long as the war drags on without an immediate end in sight.” The surge in oil prices has fanned inflationary fears for the Federal Reserve and other central banks, leading traders to trim bets on interest-rate cuts that had weighed on the US currency. The greenback is also benefiting from America’s position as the world’s biggest oil producer. The dollar has been one of the few traditional havens that have offered investors refuge as conflict in the Gulf region roiled markets. Treasuries, the yen, the Swiss franc and gold have come under pressure while the dollar has rallied. Long-Trusted Haven Trades Are Failing as Gold, Treasuries Fall What Bloomberg Strategists Say... “The early US dollar strength is broad enough to show that FX traders aren’t in the mood to discriminate about which currency may outperform. This is simply a grab for the only haven proving dependable in this crisis” Mark Cranfield , Markets Live strategist The yen weakened again Monday, falling about 0.4% in early Tokyo trading. The Japanese currency is now tradin...
Hong Kong’s executive-led governance model has long been a cornerstone of the constitutional design. Its relevance was again highlighted when China’s state leader in charge of the city’s affairs stressed the “shared responsibility” across government branches and society as a whole to uphold the principle and prepare for the next stage of development under the new five-year national plan. Vice-Prem...
Hong Kong’s executive-led governance model has long been a cornerstone of the constitutional design. Its relevance was again highlighted when China’s state leader in charge of the city’s affairs stressed the “shared responsibility” across government branches and society as a whole to uphold the principle and prepare for the next stage of development under the new five-year national plan. Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang is the most senior official yet to shed light on the city’s governance. He said the executive-led system was “important and essential” for the city to align with China’s 15th five-year plan and advance its integration with the mainland. He called on the chief executive and the government to strengthen their sense of being the head of the city, adding that support from the legislature, judiciary and all sectors was needed. He also urged the legislature to deliver more “practical outcomes” that align with the city’s actual conditions and meet Beijing’s expectations under the executive-led governance system. It was not a casual remark when Ding acknowledged the difficulties in truly implementing the system. Coming after the central government’s work report urging the city to boost its governance efficiency, leverage its “unique strengths” and align with the new five-year national development plan, the message for Hong Kong to consolidate the executive-led system is loud and clear. Advertisement The “shared responsibility” call is in line with earlier remarks by Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, that the legislative and judicial branches should perform “on the same stage” . With the city embarking on a new critical stage of development, the emphasis is on unity and progress rather than confrontation and bickering. Constitutionally rooted in the Basic Law, the model placing the city leader and the administration at the core of governance has moved beyond a British colonial legacy. The chief executive is responsible to both the cen...
The prediction markets are booming, with people able to "bet" on anything from sports to geopolitical event outcomes on these platforms. However, while these products are technically futures contracts that fall under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, I wouldn't consider them a great investment vehicle. Instead, I'd recommend sticking with stocks. On that front, let's lo...
The prediction markets are booming, with people able to "bet" on anything from sports to geopolitical event outcomes on these platforms. However, while these products are technically futures contracts that fall under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, I wouldn't consider them a great investment vehicle. Instead, I'd recommend sticking with stocks. On that front, let's look at three artificial intelligence (AI) stocks to bet on right now. Nvidia If you want to invest in AI, you don't need to be cute and find some under-the-radar name no one has ever heard of before. In fact, buying the largest company in the world will suffice. That, of course, would be Nvidia (NVDA 2.94%), whose graphics processing units (GPUs) are the primary chips used to power AI workloads. Expand NASDAQ : NVDA Nvidia Today's Change ( -2.94 %) $ -5.39 Current Price $ 177.95 Key Data Points Market Cap $4.3T Day's Range $ 176.83 - $ 182.75 52wk Range $ 86.62 - $ 212.19 Volume 6M Avg Vol 177M Gross Margin 71.07 % Dividend Yield 0.02 % Meanwhile, the company has grown to become the largest company in the world by having a wide moat that stems from its CUDA software platform. With AI infrastructure spending set to continue climbing higher, Nvidia is a great stock to continue to bet on. Advanced Micro Devices While a distant No. 2 to Nvidia in the GPU market, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 3.46%) looks poised to take some share following large deals with OpenAI and Meta Platforms, where the two companies will also take stakes in the chipmaker. Given its much smaller revenue base compared to Nvidia, these commitments should be a huge growth driver for the company, while it looks to continue to carve a niche in the fast-growing inference market. Expand NASDAQ : AMD Advanced Micro Devices Today's Change ( -3.46 %) $ -6.91 Current Price $ 192.54 Key Data Points Market Cap $314B Day's Range $ 191.27 - $ 200.23 52wk Range $ 76.48 - $ 267.08 Volume 1.5M Avg Vol 36M Gross Margin 45.99 %...
Track your investments for FREE with Simply Wall St, the portfolio command center trusted by over 7 million individual investors worldwide. Broadcom (NasdaqGS:AVGO) laid out a multi year AI roadmap, including a target of more than $100b in AI chip revenue by 2027. The company reported shipment of what it calls the industry’s first 2nm custom compute SoC built on its 3.5D XDSiP platform. Broadcom h...
Track your investments for FREE with Simply Wall St, the portfolio command center trusted by over 7 million individual investors worldwide. Broadcom (NasdaqGS:AVGO) laid out a multi year AI roadmap, including a target of more than $100b in AI chip revenue by 2027. The company reported shipment of what it calls the industry’s first 2nm custom compute SoC built on its 3.5D XDSiP platform. Broadcom highlighted multiyear custom chip partnerships with OpenAI, Google, Meta and Anthropic, alongside new buyback plans and secured supply arrangements through 2028. Broadcom is putting AI at the center of its strategy, on top of a share price of $330.48 and a 3 year return of 462.2%. The stock is up 3.4% over the past week and 71.0% over the past year, alongside a 0.7% decline over 30 days and a 4.9% decline year to date. For investors tracking AI infrastructure, this combination of recent performance and new product announcements makes AVGO a notable name to watch. What stands out is how Broadcom is tying long term AI revenue targets to specific moves in custom silicon, partnerships and capital allocation. If the company executes on its multi year supply and customer commitments, these AI related efforts could become a larger part of the overall business mix, which may influence how investors think about AVGO’s risk profile and underlying growth drivers. Stay updated on the most important news stories for Broadcom by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on Broadcom. NasdaqGS:AVGO 1-Year Stock Price Chart See which insiders are buying and buying and selling Broadcom following this latest news. For investors, the key takeaway is how Broadcom is translating its AI ambition into concrete capital allocation and product milestones. First quarter revenue of US$19.3b and net income of US$7.3b, alongside guidance for about US$22.0b in second quarter revenue, show that AI chip demand and AI-focused software offerings...