At The Money: Investing in Freedom
The Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM) uses a freedom‑weighted index to allocate capital to the world’s freest emerging‑market economies, deliberately excluding autocratic nations such as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. Managed by Life and Liberty Indexes, the fund now holds over $2 billion in assets and posted a 67% return in 2025, outpacing the S&P 500’s 17.9% gain and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index’s 33% rise. Its methodology blends civil, political and economic freedom scores from the Cato and Fraser Institutes to construct country weights. The product is marketed primarily as a “freedom premium” strategy that seeks higher returns while mitigating geopolitical risk.
Tagus Bytes (25.03.26)
Bitcoin’s price held steady in March as institutional investors poured $1.5 billion into U.S. Bitcoin ETFs, reversing earlier outflows. The inflows highlight ETFs as the primary channel for large‑scale capital, linking the crypto more closely to traditional portfolio flows. Meanwhile, US...
The $826 Billion Shift: Why Metal ETFs Are Reshaping — and Distorting — the Future of Supply
Metal and mining exchange‑traded funds now control roughly $826 billion, with 84% allocated to physical metal ETFs—gold alone accounts for about $577 billion. By contrast, funds that own mining equities represent just over 12% of assets, leaving critical‑mineral ETFs at a modest...
This 11% Yielder Powers AI’s Insatiable Appetite But The Leverage Makes You The Co-Pilot
The article spotlights Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp. (TYG), an 11.69% yielding closed‑end fund positioned to profit from the AI‑driven surge in U.S. electricity demand. Macro data shows data‑center power needs could hit 74 GW by 2028, outpacing current capacity and prompting...
ASEAN Inc.: Up 16% Since December 31, 2024 — A Region Outperforming Quietly, While Investors Look the Other Way
ASEAN Inc., a basket of seven U.S.-listed ETFs covering Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the region’s top 40 firms, posted a 16.1% total return (13.1% annualized) from Dec 31 2024 to March 20 2026, outpacing the S&P 500’s 15% gain. Vietnam’s ETF...
Whale-Sized Savings: How To Execute Large ETF Trades
The article announces a forthcoming premium‑research guide titled “Whale‑Sized Savings: How To Execute Large ETF Trades.” The guide is aimed at institutional investors handling multi‑million‑dollar ETF orders and will detail market‑impact mitigation and cost‑saving tactics. It is currently in beta...
$3 Trillion S&P 500 Gatecrashers
Three of the largest private tech firms—SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic—are slated for IPOs later this year, together representing roughly $3 trillion in private market value. With the S&P 500 valued at about $60 trillion, their entry could reshape the composition of the world’s...
Defensive Tide Rising
Three of four intermarket signals have turned risk‑off as utilities outperform the S&P 500 and Treasuries attract safe‑haven flows. The S&P 500 slipped below its 200‑day moving average, triggering a shift from leveraged SSO to plain SPY exposure. Meanwhile, gold’s...
ZEQT vs VEQT vs XEQT: Why Is Everyone Ignoring This ETF?
ZEQT, VEQT and XEQT are Canada’s leading all‑equity asset‑allocation ETFs, but VEQT and XEQT command tens of billions in assets while ZEQT lags far behind. The three funds share almost identical global equity exposures, diversification across U.S., international and emerging...
ETFs Projected to Reach $10 Trillion by 2033:
A new Brown Brothers Harriman survey projects active exchange‑traded funds to reach $10 trillion in assets by 2033, marking the fastest growth segment in the ETF market. Investors are gravitating toward the blend of active management’s flexibility with the ETF’s low‑cost,...
Did You Miss the Value Trade?
The latest five‑year data shows a pronounced resurgence in value investing, with a 9.0% global value premium and regional premiums ranging from 7.2% in the United States to 19.4% in Japan. Charts from Ken French’s data library and Verdad research...
BlackRock Launches Staked Ethereum ETF
BlackRock introduced the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB) on March 12, 2026, marking its first yield‑bearing crypto ETF and its third spot crypto offering. The fund will stake a portion of its ether holdings with custody and staking services...
At The Money: Pursuing Alpha Through Exchange-Traded Funds
In the March 12, 2026 episode of "At the Money," Wes Gray of Alpha Architect explains how quantitative ETFs can deliver "poor man’s" alpha by embedding systematic factor exposures within low‑cost, tax‑efficient wrappers. He outlines the firm’s product lineup—including momentum,...
Ep.123 - Iran War: Best ETFs for a Market Crash?
The latest episode of Volatility Trading Strategies examines how the escalating Iran‑Russia conflict could trigger a sharp market correction. Host Brent Osachoff outlines a shortlist of exchange‑traded funds that historically perform well during geopolitical shocks, including gold miners, short‑duration Treasuries,...
Demystifying 351 ETF Exchanges
Section 351 of the U.S. tax code permits investors to contribute appreciated stocks, bonds or ETFs into a newly created ETF without triggering immediate capital‑gains tax, effectively seeding the fund at original cost basis. To qualify, no single security may exceed...
Your Fund Family Has Outperformed? Yeah, Right
The FT Alphaville piece exposes how active fund families, exemplified by Capital Group, cherry‑pick start dates, benchmarks, and gross‑of‑fees figures to make outperformance claims look better than they are. While Capital Group touts a 91% inception‑to‑2025 beat rate, net‑of‑fees numbers...
The Small-Cap Rotation Is Real
Small‑cap indices have surged, with the S&P 600 up about 9% YTD and the S&P 400 gaining over 8%, while the S&P 500 remains flat. The rally is tied to the Federal Reserve’s easing cycle, which has lowered rates to 3.5‑3.75% and eased...
BMO Just Made These ETFs More Tax Efficient (ZCON, ZBAL, ZGRO)
BMO has restructured its three asset‑allocation ETFs—ZCON, ZBAL and ZGRO—by replacing the traditional aggregate‑bond component (ZAG) with a discount‑bond strategy (ZDB). The swap reduces taxable coupon income, aiming to boost after‑tax returns for investors holding these funds in non‑registered accounts....
TMTB EOD Wrap: Software Vs. Semis
Software equities outperformed semiconductors sharply, driving the IGV‑SOX performance spread to a 10‑year high of 14.70% on a six‑day rolling basis. This marks the largest spread since the index’s inception, with only six days in the past decade exceeding a...
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Model Factsheet Update [February]
Tematica released an updated suite of model factsheets covering a broad range of thematic, core, targeted, and dividend income strategies. The new AI & Data Center, CHIPS Act, Cloud Computing, Digital Infrastructure, and Nuclear Energy models reflect emerging technology and...
February Update - Tematica Select Digital Infrastructure Model (DIGI)
On March 3, 2026 Tematica released its February update to the Select Digital Infrastructure (DIGI) model, which tracks firms that build and operate the backbone of the hyper‑connected economy. The revision expands the universe to include edge‑computing, 5G tower, and submarine‑cable operators,...
BTQ Technologies Added to WisdomTree Quantum Computing Fund
BTQ Technologies Corp. has been added to the WisdomTree Quantum Computing Fund (WQTM), a U.S.-listed ETF that targets pure‑play quantum hardware, software and infrastructure firms. The fund, launched in October 2025, manages roughly $26.4 million as of February 27 2026. BTQ’s inclusion highlights its...
Scott Adams: Cartoonist, Divisive Commentator, Scourge of Active Managers
Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, used his globally‑read comic strip to launch a sustained critique of active fund management, portraying it as a costly scam through the character Dogbert. His personal experience—losing money to a Wells Fargo‑managed portfolio that invested...
Recent Signals and Tematica Model Confirmation Points
Tematica’s latest confirmation points map a broad set of macro trends—from a rapidly aging U.S. population and soaring AI adoption to cash‑strapped consumers, heightened cyber threats, and a surge in digital‑infrastructure investment. The report highlights a 91% YoY jump in...
Why Expected Returns Matter More than Index Concentration
The S&P 500’s top‑seven stocks now represent more than 30% of market value, sparking industry warnings about concentration risk. Academic research shows this level mirrors historic peaks from the 1930s and is a natural outcome of firm‑specific volatility, not a market...
$ATACX: What Rising Volatility Means for Tactical Funds Vs. Static Portfolios
Volatility has re‑emerged as a defining feature of the current market cycle, eroding the traditional equity‑bond diversification that underpins static 60/40 portfolios. As stock‑bond correlations rise during macro stress, fixed‑allocation strategies face heightened drawdown risk. Tactical funds such as the...
Options Policework
A Moontower Discord user reported a sharp price shock in the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF on Jan 2, which led to a rapid loss in their options position. The trader suspects the loss was driven by gamma exposure as the...
Bitcoin Rebounds as ETF Inflows Return, Jane Street Speculation Swirls
Bitcoin surged toward $70,000 on Wednesday before easing, while ether, Solana and other altcoins outperformed, indicating renewed risk appetite. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a massive $507 million single‑day inflow, the biggest since early February, turning weekly flows positive after five...
MarketWatch: “Popular QQQ ETF Faces a Crucial Moment with Nvidia Earnings on Deck After Its Rare Pullback”
The Invesco QQQ Trust has slipped 3.2% over the last 50 trading days, a rare pullback for an index that historically posts gains in 74% of similar periods since 2015. DataTrek’s Jessica Rabe notes that the recent 50‑day return sits...
Bitcoin’s Participation Is Weaker Than It Appears
Bitcoin’s current bear market shows no sign of stabilizing, and the typical bottom‑forming signals are missing. While on‑chain activity appears less bearish than price, the participation slowdown is uneven and superficial. The article argues that the apparent resilience is misleading,...
Solar’s Two-Speed Rally: Utility-Scale Strength Masks Residential Fragility
Solar’s Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) has surged over 23% year‑to‑date through Feb 24, 2026, far outpacing the S&P 500’s modest 0.8% gain. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects a record 86 GW of utility‑scale capacity additions in 2026, with solar comprising 51% of...
Defensive Market – SPY Holds as SOXX Leads – Healthcare ETFs Setting Up
The article on TrendInvestorPro is a subscriber‑only landing page that offers systematic trading strategies, market timing models, and ETF setups but provides no free market commentary. It prompts users to log in or subscribe to access detailed equity ETF analysis,...
The Case for Regulatory Tailwinds Over Traditional Fiscal Stimulus — FMKT as a Structural Play
Policymakers are pivoting from traditional fiscal stimulus toward deregulation as the chief engine of U.S. growth, arguing it frees capacity without reigniting inflation. A landmark Supreme Court decision overturning Chevron and a 2025 executive order mandating agencies to cut existing...
Commodities, Rates, and the Repricing of Scarcity
In this episode of Lead‑Lag Live, Will Rhind, founder and CEO of GraniteShares, explains why platinum is experiencing a resurgence due to a structural supply deficit and the waning of peak‑ESG assumptions, while gold continues to hit new highs but...
Rotation Investor ETF – Ranking Table
TrendInvestorPro’s Rotation Investor ETF ranking table is presented as a premium offering, accessible only to paid subscribers. The site promotes systematic trading strategies, trend‑based setups, and a market‑timing model for stocks and ETFs. Visitors are prompted to log in or...
Trend Trio Signals & Momentum Scores: Dow 30 Stocks & Sector SPDRs
Trend Investor Pro released its weekly Trend Trio150 analysis, combining Bollinger Bands, CCI‑Close and StochClose to flag uptrends and downtrends across the Dow 30 and the eleven Sector SPDR ETFs. The report shows eight sector ETFs in an UPtrend, with...
Trend Trio Signals & Momentum Scores: ETF Master List (250+ ETFs)
TrendInvestorPro has released a curated master list covering more than 250 exchange‑traded funds, each assigned a Trend Signal and Momentum Score. The platform bundles these metrics with systematic trading setups, video tutorials, and a market‑timing model. Access is gated behind...
How Far Back Would a 40% Drop Take Us?
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) reached an all‑time high of roughly $642 on February 20, 2026. A 20% decline would lower it to about $513, echoing September 2024; a 30% drop to $449, similar to January 2024; and a 40% slide to $385,...
YYY: The Income Illusion or the Ultimate Credit Barometer?
The episode dissects YYY, an ETF that offers exposure to a rules‑based basket of high‑income closed‑end funds (CEFs) via a fund‑of‑funds structure. It highlights the layered risks of credit exposure, embedded leverage, and premium/discount dynamics, noting that performance is highly...
Research Review | 20 February 2026 | Forecasting Returns
Recent academic research sharpens the tools investors use to forecast long‑term returns and market risk. Rui Ma et al. show that a market‑cap‑weighted Component CAPE ratio aligns prices and earnings, delivering out‑of‑sample R² above 50 %. Javier Estrada confirms that valuation multiples...
Bond Break Out – Gold Bullish Pattern – Silver Retracement – Uranium Hits Setup Zone
Technical analysts note a bond breakout as yields pierce a key resistance, suggesting upward momentum in fixed‑income markets. Meanwhile, gold charts display a bullish continuation pattern, reinforcing optimism for further price gains. Silver is experiencing a short‑term retracement, testing a...
S&P 500 Concentration: The Scare Story That's Costing Investors Money
New research by Mark Kritzman and David Turkington shows that despite recent headlines about the S&P 500’s rising concentration, the index’s current concentration is within historical norms. Using almost a century of data, they find that strategies that reduced equity exposure...
Wall Street Wants to Bring Election Bets Into Brokerage Accounts – Bloomberg
Roundhill Investments has filed a request with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch six exchange‑traded funds that let investors wager on U.S. election outcomes. Each ETF would hold binary event contracts that settle at either $1 or $0,...
The Housing Inflection Point
The episode examines the current U.S. housing market inflection point, highlighting softened builder confidence, persistently tight resale inventory, and the potential impact of a credible rate‑cut cycle on margins and incentives. It discusses policy initiatives aimed at streamlining permitting and...
Engineered Income: The Hidden Mechanics Behind DNP’s Monthly Payout
The episode dissects DNP Select Income Fund Inc., a closed‑end fund that targets utilities and promises a steady monthly payout via a managed distribution plan that can draw from income, gains, or return of capital. It explains how the fund’s...
QQQ Is Hedging Hard, But Not Panicking
The episode dissects the current QQQ options market, highlighting that skew and risk reversals are at historic highs, indicating expensive downside protection and a defensive bias among investors. Despite heavy put activity, call participation remains steady and speculative far‑out‑of‑the‑money buying...
TMTB EOD Wrap
The episode reviews a rough day for tech stocks, with the QQQ index up modestly while most internet and software names slump amid an accelerating AI narrative. Host Citrini describes an "AI Disruption Discount" hitting vertical SaaS, ad platforms, and...
Recent Signals and Tematica Model Confirmation Points
The episode reviews recent headline-driven confirmation points for Tematica’s thematic investment models, focusing on aging demographics, AI adoption, cash‑strapped consumers, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and emerging energy demands. Key takeaways include a resurgence in senior housing demand as boomers age, rapid...
Bitcoin’s Exposure To Corporate Balance Sheets
The episode examines how corporate treasuries are influencing Bitcoin's market dynamics amid a prolonged bear phase marked by steady ETF outflows. It highlights that while institutional ETFs are withdrawing capital, public companies now hold significant Bitcoin on their balance sheets,...
Income Investing Beyond Dividends: Incorporating Options Into Your 2026 Yield Plan
The episode explores how income investing has shifted from relying solely on dividends to incorporating options strategies like covered calls and cash‑secured puts to generate cash flow, especially from non‑dividend‑paying growth stocks. It explains the mechanics of these strategies, their...