Germany’s Merz to press cabinet for faster pro-growth reforms
Below is a roundup of news and analysis on a range of issues making headlines in Germany from Wednesday, August 27:
Funds
Dividends Are Found in the Tried & True
No, thanks. I absolutely do not want to start banking with a social media company. Elon Musk has been touting the idea of X Money since he took over Twitter back in 2022 and it is finally a reality… kind of.
What’s Driving the 2026 Industrials Sector Rally?
If one were to take a trip to Wall Street and ask investors which sector of the S&P 500 is offering the most attractive opportunities beyond the tech sector, would they be surprised to hear industrials come in as a top …
Looking at International Stocks? Lean Into Emerging Markets, Instead
U.S. investors are facing quite a bit of concentration risk, even as markets seem to be broadening. Entering 2026, prior to all the geopolitical volatility, investors were clamoring for ex-U.S. equities. Now, despite th…
S&P 500 Snapshot: Stocks End Lower to Snap 3-Week Win Streak
The S&P 500 wrapped up the week with a loss of 1.4%, snapping a three-week winning streak.
Labor Shortage Is Forcing a Robot Revolution in U.S. Manufacturing
The U.S. manufacturing sector is larger than most people realize, with 17% of world manufacturing value added – more than Japan, Germany, Korea, Italy, and France combined.
Why International Stocks Are Outpacing the U.S. Again
For 11 of the 12 years following the 2008 financial crisis, U.S. stocks beat international markets. But that trend has flipped: Over the past four years, international equities have taken the lead.
What Advisors Can Learn From the Investor Return Gap
Over the 10 years ended December 31, 2025, investors in U.S. mutual funds and ETFs earned an average annual return of 8.7%, compared with 9.9% for the funds themselves. According to Morningstar’s latest Mind the Gap res…
US health agencies report 55 cases of E. coli and salmonella infections tied to alfalfa sprouts
An outbreak of E. coli and salmonella that has sickened dozens of people across 15 states has been linked to an alfalfa grower in Minnesota, federal health officials said Friday.
How AI & Tariffs Have Helped Drive Copper’s Summer Rally
To start with, copper itself had a fairly strong performance in July. As Jacob White, CFA, director, ETF product management, Sprott Asset Management noted, the price of spot copper was up 3.65% over the past month, as o…
Why PSI is Outperforming Traditional Semiconductor ETFs in 2026
The fund tracks the Dynamic Semiconductor Intellidex Index. The rules-based index selects about 30 U.S. semiconductor companies.
White House Bitcoin Support Sparks This ETF
On the back of the White House’s cryptocurrency confab, which brought together policymakers and leaders of the digital asset community, Bitcoin notched a double-digit gain over August 19-20 — a rally that pumped new lif…
Japan manufacturing expands as orders rise fastest since 2018, PMI shows
The acceleration in output growth, combined with near record selling price inflation and a sustained rise in employment, strengthens the case for the Bank of Japan to proceed with a rate hike at its September meeting. A…
Japan factory activity accelerates in Aug as chip, AI demand boosts orders
SINGAPORE - Singapore’s manufacturing output picked up in January as demand for products and applications powered by artificial intelligence (AI) drove the orders of advanced semiconductors.
Why Investors Are Turning to Sector-Balanced Dividend Strategies
Investors are looking at sector-balanced dividend strategies to protect gains and establish durable yield. Speaking during a recent SS&C ALPS Advisors due diligence session, Danny Schwab and Kyle Kleckner outlined why a…
Goldman Sachs Confirms ETFs On Track to Cross $2 Trillion Milestone
It’s been another year of record-breaking feats for ETFs. Various firms are pegging this year’s inflows to cross the $2 trillion milestone, and Goldman Sachs added its stamp of approval to that forecast. According to ne…
South Korea Volatility Builds Case for BCEM
Recent market turbulence across South Korea’s benchmark technology leaders underscores the importance of active management in emerging markets (EM) investing. As companies like SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics navigate …
ETF of the Week: Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company ETF (FNDX)
On this episode of the “ETF of the Week” podcast, VettaFi’s Head of Research, Todd Rosenbluth, discussed the Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company ETF (FNDX) with Chuck Jaffe of Money Life.
Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin Up 9% This Week
This weekly update tracks some of the largest cryptocurrencies by market share: Bitcoin and Ether. While both are considered high-risk assets, they possess foundational differences that investors should understand. We h…
T. Rowe Price Acquires $19 Billion F/m Investments
Leading asset managers T. Rowe Price announced the acquisition of $19 billion F/m Investments in a press release Thursday afternoon. The deal brings F/m’s suite of leading fixed income strategies and ETFs into T. Rowe P…
Target vs. Lowe’s: A Tale of 2 Retail Q2s
Wednesday, August 19 turned out to be a very interesting day for those who keep a close eye on earnings for major retailers. This is because both Lowe’s and Target reported their Q2 2026 results, with noticeably differe…
WGMI Bitcoin Mining ETF Expands Into AI Power Race
Bitcoin mining facilities were built to crunch numbers for cryptocurrency. Now they’re some of the most sought-after real estate in the artificial intelligence boom.
Exclusive-Senate Democrats question USDA about data errors, staff losses
By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK, Aug 20 (Reuters) – S&P 500 companies are winding up a banner quarterly earnings season, fueled in large part by surging profits at AI-related companies. The S&P 500 is on track for a 5…
China’s Threat to the AI Investment Boom
Confluence Investment Management offers various asset allocation products which are managed based on “top down,” or macro, analysis. We publish asset allocation thoughts on a bi-weekly basis, updating the report every o…