SET Portfolio Updates
SET Portfolio Update May 2017
Bruised… But Not Staggering We’re always happy to take credit for a job well done, and shine some positive light on the performance of sector ETFs in our portfolio. There’s the iShares MSCI Switzerland Capped ETF (EWL), up 11% since March, and the PowerShares Dividend Achievers ETF (PFM), up 10% since November. But the portfolio […]
SET Portfolio Update April 2017
Churning Through A Choppy ETF Market When we took a look at how different sectors have been performing the other day, we couldn’t help but notice the performance of the broader market. Between election day and the end of February, The S&P 500 rose 12%. In Q1, it was up 5.5%. With some cooling off […]
SET Portfolio Update March 2017
Sector Spotlight: The Recent Ride For REITs We recommended the Vanguard REIT ETF (VNQ) in December at $81.13. Today, it closed at $82.01. Behind the actual price of the ETF are two numbers to keep in mind. First is the yield, which is now 4.66%. Second is the actual valuation of the ETF. In a […]
SET Portfolio Update February 2017
Sector Spotlight: The Case For Utility Stocks Every month we advise a hold on XLU, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR. Why? It performs month after month, year after year, as a solid source of income. This long-term view of utility stocks drove our decision to hang onto the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund when it […]
SET Portfolio Update January 2017
Sector Spotlight: Where Is Natural Gas Heading? Natural gas futures plunged 21% between December 28 and January 9. The futures hit a two-year high in late December, and then the gains were melted away by an unsettling series of weather forecasts calling for a warmer winter. Since then, a few rugged storms and the return […]
SET Portfolio Update November 2016
What’s Next? For a week now, the markets have been digesting election results. When we look at how the incoming Trump administration policies may impact different sectors, the general consensus is that pharma, energy, and finance stocks will emerge as winners. Losers? The lineup includes hospitals, and just about all the sectors where business is […]
SET Portfolio Update October 2016
The Uncertain Autumn Last month we sold two positions… SPDR S&P Homebuilders (XHB) First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Index Fund (QABA) We were concerned with rising interest rates, and the general direction of the markets. Looking back over the past month, we’ve only seen one sector do well. Energy is up 2.89% over the […]
SET Portfolio Update September 2016
Time To Take Profits We are selling two positions… SPDR S&P Homebuilders (XHB) First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Index Fund (QABA) Each one of these ETFs shares a common cause for concern. Each is sensitive to rising interest rates, and even though the drumbeat of rising rates has now been pounding away for months, […]
SET Portfolio Update August 2016
The Road Ahead For Sector ETFs Naturally, we’re always looking for sectors where there is a good case to be made for above average returns and growing share prices. This usually means we need three factors to come together in a perfect storm. One is market sentiment that’s specific toward a sector. We are looking […]
SET Portfolio Update July 2016
What The Bizarre Bond Market Is Telling ETF Investors When we look back on 2016, the lackluster economic growth, the convulsions of Brexit, and the upheavals on the American political landscape, what else will turn out to be significant? There’s always the bond market. No matter how loud the sound of alarm bells clanging or […]
