Tag Archives: US FA
The February 2024 Rebalance of the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index
Since the previous rebalance for the S&P 500® Low Volatility Index on Nov. 17, 2023, and its most recent on Feb. 16, 2024, the S&P 500 delivered a stunning 11.3% return. During this period, the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index was up 5.3%, strong by historical standards, albeit underperforming the S&P 500. As has been the…
- Categories Factors
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Magnificent Mid Caps and Sensational Small Caps
U.S. equities rose in 2023, with the mega-cap “Magnificent Seven” driving most of the S&P Composite 1500®’s 25% gain. While mega caps continued to outperform in January 2024, not all seven of the aforementioned group ranked highly. This has led to some market commentators looking to coin new phrases: “Sensational Six” or “Super Six” (the…
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S&P 500 Highs Keep Coming
The S&P 500® closed at another record high today, marking the ninth all-time high closing price level so far this year. Although all-time highs are not unprecedented—2024 is the 41st year since 1957 to host a new high—a few observations stand out when looking at this year’s records. First, January 2024 saw the end of…
- Categories Equities, S&P 500 & DJIA
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The S&P 500 ESG Index Turns 5!
The S&P 500® ESG Index celebrated its fifth birthday on Jan. 28, 2024. Over the past five years, the index has become an important piece of the sustainable indexing puzzle for investors looking to leverage the strength of the S&P 500 while incorporating meaningful and measurable sustainability-focused enhancements. Traditionally, five-year celebrations are marked by gifting…
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Bond Beginnings and Beyond
American political consultant James Carville once commented that he’d like to be resurrected as the bond market because, “you can intimidate everyone.” As of July 2023, the global bond market comprises about USD 135 trillion of securities, of which rated corporate debt represents USD 23 trillion.1 U.S. corporate debt makes up roughly half of the…
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S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Rebalance: Let’s Welcome the 18 Newest Members
The S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats® includes large-, mid-, and small-cap companies in the U.S. that have raised their dividends for at least 20 consecutive years. The index recently concluded its annual reconstitution on Jan. 31, 2024, which brought 18 new members into this accomplished group. Accounting for the three deletions, the index’s total count…
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S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Rebalance: Fastenal in, Walgreens out
The S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats® seeks to track an elite group of companies that have raised their dividends for a minimum of 25 consecutive years. This index has just concluded its annual reconstitution, which was effective at the market close on Jan. 31, 2024. Fastenal has been added, while Walgreens is out, which keeps the…
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Financial Planning Using Indices: From Taxes to Factors
How are advisors putting SPIVA data and factors to work as they build long-term plans to help clients achieve objectives? Delta Wealth Advisors’ Dino Efthimiou and Niko Finnigan join S&P DJI’s Brent Kopp for a practical look at the importance of tax management and the role of indexing in building a comprehensive plan for clients….
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The Relative Value of Insights
Many investors use the start of the year to make predictions for the upcoming year and to think about ways to express views on these themes. This undertaking is not guaranteed to add value: predicting the future is incredibly difficult and success requires correctly predicting both the drivers of future performance and the upcoming impact…
Chasing Performance
“…sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – The White Queen, Through the Looking Glass Should an asset owner rely on historical performance data to select managers? The efficacy of doing so depends on the answers to three questions: What fraction of the manager universe is truly gifted? How gifted are…
- Categories Equities, S&P 500 & DJIA
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