Exxon Mobil

Chevron

ConocoPhillips

Williams

EOG Resources

ONEOK

Schlumberger

Phillips 66

Kinder Morgan

Marathon Petroleum

Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund

XLE tracks a market-cap-weighted index of US energy companies in the S&P 500.

iShares Bitcoin Trust

iShares Russell 2000 ETF

Invesco Solar ETF

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund

Donald Trump's return to the presidency has sent ripples through the stock market, triggering a surge of activity as investors recalibrate their portfolios in anticipation of a new era of economic policy. The S&P 500 rallied 2.5% on the news, its best day in nearly two years, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average surging 3.6% and the Nasdaq composite jumping 3%.

Trump's Return: Which Sectors Will Benefit Most?

Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF

The lowest-cost ETF in the energy infrastructure category has reached a significant trading milestone.  The Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) crossed $200 million in assets under management on Wednesday, ending the day with $204 million.

Cheapest Energy Infrastructure ETF Crosses $200 Million in AUM

Wall Street's main indexes and several of the street's individual favorites like Palantir and NVIDIA soared to record highs following Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, a dramatic return to power after his defeat in 2020. Investors responded with optimism to the prospect of a president known for pro-business policies, including tax cuts and deregulation, despite potential concerns around tariffs and rising deficits.

Top 3 Sectors Outperforming After Trump's Victory

Coinbase

First Solar

Pfizer

Equities usually rise regardless of who assumes the White House. However, savvy, active investors understand the importance of analyzing specific industries under a new administration.

5 Industries to Watch in a Trump Administration

Alerian MLP ETF

First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF

Amplify Cybersecurity ETF

iShares U.S. Energy ETF

iShares U.S. Technology ETF

Invesco KBW Bank ETF

SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF

FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund

VanEck Vectors Oil Services ETF

Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF

VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF

Vanguard Financials ETF

Vanguard Information Technology ETF

Vanguard Utilities ETF

Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund

Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund

Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund

Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund

Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund

The S&P 500 Index has returned nearly 81% since the last presidential election, with a wide disparity between sector performance. The S&P 500's gains since Nov. 3, 2020 reflect an annual return of nearly 16%, an impressive figure.

Breaking Down S&P 500 Returns by Sector Since 2020 Election

Adams Diversified Equity Fund

Barings Global Short Duration High Yield Fund

BlackRock Science & Technology

Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund

Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund

GAMCO Global Gold. Natural Resources & Income Trust

abrdn Life Sciences Investors 

India Fund Inc

Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc

Liberty All Star Equity Fund

XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust

For income investors, closed-end funds, or CEFs, remain an attractive investment class that covers various asset classes and promises high distributions and reasonable total returns. CEFs are generally characterized by higher volatility and deeper draw-downs than the broader market. For these reasons, they are not suited for everyone. In this monthly series, we highlight five CEFs with solid track records that pay high distributions and offer “excess” discounts. We try to separate the wheat from the chaff using our filtering process to select just five CEFs every month from around 500 closed-end funds.

5 Best CEFs This Month For 9.5% Yield (October 2024)

Amazon

Brookfield Asset Management

Brookfield Renewable Partners

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P.

Brookfield Infrastructure

Brookfield Corp

Constellation Energy Corp

DT Midstream

Enbridge

Enterprise Products Partners

Energy Transfer LP Unit

Microsoft

NVIDIA

Palantir Technologies

Targa Resources

TC Energy

Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund Inc

Vistra Energy

Western Gas Partners

Big dividend infrastructure stocks have surged recently. We discuss the two major catalysts for this surge. We also share several opportunities that remain very attractive in the space.

Very Good News For Big Dividend Infrastructure Stocks

Oil prices have been under pressure, and CVX and XLE shares have responded unevenly. The performance divergence between CVX and XLE is unwarranted and has made CVX a far better investment package than the sector average. CVX offers superior profitability and consistency and yet trades at discounts relative to the sector.

Chevron Vs. XLE: The Energy Giant Is A Better Bet Than The ETF

The oil and gas sector has averaged a -1.5% return in recent rate-cutting cycles, underperforming other cyclical and defensive sectors. XLE trades above its 3-year historical average in both P/E and EV/EBITDA, implying a 17% downside to fair value. Despite potential risks, historical data and current valuation support selling XLE, with a fair value estimate of $75.

XLE: The Sector Has Not Performed Well In Recent Interest Rate Cut Cycles

Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers ETF

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

With market pullbacks driven by factors like geopolitical tensions, central bank policies, and fluctuating jobless claims, many investors are left wondering where to allocate their funds. While the allure of stock picking, especially in trending areas like AI, Chinese stocks, or energy, can be strong, it doesn't suit every investor, particularly those looking for a more conservative, income-focused approach.

3 Powerful ETFs for Income Seekers Looking to Maximize Gains

Hess

The energy sector is experiencing a sharp rebound following a significant escalation in Middle Eastern tensions after Iran launched a missile attack on Israel on October 1. While the immediate physical damage was minimal, the geopolitical consequences have been substantial, as fears of further conflict and disruptions to global crude oil supplies have escalated.

Energy Sector Rebound: 3 Stocks Poised for Strong Gains

Strive US Energy ETF

Fidelity MSCI Energy Index ETF

Vanguard Energy ETF

An escalation in Middle East tensions stoked oil supply worries, building up positive momentum in the energy space.

Middle East Tensions Lift Energy ETFs: Will the Rally Last?

SPDR Gold Trust

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

After Iran attacked Israel on Tuesday, increasing exposure to defense, energy and gold funds becomes appealing, which tends to gain from escalating tensions in the Middle East.

ETFs to Consider as Middle-East Conflicts Escalate

Midstream ETFs recorded strong flows in September, as the subsector outperformed broader energy for another consecutive month. The Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP) and the Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) saw $73 million and $8 million, respectively, in net flows in September.

Midstream Energy ETFs Recorded Strong Flows in September

Plains All American Pipeline

Plains GP Hlds

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF

Vanguard Real Estate ETF

There is a leading blue-chip that has been a serial underperformer over the past half decade. However, it has a very strong balance sheet, a sky-high yield that is well covered, and it continues to grow its payout year after year. I discuss this opportunity and share why the more it underperforms, the more I buy it.

The More It Underperforms, The More I Buy

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Energy - Broad segment of the equity market, the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/16/1998.

Should You Invest in the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE)?

VanEck Vectors BDC Income ETF

Blackstone Group

Blackstone Secured Lending Fund

Delek US Hlds

Delek Logistics Partners

Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

The high-yield space has undergone a sharp bifurcation recently. We discuss what this bifurcation is and what is driving it. We discuss two quality and growing 10%-yields that are way too cheap right now.

Buy The Dip: 10% Yields Getting Way Too Cheap

Midstream and Energy have both been on a strong run in recent years. We compare the sectors in light of current macro factors. We then take a look at representative ETFs (XLE and AMLP) and share which is worth buying today.

Energy Vs. Midstream - XLE Vs. AMLP: Only One Is A Buy

Energy sector stocks, particularly those in the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ETF, often move in sync with commodities but can show divergence due to capitalization weighting. XLE is highly concentrated, with the top two holdings making up over 40% of the ETF, leading to potential misinterpretation of sector performance. Despite strong historical returns, XLE's current valuation and yield suggest it is not particularly cheap, needing a catalyst for significant movement.

XLE: Cheap, But No Catalyst Yet (Technical Analysis)

Canadian Natural Resources

Devon Energy

Diamondback Energy

Landbridge Co LLC

Occidental Petroleum

Texas Pacific Land Trust

Viper Energy Partners LP

U.S. oil production has surged since 2008, making the country a top energy producer. Political shifts could affect future output, but growth is likely to slow. Producers now prioritize profitability over expansion, reducing CapEx and focusing on free cash flow, making supply growth slower but more sustainable. Energy stocks are undervalued with strong dividend yields. Despite weak oil prices, the long-term fundamentals of these companies remain very attractive.

Why Energy Stocks Are The Ultimate Undervalued Dividend Play Right Now

iShares Global Clean Energy ETF

AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF

SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF

There will only be two presidential debates this election cycle now that former President Donald Trump declined to debate Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris a second time. The first debate yielded a clear winner in Trump, while the second one was decidedly positive for Harris, given her surge in the polls in the following days. Because each candidate received a notable bump in the polls after their respective “wins,” investors got a sneak peek into the sectors that stand to benefit most from either administration.

Which Sectors Stand to Benefit From Election Outcomes

Oil heads for its first weekly gain in a month buoyed by Hurricane Francine but fails to spur energy ETFs.

Rise in Oil Price Fails to Lift Energy ETFs: What's Ahead?

Midstream has remained resilient as oil prices have fallen in recent weeks. Despite weakening oil prices, the midstream segment has remained defensive and has held up better than other energy subsectors.

Midstream Is Resilient as Oil Prices Fall

Sector-oriented exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer a way to gain exposure to an entire portfolio of companies that may be benefiting from trends in the market. They provide diversification from the business-specific risk of investing in just individual companies.

Analysts Recommend These 3 Sector ETFs for Long-Term Growth

Among the hardest hit were Diamondback Energy, APA Corporation, and ExxonMobil. with shares of each falling around 4% on Tuesday.

Oil Stocks Crash After OPEC Revises Demand Forecast Downward

News for Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ETF (XLE)