Evolution of GICS Consumer Discretionary Sector and XLY ETF

The Consumer Discretionary sector of the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) was established in 1999 to represent cyclical industries. It has undergone several significant revisions to reflect the evolution of the global economy, primarily in 2018 and 2023, as business models shifted.  All research 5,000+ stocks and 700+ ETFs updated on www.ValuEngine.com When GICS was … Read more

11/03/2025 ValuEngine Weekly Market Summary & Commentary

Weekly Market Recap – Week Ending October 31, 2025 October opened the final quarter of the year with a mixed tone. Large-cap ETFs regained leadership after a brief small-cap rebound in Q3. Tech and growth ETFs once again outperformed value and defensive sectors, while mid-caps and utilities struggled amid renewed rate volatility. Gold remained volatile … Read more

10/27/2025 ValuEngine Weekly Market Summary & Commentary

Weekly Market Recap – Week Ending October 24, 2025 Tech led the week, with XLK +1.87% and QQQM +0.90%, while defensives lagged (XLP –0.72%, XLU -0.16%). Energy firmed (XLE +1.36%) and small-caps inched up (VB +0.82%). Over 30 days, AMD, SNDK, and ASTS headline U.S. gainers, while HSGNY tops ADRs. Free Trial: Research on over 5,000 stocks and 700 ETFs HERE In the below table we … Read more

10/20/2025 ValuEngine Weekly Market Summary & Commentary

Weekly Market Recap – Week Ending October 17, 2025 U.S. equities ended the week on a resilient note, with broad-based gains across most sectors.  The S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) rose modestly ay 0.21%, while the tech-heavy Invesco Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQM) added 0.31%-extending its strong year-to-date leadership. Notably, defensive and rate-sensative segments led performance this … Read more

2025 3Q Review: Bears Capture Headlines While Bulls and Gold Bugs Garner Profits

Strategists, economists, and all manners of pundits have been somberly telling us since January why market euphoria is misplaced.  There has been no shortage of rationales for their bearish forecasts.  Tariffs, systemic instability, recession, inflation, ridiculously unprecedented valuations and more have explained why a major correction or potential crash has been inevitable this year.  Their … Read more

10/13/2025 ValuEngine Weekly Market Summary & Commentary

Weekly Market Recap – Week Ending October 10, 2025 Markets endured a turbulent week as global equities faced renewed volatility driven by escalating U.S.–China trade tensions. Gold surged to record highs while major U.S. and international equity benchmarks declined sharply.   Free Trial: Research on over 5,000 stocks and 700 ETFs HERE In the below table we … Read more

09/15/2025 ValuEngine Weekly Market Summary & Commentary

Weekly Market Recap – Week Ending September 19, 2025 It was a mixed week for stock indexes with the Nasdaq once again standing out as the clear leader. Large-cap tech strength helped the Invesco Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQM) outpace broader benchmarks, while small caps and equal-weighted strategies lagged. Sector performance was uneven, with leadership concentrated … Read more

Pinpointing Targets in the Financial Sector

The Finance Sector is ranked as #3 among the 15 we cover for year-ahead returns by the ValuEngine forecast model.  Finance sector stocks and ETFs along with the previously profiled utilities sector are generally perceived as stodgy stocks that are most commonly bought by older investors for dividend yield.  However, that has not been true … Read more

Utilities Sector Update – Competitive Growth Along with Above-Average Price Stability and Attractive Dividend Yields

Our last blog discussed safe harbors amidst the current storm of market volatility.  The idea presented was to investigate the strong buy stocks with the lowest betas.  This week we home in on a sector that is typically low volatility and low growth.  Currently we find fairly competitive earnings growth in this sector. We look … Read more

Highly Rated Low Volatility Stocks and ETFs for Today’s Market

Market volatility last week was the highest it has been in 2025. While it sent a portion of investors heading for the exits, many more looked to shift assets from large-cap technology stocks and cap-weighted ETFs into less volatile investments. For example, low beta stocks and low beta ETFs have seen increased interest as investors … Read more