The Motley Fool

MAY 9, 2024

Investing in the stock market can be daunting, especially when it involves picking individual stocks. Among them, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI) stands out as a one-stop shop for investors seeking a diversified stock portfolio. Why choose the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF?

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

There are 11 sectors in the S&P 500. Yet only one sector, technology, has gained more than 85% over the last five years. You may be wondering, if the S&P 500 reflects the average performance of all 11 sectors, shouldn't around half of the sectors beat the market and half underperform?

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The Motley Fool

MARCH 31, 2024

So far, the stock market is having a great 2024, at least when measured by the performance of the major indexes. Here's why the S&P 500 could keep going up despite this challenge, and how these changing market dynamics could impact your portfolio. You could do it by sector. Or growth stocks versus value stocks.

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The Motley Fool

JANUARY 9, 2024

Here are three not-so-wild stock market predictions for 2024. The technology sector will outperform the S&P 500 My second prediction is the technology sector will outperform the broader S&P 500, propelled higher by strong momentum across artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity stocks. Data by YCharts.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Vanguard is a massive investment management company, offering mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETF), 401(k) plans, and many other financial products and tools. The company's founder, Jack Bogle, popularized low-cost passive investing through index funds. This year, those stocks have crushed the market and carried the index.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 17, 2023

companies that span all 11 stock market sectors defined by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). In fact, the sector in question more than doubled the return of the broader S&P 500, and it was the only sector to beat the market. Can you guess which one?

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 18, 2024

With some market indices reaching new all-time highs seemingly every day and many stocks becoming more expensive, you may feel like you want to take your foot off the gas. Allocate new savings to safer investments If you want to avoid buying stocks you think are overpriced, you can simply allocate new savings to safer stocks.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 20, 2023

Investing is something that most people know they should do, but much fewer people do it. Whenever someone tells me they know they should invest and I ask why they don't, the two most common responses are: "I don't have enough money" and "I don't know how." Investing doesn't have to be, and shouldn't be, difficult. Materials 2.5%

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The Motley Fool

MARCH 8, 2024

stock market indexes, alongside the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. The Nasdaq measures the performance of more than 3,000 companies that span all 11 market sectors. That means the index is officially in bull market territory. The chart below provides details on every Nasdaq bull market since 1990.

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The Motley Fool

AUGUST 20, 2023

The S&P 500 is a diversified index that tracks 500 of the largest companies from every market sector, making it a good barometer for the broader U.S. stock market. By contrast, the Nasdaq Composite includes over 2,500 companies, with a focus on high-growth stocks in the technology and consumer discretionary sectors.

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The Motley Fool

MAY 3, 2024

There are 11 main sectors that companies fall into, but none may be as popular to investors as the tech sector. Given this sector's success, it makes sense that investors would want in on the action. Given this sector's success, it makes sense that investors would want in on the action. So, what exactly is the Nasdaq-100?

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The Motley Fool

JANUARY 2, 2024

There's no question the stock market is one of the best tools people have at their disposal to build lasting wealth. Even those with zero experience with the stock market can still benefit. By investing in this top index fund , you are on the path to improving your financial well-being. But there's good news.

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The Motley Fool

MAY 12, 2024

One of the easiest ways to get a reading on whether the market is overvalued is to look at the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of the S&P 500. But the market is forward looking and cares more about where companies are going than where they have been. The technology sector makes up 29.3% and the 10-year average of 17.8,

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Despite the short-term volatility, investors should always keep in mind that investing is a journey best navigated with a long-term mindset. Ideally, you make consistent investments throughout your career to set yourself up to be as financially stress-free as possible in retirement. It has become the primary benchmark for the U.S.

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The Motley Fool

MAY 12, 2024

There are a handful of must-follow fundamentals in stock investing, and the need for diversification sits high on the list. Diversification can help hedge against company or sector-specific risks and promote long-term portfolio stability. economy as you could ask for in the stock market. Health care : 12.4%

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 16, 2023

Turning $1,000 into $5,000 in seven years is no small feat on the stock market. That gap shows the power of compounding on the stock market, which will accelerate the gains from higher annual returns. At that valuation, it shouldn't take much to move the stock higher. Should you invest $1,000 in Etsy right now?

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The Motley Fool

JANUARY 13, 2024

One thing about history is that it often repeats itself, including in the stock market. Let top tech companies lead the way for you The Nasdaq-100 is a subset index of the Nasdaq Composite that tracks the 100 largest non-financial companies trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. stock market. 2011 (1.8%) 15.9%

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The Motley Fool

JULY 17, 2023

The Nasdaq-100 index tracks the 100 largest non-financial stocks on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The index consists mainly of technology stocks, but a few other sectors are represented. So far this year, the Nasdaq-100 has surged over 42%, far outpacing the 17% gain of the S&P 500 , the stock market's typical benchmark.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

There are many misconceptions about the stock market and investing. You can do all of that, and it has its benefits, but it's not a requirement for making good money in the stock market. Its holdings include only large-cap growth stocks (companies with market caps of at least $10 billion ).

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2023

The lion's share of the market's returns over the last century has come from a small handful of equities, and most of them have been large-cap stocks. That's why many investors prefer to invest in diversified exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track the large-cap growth segment of the market.

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The Motley Fool

AUGUST 13, 2023

Index funds are generally seen as boring alternatives to individual stocks, but investors should take care not to conflate boring investments with bad investments. Why invest in the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF? The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF tracks more than 3,800 large U.S.

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The Motley Fool

NOVEMBER 18, 2023

Established on prioritizing broad exposure to the stock market over the complexity of trying to outperform the market every year, Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focus on simplicity without compromising performance.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Index funds lack the excitement of individual stocks. But a boring investment strategy is not necessarily a bad investment strategy. Moreover, outperforming the major stock market indexes over an extended period is hard. Now is a good time to put money into the stock market.

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The Motley Fool

MAY 13, 2024

It's no surprise that most investors look at the S&P 500 when trying to assess how the stock market has performed over a certain period of time. A remarkable performance If you invested $1,000 in an S&P 500 ETF a decade ago (and reinvested any dividends), you'd have about $3,350 today. billion in assets.

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The Motley Fool

JANUARY 3, 2024

Investing is a long game, and the earlier you start, the more likely it is that you'll come out with some great profits. And through the effects of compounding, you also don't need to have a fortune ready to invest in order to build up some impressive gains. This tracks the top 100 largest non-financial stocks on the Nasdaq.

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The Motley Fool

JUNE 18, 2023

If you close your eyes, you can almost hear the sounds of stock market bells ringing and bulls stampeding. Stock market euphoria is back, it seems. Many financial-media outlets have declared that a new bull market has begun in all three indexes. What's a bull market, really? Image source: Getty Images.

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The Motley Fool

JANUARY 22, 2024

By following a few simple steps, you can easily build a million-dollar stock portfolio capable of delivering a six-figure passive income stream. The earlier you start investing, the more time you have to grow your money and benefit from the power of compounding. stock market. One of the most important factors is time.

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The Motley Fool

MARCH 24, 2024

When talking about the stock market, investors view the S&P 500 as the key barometer for gauging how things are going. Historically, the S&P 500 has been a superb investment, enough so that even Warren Buffett recommends most people put money into an index fund that follows it. That is a remarkable track record.

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The Motley Fool

MARCH 15, 2024

The Nasdaq Composite recently reached a record high for the first time since falling into a bear market in late 2021. That means the technology-heavy index is officially back in bull market territory, a milestone usually followed by significant gains across the stock market. Microsoft: 11.8% Alphabet: 6.2% Broadcom: 2.3%

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 27, 2024

stock market currently stands on shaky ground. The stark difference between high borrowing costs and the rise of powerful growth trends like artificial intelligence (AI) and weight-loss drugs has recently drawn investors toward a small handful of large-cap stocks. George Budwell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

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The Motley Fool

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

This year's market rally has been led by growth stocks, namely mega-cap tech stocks like Nvidia and Meta Platforms (both up over 180% year-to-date). VTV data by YCharts If big tech and growth stocks take a huge hit like they did last year, the Vanguard Value ETF will be just fine. Consumer Staples 10.9%

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The Motley Fool

JULY 7, 2023

These stocks actually have led the market rally since the start of the year. Technology and consumer discretionary stocks contributed the most to the S&P 500's 15% gain in the first six months, according to Statista. That's because they generally depend on consumer spending and economic growth.

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Stock Market Stock Market Investors Companies 246

The Motley Fool

JANUARY 20, 2024

The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) is an index comprising about 3,500 stocks, many of which come from the technology and consumer discretionary sectors. Investors rotated away from growth stocks as post-pandemic inflation scorched the economy. The index soared 43.4% Inflation actually reaccelerated to 3.4%

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 11, 2024

There are countless investing strategies and approaches that a person can take. That said, some investments have stood the test of time and proven they can be effective for investors of all types. One of those investments is an S&P 500 exchange-traded fund (ETF) that holds shares of all 500 stocks in that index.

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The Motley Fool

MAY 13, 2024

If you're excited about the possibilities that the new bull market could present, you're not alone. While bear markets tend to occur every several years, on average, bull markets generally happen more often and last longer. Should you invest $1,000 in UnitedHealth Group right now?

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The Motley Fool

JANUARY 22, 2024

For most investors, the goal should be to -- at a minimum -- having your stock portfolio keep up with the market average. When people refer to "the market," they generally mean the S&P 500 , an index that tracks the largest 500 companies trading on the U.S. stock market. Consumer discretionary : 20.4%

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The Motley Fool

MARCH 24, 2024

As I'm writing this, all three major stock market indexes are sitting at or near their all-time highs. First, much of the gains in the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq in particular have been fueled by large-cap growth stocks, particularly the mega-caps in the "Magnificent Seven." Small Cap Value Index. times earnings and has a 12.5%

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