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At close: December 20 at 4:00:00 PM EST

Building a resilient portfolio to withstand Trump 2.0 volatility

As investors gauge how President-elect Donald Trump's second term in office will impact markets, Janus Henderson Investors Global Alpha Equity Team portfolio manager Julian McManus joins Seana Smith and Josh Lipton on Market Domination to discuss how to build a portfolio that's resilient to market volatility. "Volatility and resilience are keywords that investors need to have in mind when they construct portfolios," Henderson says, adding, "I think we're just endemically heading into what is going to be a higher volatility regime, I think, for the next year or so, we can expect higher volatility around what policymakers do and the way that currencies and risk assets react to that." The portfolio manager shares two steps for "very thoughtful portfolio construction." He outlines, "First of all, isolating stock selection as the source of risk. So, we want idiosyncratic risk or stock-specific risk to be driving returns." "Secondly, I think a thoughtful approach to risk on a go-forward basis. So, thinking through the major risks facing the portfolio and picking stocks that can be resilient in the face of that." McManus highlights defense stocks (XAR) in the US and globally, as well as sectors like telecommunications (XLC) and utilities (XLU), as opportunities for investors to find resilience amid volatility. Watch the video above to learn about the portfolio manager's market expectations for Trump's second term. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Market Domination here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

Yahoo Finance Video 6 hours ago

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Sector Update: Financial

Financial stocks advanced in late Thursday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index up 0.4% a

PREMIUM
MT Newswires yesterday

XLF
Tech is a 'strong play' for 2025 after the Fed's 'hawkish cut'

All three of the major indexes (^DJI,^GSPC, ^IXIC) rebound from a selloff fueled by the Federal Reserve's 2025 forecast coming in more hawkish than expected. Haywood Wealth Management president and co-founder Justin Haywood joins Wealth! Host Brad Smith to break down what investors should consider when positioning their portfolio. "I would call yesterday's move a hawkish cut," Haywood says, adding, "I think the Fed was probably reluctant to make this cut. They may have backed themselves into a corner in a sense with their rhetoric in September. And I think they felt like they needed to make this cut." Looking forward to 2025, he says, "the sentiment should be relatively bullish" despite uncertainty around President-elect Donald Trump's policies. "You want to ride this out," he tells Yahoo Finance. Haywood outlines his top picks, saying, "Technology remains a strong play moving into 2025." He names Apple (AAPL), Tesla (TSLA), and Palantir (PLTR). To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

Yahoo Finance Video yesterday

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Affordability woes in a strong economy: 2025 housing market outlook

With the new year around the corner, Zillow Group (Z) chief economist Skylar Olsen joins Brad Smith on Wealth to talk about her expectations for the housing market in 2025. Olsen says that, looking to 2025, Zillow is "thinking about the affordability challenge, but also thinking about the strength and the economy." She explains, "Put two of those things together, and you've got a lot of buyers in make-it-work mode," meaning buyers are "still trying to take advantage of more affordable" opportunities like buying a home outside of major cities. "We're thinking about the rental market, which will be more important next year because of the continued barriers to the for sale side," the economist says, since there are "generations of people who are going to be renting for longer." As mortgage rates are expected to stay higher for longer, "Zillow does expect probably fewer new listings from existing owners than we did just a couple months ago moving into that next year. That said, we still forecast a steady improvement." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

Yahoo Finance Video yesterday

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Existing home sales pop, signaling buyers are in 'make-it-work mode'

Existing home sales jumped in November, rising 4.8% from the month prior and 6.1% year over year, new data from the National Association of Realtors shows. Zillow Group chief economist Skylar Olsen joins Wealth host Brad Smith to break down what the data signals about the housing market ahead of 2025. "Existing home sales more than matched our optimism for November's numbers. We did expect it to come in probably surprisingly high, [but] I think this more than delivered," Olsen says. She notes Zillow has been tracking a "stronger momentum from new listings, from existing homeowners kind of filling up the shelves, adding to that inventory for buyers, and the strength of the economy pushed buyers through in a make-it-work mode, despite rising mortgage rates to deliver such a stunning showing." The economist says that, in the new year, "we're not going to see [a] big relief from a price correction. Any relief that we hope for from affordability will come in the form of lower mortgage rates." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

Yahoo Finance Video yesterday

XHB

XLRE
Mortgage rates perk up, snapping three weeks of declines

Mortgage rates pop back up this week following the Federal Reserve's latest interest rate cut, the central bank now forecasting fewer rate cuts to come in 2025. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage climbs back to 6.72%, up from last week's 6.60% and snapping three straight weeks of rate declines. Yahoo Finance housing reporter Claire Boston sits down with Brad Smith to talk more about mortgage rate trends, in relation to homebuyers' sentiments on the rate environment. Read more of Claire Boston's coverage on mortgage rates. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

Yahoo Finance Video yesterday

XLRE

XHB
Stocks will see 'increased volatility' in early 2025: Strategist

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points in their final meeting of 2024, but markets sold off after the central bank officials projected only two rate cuts for 2025. BMO Private Wealth chief market strategist Carol Schleif joined Morning Brief to analyze the implications. Schleif says during Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's press conference, "he tried repeatedly" to emphasize the economy's strength. With the economy still robust, "inflation doesn't come down as fast as they thought," Schleif adds. She explains that the Fed's "slow and cautious approach" aims to "position themselves to absorb potential policy changes coming in." Looking ahead, she expects "pretty dramatically increased volatility" in early 2025. Schleif recommends investors maintain diversified portfolios with short-term fixed income (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX) to "act as ballast." Her preferred sectors include technology, industrials, biotechnology, and financials. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief here. This post was written by Angel Smith

Yahoo Finance Video yesterday

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^DJI
Mortgage rates creating 'tug-of-war' with affordability: Fannie Mae

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points at their final meeting of 2024 with a majority of central bank officials now expecting to only cut rates twice in 2025. What kind of impacts could this have on mortgage rates and the US housing market? Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) chief economist Mark Palim sits down with Josh Lipton talk about more about pricing trends in the housing market. Fannie Mae's affiliate organization, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (or Freddie Mac), is scheduled to release the latest mortgage rate figures Thursday morning. "The key issue for the housing market in the United States, for sure, has been affordability, of which high mortgage rates [are] definitely part of that discussion and it's also being renter affordability," Palim says. "The Fed today came out and ratified... bond market investor concerns about whether inflation would be as stickier than it looked six months ago, or that they even looked at the beginning of the year. So you should expect mortgage rates to... remain a little higher than they might have otherwise been." Palim describes mortgage rates, a key component for the lock-in effect for homeowners, as being in a "tug-of-war" with housing affordability: "People don't want to move and give up that 3% mortgage rate and affordability. We started the year with existing home sales running at 4.2 million; we're ending the year running... around 4 million. So you're seeing the higher rates relative to where they were a few years ago really starting to affect demand." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Asking for a Trend here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

Yahoo Finance Video yesterday

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The BATMMAAN tech stocks this strategist has his eye on

Step aside Magnificent Seven, the BATMMAAN is here! No, not everyone's favorite dark and brooding caped crusader, but the latest rebranding of the top tech stock leaders and outperformers, now including a rising favorite in the AI chip space: Broadcom (AVGO), Apple (AAPL), Tesla (TSLA), Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (META), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), and Nvidia (NVDA). Freedom Capital Markets chief global strategist Jay Woods speaks with Yahoo Finance about his position on several of the BATMMAAN components. "The one stock in this group that no one's really talking about too much is Apple. Apple is at $3.8 trillion [market cap]. It's the third biggest in the XLK (XLK) now because they've repositioned that in July," Woods tells Catalysts host Madison Mills. "And to me that is a utility stock that just continues to climb. It's AI story is really just coming to our phones as every upgrade comes to our phone." "The potential on that upgrade cycle and the utility factor that it's been, leads me to believe this could be a $5 trillion company by the end of 2025." Also catch Freedom Capital Markets chief global strategist Jay Woods why the sudden downturn in Nvidia shares and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) may not be such a cause for alarm as investors think: "To me, this is just a pause." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

Yahoo Finance Video yesterday

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Is First Trust Financials AlphaDEX ETF (FXO) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Smart Beta ETF report for FXO

Zacks yesterday

VFH
It's 'critical' home builders 'ramp up production': NAR economist

New home construction fell to a four-month low in November, down 1.8% from the previous month. Yet new home inventory is at a 17-year high, and homebuilders are optimistic heading into 2025. Following yesterday's interview with National Association of Home Builders CEO Jim Tobin, National Association of Realtors chief economist Lawrence Yun joins Brad Smith on Wealth to discuss his outlook for the housing market. "Home sales have been rising in recent months after being stagnant in the early part of the year, and the reasoning is very simple: We have more inventory...bringing out more buyers," Yun says. The economist notes, "We know that the mortgage rate is not fully behaving, as the Federal Reserve has been cutting rates, mortgage rates stubbornly refusing to decline, but the more inventory, more choices for consumers are bringing buyers back into the market." He says, "That's why it is critical that the builders ramp up production in the upcoming years. So I do believe that the builders need to produce more and will produce more." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

Yahoo Finance Video 2 days ago

XHB

XLRE
How mortgage rates halted a housing market recovery in 2024

Wall Street anticipated a housing market "thaw" in 2024, but the market remains frozen. Yahoo Finance Senior Reporter Dani Romero examined why expectations fell short, highlighting the role of persistently high mortgage rates in maintaining the US housing market's standstill. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Angel Smith

Yahoo Finance Video 2 days ago

XLRE

XHB
Homebuilder stocks react to Nov. housing starts, building permits

The US Census Bureau released November's housing construction data, giving an updated look at the health of the real estate market. Housing starts declined 1.8% month over month, reaching their lowest level since July. However, single-family housing starts showed resilience, rising 6.4% from the previous month. Building permits also demonstrated strength, climbing 6.1% month over month. Morning Brief anchors Madison Mills and Brad Smith dissect how homebuilder stocks are reacting to the data. Lennar (LEN) is set to report its latest earnings print after Wednesday's market close. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief here. This post was written by Angel Smith

Yahoo Finance Video 2 days ago

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Commercial real estate to be 'pain point' for some banks: Strategist

The financial sector (XLF) is readying itself for an eventful 2025, with many on Wall Street expecting an uptick in dealmaking amid possible deregulations under the second Trump administration. Whalen Global Advisors Chairman Chris Whalen sits down with Seana Smith and Madison Mills on Catalysts to talk more about the financial sector. Whalen Global Advisors LLC manages several indexes tracking bank stocks and the financial sector: the WGA Bank Top 10 Index (WBXSW), WGA Bank Top 25 Index (WBXXVW), WGA Bank Top 50 Index (WBLW). "We like to focus on quality and performance. So I think for the better performers in the group, you could see more expansion, frankly. American Express (AXP) could probably flirt with six times book value next year unless we see a negative come around," Whalen tells Yahoo Finance. "But, you know, I don't see that right now. If anything, you know, we've had three quarters where the banks have moved very much." Whalen goes on to call commercial real estate one of the "only pain point[s]" for the industry, but warning: "Banks that don't have a lot of consumer or commercial exposures are going to be fine. Banks that specialize in commercial real estate or have historically specialized in multifamily in some of the blue states, some of the larger cities are going to be taking pain." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

Yahoo Finance Video 3 days ago

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This could lead to a 'golden age of housing production': NAHB CEO

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported that US homebuilder confidence is holding steady at 46 for December, according to its Housing Market Index. NAHB CEO Jim Tobin sits down with Brad Smith on Wealth to have a conversation about housing demand and affordability. "If we look at ways that we can release those lots, I think that is the one thing I would ask local governments to do is, is we get ready for what I think is going to be a golden age of housing production over the next 4 or 5 years," Tobin tells Yahoo Finance. "We really need to get those pieces of land in the pipeline now, and we need to get them in there affordably so that we can meet demand in the future." Tobin also comments on the trajectory of mortgage rates and the housing market's supply-and-demand forecasts for the years to come. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

Yahoo Finance Video 3 days ago

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XLRE
US homebuilder confidence holds still for December: NAHB

Homebuilder conference is remaining steady at 46 for December, as reported by the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), while economists expected an uptick to 47. Catalysts anchors Seana Smith and Madison Mills report more on this housing sentiment print and how prospective homebuyers are reacting to home prices and elevated mortgage rates. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

Yahoo Finance Video 3 days ago

XLRE

XHB
How to find a mortgage rate below 5% in 2025

Home prices are expected to rise in 2025, with mortgage rates set to remain above 6%. Yahoo Finance Senior Housing Market Reporter Claire Boston joins Brad Smith on Wealth! to break down what homebuyers should expect in the new year with consideration to rising prices, high mortgage rates, and inventory dynamics. She explains that mortgage rate buydowns, an incentive from new home builders, could help homebuyers secure a sub-5 % rate. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

Yahoo Finance Video 4 days ago

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XHB
Trump & chip sector: Investors need 'supply chain resilience plan'

President-elect Donald Trump has made tariffs a key focus of his second term in the White House, proposing a 60% tariff on all goods from China. The impact of Trump's second term on the semiconductor sector, which has become especially important during the artificial intelligence (AI) era, has been debated, given the impact of tariffs and uncertainty around the CHIPS and Science Act. Moor Insights & Strategy founder, CEO, and chief analyst Patrick Moorhead and Tufts University professor of International History Christopher Miller join Seana Smith and Madison Mills on Catalysts to discuss their outlook for the chip sector under Trump 2.0. Moorhead expects Trump to be a "net positive" for the chip sector: "Trump doesn't want to be the president that tanked the tech stock market, and he certainly could do that if he puts any weight on the chip stocks that have been a tremendous part of the growth over the last four years." "With all of the advanced semiconductor manufacturing leaving the United States, or most of it, Trump's trying to get the best deal to bring it back in. I do not believe he will tank the stock market or major industries to make that happen," Moorhead notes. Miller — the author of Chip War: The Fight for World's Most Critical Technology — says Trump's chip policy is "being defined right now by the president-elect and his incoming administration," adding that tariffs will likely be a key component of his approach to the semiconductor sector, though there will likely be negotiations between his proposals and the actual policies. Amid uncertainty about Trump's actual policies and their impacts on chipmakers, Moorhead cautions investors saying they "should be looking into every one of their investment plays and seeing if they have a supply chain resilience plan. It's a what if [plan]." Watch the video above to learn more about the US-China trade war, the impact of major chipmakers, and more. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

Yahoo Finance Video 4 days ago

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2025 housing outlook under Trump has a lot to do with seniors

Meredith Whitney Advisory Group CEO Meredith Whitney comes on Catalysts to talk about the challenges in housing inventory and home affordability as her firm estimates that 60% of US homes are owned by senior citizens aged 60 years and above. "You're going to see a big upgrade cycle with seniors aging in place. What that means for affordability is I think you're going to see new homeowners continue to struggle and stay renters for longer," Whitney — who was dubbed the "Oracle of Wall Street" for forecasting the 2007-2008 Great Financial Crisis — tells Seana Smith and Madison Mills. Whitney weighs in on what kind of housing conditions are expected to persist into the incoming second Trump administration, including the options that older homeowners and homebuyers may have. "Seniors have taken out more debt at a faster rate than any other age cohort. And now they they are they hold 44% of total home equity outstanding — that's up from 19% in 2004. So you see seniors really struggle," Whitney states. "So I think that having them be able to tap into their their equity is going to be something that the Trump administration really pushes for, and there's $35 trillion of equity and over half of that is tappable." Whitney has previously communicated the impact of a "silver tsunami" on the housing market to Yahoo Finance as aging Baby Boomers turning 65 years old look to downsize, potentially freeing up inventory. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

Yahoo Finance Video 4 days ago

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Why Wall Street says bank stocks are a top play for 2025

Wall Street’s top strategists say bank stocks are a top play for 2025.

Yahoo Finance 5 days ago

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Return	EZM	Category
YTD	+9.08%	+17.40%
1-Year	+9.05%	+29.91%
3-Year	+6.11%	+8.83%

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