Wall Street was on a scary ride in the first quarter, with two of the three major indices wrapping up their worst quarter in more than two years. The S&P 500 dropped more than 4.5%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq plummeted 10.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 1.3% and recorded its first back-to-back monthly losses since October 2023.
Notably, the S&P 500 ended its streak of five straight winning quarters, while the Nasdaq wiped out more than half of last year’s gains in the last three months. Despite the broad-based losses, a few ETFs have gained more than 5% in the last quarter and have a solid Zacks ETF Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), suggesting outperformance in the coming weeks as well.
These include Energy Select Sector SPDR XLE, Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF SPLV, iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF ITA, WisdomTree US High Dividend Fund DHS and Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund XLV.
The stock market remains clouded by growing uncertainty around the new U.S. administration’s economic tariffs. The Trump administration imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China and other countries, escalating trade war concerns. Markets are on edge ahead of Trump’s anticipated Wednesday announcement of sweeping new tariffs, dubbed “Liberation Day” by the President. The administration has hinted at tariffs on all nations, compounding fears of inflation and slowing growth.
These tariffs are expected to drive up consumer prices, curbing spending and weighing on the U.S. economy. Additionally, they could disrupt global supply chains and dent corporate profits, particularly for major U.S. exporters. As a result, the tariffs will usher in a period of stagflation in the world’s biggest economy (read: 5 Sector ETFs That Have Outperformed the S&P 500 in Q1).
Additionally, the barrage of recent data indicates a downturn in the economy. Though the Fed, in its latest meeting, reaffirmed its forecast for two rate cuts this year, it expects higher inflation and slower economic growth. This has raised heightened volatility and uncertainty in the market. The combination has led to risk-off trade, raising the appeal for safe haven avenues and lower-risk play.
The Magnificent Seven, which drove the stock markets higher through 2023 and 2024, weighed heavily on U.S. equity markets. These stocks have collectively lost more than $2 trillion in market value since the start of the year as investors sold off growth names.
We have profiled the abovementioned ETFs in detail below:
Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) – Up 8.7%
Energy Select Sector SPDR is the largest and the most popular ETF in the energy space, with an AUM of $33 billion and an average daily volume of 15 million shares per day. It offers exposure to the broad energy space and follows the Energy Select Sector Index. Energy Select Sector SPDR holds 23 securities in its basket, with a higher concentration on the top two firms. It charges 8 bps in annual fees and has a Zacks ETF Rank #1 (read: Trade War Fears Surge: Sector ETFs & Stocks to Watch Out For).
Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF (SPLV) – Up 5.8%
Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF provides exposure to stocks with the lowest realized volatility over the past 12 months. It tracks the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index and holds 101 securities in its basket. Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF is widely spread across sectors, with financials, utilities, industrials and consumer staples receiving double-digit exposure each. Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF has amassed $7.7 billion in its asset base and trades in a solid volume of 1.7 million shares a day on average. It charges 25 bps in annual fees and has a Zacks ETF Rank #2.
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) – Up 5.6%
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF provides exposure to U.S. companies that manufacture commercial and military aircraft and other defense equipment by tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF holds 36 stocks in its basket with AUM of $6.4 billion and an expense ratio of 0.40%. It trades in an average daily volume of around 514,000 shares and has a Zacks ETF Rank #1 (read: Defense ETF Hits New 52-Week High).
WisdomTree U.S. High Dividend Fund (DHS) – Up 5.5%
WisdomTree U.S. High Dividend Fund offers exposure to U.S. high dividend-yielding companies by tracking the WisdomTree U.S. High Dividend Index. It holds 377 stocks in its basket, with key holdings in healthcare, consumer staples, financials and energy. WisdomTree U.S. High Dividend Fund has amassed $1.2 billion in its asset base and trades in average daily volume of 37,000. It charges 38 bps in fees per year and has a Zacks ETF Rank #2.
Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) – Up 5.5%
Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund is the most popular healthcare ETF with an AUM of $38.3 billion and an average daily volume of 8 million shares. It follows the Health Care Select Sector Index and holds 60 securities in its basket. Pharma takes the largest share at 30.7% from a sector look, while healthcare equipment and supplies, healthcare providers and services, and biotech have double-digit exposure each. Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund charges 8 bps in annual fees and has a Zacks ETF Rank #1.
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Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE): ETF Research Reports
Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV): ETF Research Reports
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA): ETF Research Reports
WisdomTree U.S. High Dividend ETF (DHS): ETF Research Reports
Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF (SPLV): ETF Research Reports
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
