We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
The major U.S. indices were relatively quiet at first glance, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 Index gaining roughly a quarter percent for the session. However, investors should never judge a book by its cover. After all, bears have been arguing since the October 2022 low that the general market rally has been built on top of a rickety set of stilts, namely the "Magnificent 7", which includes mega-cap juggernauts such as Meta Platforms. However, recently, the slim leadership argument has become impossible to defend, and Tuesday's price action helped to debunk the falsehood further.
During "risk-off" periods in the market, investors seek stability in the form of slow-moving, cheaply valued, and low-beta stocks such as AT&T. Currently, investors are doing the exact opposite and attempting to grow capital rather than preserve it. Under the surface, the bulls once again flexed their collective muscle. Three "risk-on" areas of the market are providing clues, including:
· Bitcoin & Crypto: Bitcoin is knocking on the door of all-time highs, gaining momentum from the Bitcoin ETF launch.
· Small Caps: IWM lagged in 2023 but is starting to play catch-up. The index gained 1.42% Tuesday.
· Biotech: Biotech has been one of the worst-performing industries for years. However, in 2024, it's one of the best performing.
Let's dive a bit deeper into these three market areas and focus on what is driving them higher:
Bitcoin & Crypto
"Bitcoin is in the price discovery phase. Maybe really for the first time since it's been an asset as now the bulk of U.S. wealth has easy access. Hard to predict where we stop." ` Mike Novogratz, Ceo, Galaxy Investment Partners
Institutional Adoption is Here
It turns out that the much-hyped launch of Bitcoin ETFs will live up to the hype. By begrudgingly approving Bitcoin ETFs, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has opened up the floodgates to institutional adoptions. Fidelity, one of the largest asset managers worldwide, is allocating 1-3% of its All-In-One ETF products to crypto. Meanwhile, the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF has been approved for use by several wealth management platforms (with some in excess of $100B in AUM!).
The demand is insatiable now, and Bitcoin is encroaching on the $60,000 mark and precious all-time highs early Wednesday.
Small Caps
Yes, small caps have lagged for the past few years, and the Russell 2000 Index ETF is trying to emerge from its worst drawdown in history. However, signs emerge that investors are ready to pass the baton to the small-cap space. Despite massive post-EPS gains in mega-cap stocks like Nvidia, month-to-date, IWM is exhibiting relative strength and is up 5.8%, outperforming both the S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq. Meanwhile, small caps have just witnessed their largest inflows since June 2022.
Biotech
Biotech is the ultimate risk-on barometer. Investing in the public biotech industry can be highly risky due to factors such as the unpredictable and lengthy regulatory approval process for new drugs, the inherent uncertainty of clinical trial outcomes, and the significant research and development costs involved. As a result, biotech companies often face challenges in achieving profitability.
Nevertheless, biotech is making a comeback. For example, Tuesday's star was Viking Therapeutics, which bolted 121% for the session after the company announced positive top-line results from its phase 2 weight loss drug.
While many areas of biotech are firing on all cylinders, the new weight loss drug category alone has a chance to bouy the industry for the next several years.
Bottom Line
The biggest bear argument over the past year has been slim leadership in the market, namely concentrated in mega-cap tech stocks such as the "Mag 7." However, dig deeper, and you will discover that the market is broadening quickly, led by risk-on areas of the market like crypto, small caps, and biotech.
Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.0 average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +44.9%, +48.4% and +55.2% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Meta Platforms, AT&T, BITB, IWM and Viking Therapeutics
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – February 29, 2024 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) , AT&T (T - Free Report) , Bitcoin ETF (BITB - Free Report) , Russell 2000 Index ETF (IWM - Free Report) and Viking Therapeutics (VKTX - Free Report) .
Beyond the "Mag 7": 3 Risk-On Market Forces
The major U.S. indices were relatively quiet at first glance, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 Index gaining roughly a quarter percent for the session. However, investors should never judge a book by its cover. After all, bears have been arguing since the October 2022 low that the general market rally has been built on top of a rickety set of stilts, namely the "Magnificent 7", which includes mega-cap juggernauts such as Meta Platforms. However, recently, the slim leadership argument has become impossible to defend, and Tuesday's price action helped to debunk the falsehood further.
During "risk-off" periods in the market, investors seek stability in the form of slow-moving, cheaply valued, and low-beta stocks such as AT&T. Currently, investors are doing the exact opposite and attempting to grow capital rather than preserve it. Under the surface, the bulls once again flexed their collective muscle. Three "risk-on" areas of the market are providing clues, including:
· Bitcoin & Crypto: Bitcoin is knocking on the door of all-time highs, gaining momentum from the Bitcoin ETF launch.
· Small Caps: IWM lagged in 2023 but is starting to play catch-up. The index gained 1.42% Tuesday.
· Biotech: Biotech has been one of the worst-performing industries for years. However, in 2024, it's one of the best performing.
Let's dive a bit deeper into these three market areas and focus on what is driving them higher:
Bitcoin & Crypto
"Bitcoin is in the price discovery phase. Maybe really for the first time since it's been an asset as now the bulk of U.S. wealth has easy access. Hard to predict where we stop." ` Mike Novogratz, Ceo, Galaxy Investment Partners
Institutional Adoption is Here
It turns out that the much-hyped launch of Bitcoin ETFs will live up to the hype. By begrudgingly approving Bitcoin ETFs, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has opened up the floodgates to institutional adoptions. Fidelity, one of the largest asset managers worldwide, is allocating 1-3% of its All-In-One ETF products to crypto. Meanwhile, the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF has been approved for use by several wealth management platforms (with some in excess of $100B in AUM!).
The demand is insatiable now, and Bitcoin is encroaching on the $60,000 mark and precious all-time highs early Wednesday.
Small Caps
Yes, small caps have lagged for the past few years, and the Russell 2000 Index ETF is trying to emerge from its worst drawdown in history. However, signs emerge that investors are ready to pass the baton to the small-cap space. Despite massive post-EPS gains in mega-cap stocks like Nvidia, month-to-date, IWM is exhibiting relative strength and is up 5.8%, outperforming both the S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq. Meanwhile, small caps have just witnessed their largest inflows since June 2022.
Biotech
Biotech is the ultimate risk-on barometer. Investing in the public biotech industry can be highly risky due to factors such as the unpredictable and lengthy regulatory approval process for new drugs, the inherent uncertainty of clinical trial outcomes, and the significant research and development costs involved. As a result, biotech companies often face challenges in achieving profitability.
Nevertheless, biotech is making a comeback. For example, Tuesday's star was Viking Therapeutics, which bolted 121% for the session after the company announced positive top-line results from its phase 2 weight loss drug.
While many areas of biotech are firing on all cylinders, the new weight loss drug category alone has a chance to bouy the industry for the next several years.
Bottom Line
The biggest bear argument over the past year has been slim leadership in the market, namely concentrated in mega-cap tech stocks such as the "Mag 7." However, dig deeper, and you will discover that the market is broadening quickly, led by risk-on areas of the market like crypto, small caps, and biotech.
Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.0 average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +44.9%, +48.4% and +55.2% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
See Stocks Free >>
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
support@zacks.com
https://www.zacks.com
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.