We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
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.
Consumer Rebound Boosts Outlook for Discretionary ETFs
Read MoreHide Full Article
Americans have started to feel optimistic about the economy, as the initial shock from steep tariffs begins to wear off and inflation pressures ease. Rising consumer sentiment bodes well for household spending in the coming months. It is expected to have a positive impact on the consumer discretionary sector, which attracts a major portion of consumer spending.
Investors can tap the encouraging trend in the basket form through consumer discretionary ETFs like Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY - Free Report) , Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR - Free Report) and iShares U.S. Consumer Services ETF (IYC - Free Report) . These funds have a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (Hold).
U.S. consumer sentiment climbed in June for the first time in six months, offering a glimmer of optimism amid lingering policy uncertainty. According to preliminary data from the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers, the Consumer Sentiment Index jumped to 60.5, up from 52.2 in May and well above economists’ expectations of 53.6. The rebound follows one of the lowest sentiment readings on record in May.
Inflation Shows Signs of Cooling Down
Short and long-term inflation forecasts softened notably. One-year inflation expectations dropped significantly to 5.1% in June, down from 6.6% in May—a level not seen in over four decades. Expectations for inflation over the next five to 10 years also edged down slightly to 4.1% from 4.2% the previous month (read: Sector ETFs Set to Gain as Inflation Cools in May).
Trade Tensions Ease
The surge in confidence followed the Trump administration’s decision to delay new tariffs in April and reach a temporary truce with China in May. As Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu remarked, “Consumers appear to have settled somewhat from the shock of the extremely high tariffs announced in April and the policy volatility seen in the weeks that followed.”
These shifts suggest consumers are regaining some confidence as economic conditions stabilize and uncertainty around trade policy begins to diminish.
Data Coincides With Conference Board Survey
The data aligns with the other survey report released late last month. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rose sharply in May to 98, well above April’s 85.7 reading and comfortably ahead of the 87.1 economists had forecast. Its expectations index, which gauges the outlook for income, business, and labor conditions over the next six months, surged to 72.8 in May from a 13-year low of 55.4 in April — the strongest monthly jump since May 2009.
ETFs Set to Gain
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY - Free Report)
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund offers exposure to the broad consumer discretionary space and tracks the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index. It holds 51 securities in its basket, with key holdings in hotels, restaurants and leisure, broadline retail, specialty retail, and automobiles with a double-digit allocation each (read: Consumer Discretionary ETFs Set for a Comeback?).
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund is the largest and most popular product in this space, with AUM of $21.7 billion and an average daily volume of around 4 million shares. It charges 0.08% in expense ratio.
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF follows the MSCI U.S. Investable Market Consumer Discretionary 25/50 Index and holds 296 stocks in its basket. In terms of industrial exposure, broadline retail, automobile manufacturers and restaurants occupy the top three spots.
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF is the low-cost choice in the space, charging investors only 9 bps in annual fees while volume is good at nearly 77,000 shares a day. The fund has managed $6 billion in its asset base so far.
iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF offers exposure to U.S. companies that distribute food, drugs, general retail items and media by tracking the Russell 1000 Consumer Disc 40 Act 15/22.5 Daily Capped Index. It holds 174 stocks in its basket, with key holdings in consumer discretionary, consumer services, media & entertainment, and autos & components.
iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF has amassed $1.5 billion in its asset base and trades in a moderate volume of 86,000 shares a day on average. It charges 39 bps in annual fees from investors.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Consumer Rebound Boosts Outlook for Discretionary ETFs
Americans have started to feel optimistic about the economy, as the initial shock from steep tariffs begins to wear off and inflation pressures ease. Rising consumer sentiment bodes well for household spending in the coming months. It is expected to have a positive impact on the consumer discretionary sector, which attracts a major portion of consumer spending.
Investors can tap the encouraging trend in the basket form through consumer discretionary ETFs like Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY - Free Report) , Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR - Free Report) and iShares U.S. Consumer Services ETF (IYC - Free Report) . These funds have a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (Hold).
U.S. consumer sentiment climbed in June for the first time in six months, offering a glimmer of optimism amid lingering policy uncertainty. According to preliminary data from the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers, the Consumer Sentiment Index jumped to 60.5, up from 52.2 in May and well above economists’ expectations of 53.6. The rebound follows one of the lowest sentiment readings on record in May.
Inflation Shows Signs of Cooling Down
Short and long-term inflation forecasts softened notably. One-year inflation expectations dropped significantly to 5.1% in June, down from 6.6% in May—a level not seen in over four decades. Expectations for inflation over the next five to 10 years also edged down slightly to 4.1% from 4.2% the previous month (read: Sector ETFs Set to Gain as Inflation Cools in May).
Trade Tensions Ease
The surge in confidence followed the Trump administration’s decision to delay new tariffs in April and reach a temporary truce with China in May. As Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu remarked, “Consumers appear to have settled somewhat from the shock of the extremely high tariffs announced in April and the policy volatility seen in the weeks that followed.”
These shifts suggest consumers are regaining some confidence as economic conditions stabilize and uncertainty around trade policy begins to diminish.
Data Coincides With Conference Board Survey
The data aligns with the other survey report released late last month. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rose sharply in May to 98, well above April’s 85.7 reading and comfortably ahead of the 87.1 economists had forecast. Its expectations index, which gauges the outlook for income, business, and labor conditions over the next six months, surged to 72.8 in May from a 13-year low of 55.4 in April — the strongest monthly jump since May 2009.
ETFs Set to Gain
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY - Free Report)
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund offers exposure to the broad consumer discretionary space and tracks the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index. It holds 51 securities in its basket, with key holdings in hotels, restaurants and leisure, broadline retail, specialty retail, and automobiles with a double-digit allocation each (read: Consumer Discretionary ETFs Set for a Comeback?).
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund is the largest and most popular product in this space, with AUM of $21.7 billion and an average daily volume of around 4 million shares. It charges 0.08% in expense ratio.
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR - Free Report)
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF follows the MSCI U.S. Investable Market Consumer Discretionary 25/50 Index and holds 296 stocks in its basket. In terms of industrial exposure, broadline retail, automobile manufacturers and restaurants occupy the top three spots.
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF is the low-cost choice in the space, charging investors only 9 bps in annual fees while volume is good at nearly 77,000 shares a day. The fund has managed $6 billion in its asset base so far.
iShares U.S. Consumer Services ETF (IYC - Free Report)
iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF offers exposure to U.S. companies that distribute food, drugs, general retail items and media by tracking the Russell 1000 Consumer Disc 40 Act 15/22.5 Daily Capped Index. It holds 174 stocks in its basket, with key holdings in consumer discretionary, consumer services, media & entertainment, and autos & components.
iShares U.S. Consumer Discretionary ETF has amassed $1.5 billion in its asset base and trades in a moderate volume of 86,000 shares a day on average. It charges 39 bps in annual fees from investors.