Financial Select Sector SPDR® ETF
Latest Financial Select Sector SPDR® ETF News and Updates

Why tight credit spreads usually mean a period of global expansion
Today, most measures of credit conditions are positive, with tight spreads across all of fixed income. Even high yield spreads have come in after a short scare last month.

The Great American Deleveraging: Fact or Myth?
The great American deleveraging has largely been limited to the financial sector (XLF) (IYF). Non-financial debt is still much higher than historical averages.
Rate hike horizon: September’s jobs report was largely positive
After September’s strong jobs numbers, a Fed rate hike could be on the horizon early next year. Russ explains two equity market implications.

TD Ameritrade’s Valuation Falls alongside the Industry
Historically, TD Ameritrade traded at a discount to its peers because of average operating margins. The sector’s valuations fell in the recent past.

Blackstone Is Attracting New Capital
The launch of innovative ideas at the right time can help Blackstone attract a good amount of new capital through its dedicated network.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management Thrives in 2Q15
Morgan Stanley’s (MS) Investment Management segment reported a 7% increase, bringing total revenues to $751 billion compared to $705 billion in 2Q14.

Morgan Stanley’s Capital Position Remains Strong
Since the financial crisis of 2009, there has been intense pressure on US banks to raise capital levels to meet minimum requirements.

How Would Rising Charge-Offs Impact Major Banks’ Earnings?
To make the most of growing consumer spending, major banks focused on their consumer banking business. They’re lending out more consumer loans.

Carlyle’s Realizations and Distributions Expected to Improve in 3Q
Carlyle Group (CG) is expected to see its distributable income rise in the current quarter on monetizations through the IPO process, private sales, and placements.

Inside Berkshire’s Investment Income and Valuations after 3Q17
As of October 2017, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) stock has returned 3.2% in the past month and 31.4% over the past four quarters.

Morgan Stanley’s Strong Revenue Model
Morgan Stanley charges fixed fees and performance fees for asset management services, products and services, and administration of accounts.
You should pay particular attention to this valuation metric
I would pay particular attention to the Shiller P/E Ratio, which is a variation on the Cyclically Adjusted P/E or CAPE. This indicator is worth watching as it has historically correlated with long-term stock market returns.

How Stocks and Bonds Reacted to Trump’s Victory
The CBOE Volatility Index suddenly rose 6.0% on November 9, 2016, after it was clear that Trump had unexpectedly clinched the election.

After a Lackluster 2Q15, Return on Equity Will Likely Improve
Wall Street analysts expect Goldman Sachs to post return on equity (or ROE) of 11.5% in 3Q15. In 3Q14, ROE for Goldman Sachs was 11.8%.

Financials Overview for the Week of June 26–30, 2017
Major banking stocks rose after the Fed approved huge payout plans. Wells Fargo (WFC) rose 2.7% and Citigroup (C) rose 2.8%.

GS Cuts More Jobs than It Did during the 2008 Financial Crisis
Goldman Sachs has been cutting costs in recent quarters. In 2016, 2,600 people may have lost their jobs at GS—the highest number since the financial crisis.

What Stretched Utility Sector Valuation Means
Utility sector valuation appears stretched. 2014 was a great year for utilities, which gained 26.62% ex-dividends and were the best-performing sector.

5 Big Banks to Report Their Earnings this Week
This week, five of the top six commercial and investment banks will report their quarterly earnings.

Key ADP Highlights: 135,000 Jobs in September
The ADP National Employment Report for September 2017 showed some weaker improvement in private sector employment to 135,000 in September compared to the market’s expectation of 125,000.

Weaker Markets Continue to Affect Carlyle’s Realizations
Carlyle Group (CG) reported distributable earnings of $129 million in fiscal 1Q16, 13% lower than in 1Q15.

JPMorgan’s Trading Revenues Fall 7% in 2Q15
JPMorgan’s revenues from fixed income markets declined 10% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2015. The drop excludes the impacts of one-off items.

How Global Weakness Drags down Wells Fargo’s Profitability in 4Q15
Two key elements gripping the US banking sector and Wells Fargo include the near-zero interest rate and global uncertainty, which have dampened earnings.

Factors That Will Drive Goldman Sachs’ Earnings in 2016
Goldman Sachs derives 16% of its revenues from the investing and lending business. So far, 2016 has been a rough year for the financial sector.

Did Banks’ Earnings Grow in 4Q15?
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s quarterly report on the health of the US banking industry said that 4Q15 bank earnings rose 11.9% year-over-year.

Is KKR a good pick for retirement or growth options?
Is KKR a good pick for growth options? KKR is expected to improve its realizations in 2015 and 2016 after an expected valuation increase of energy holdings.

Morgan Stanley Posts Highest Profit Since 2007 in 1Q15
Morgan Stanley (MS) reported net income of $1.18 billion, or $1.18 per diluted share, the bank’s most profitable first quarter since the 2007 financial crisis.
Major central banks are now diverging in their monetary policies
Major central banks are now diverging in their monetary policies, a dynamic we saw vividly on display last week with the Federal Reserve ending its quantitative easing (or QE) program, while Japan expanded its version of QE.

Fund Flows to XLF Have Been Declining
Exchange-traded fund investors added almost $552.6 million on average to the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) in the last quarter. During the week ending September 25, the ETF witnessed outflows of $318.3 million.

Is Citigroup’s Restructuring Exercise Benefiting the Company?
Citigroup’s CEO, Michael Corbat, continued his efforts to try to slim down the company’s operations and clean up its balance sheet in the second quarter.

What Goldman Sachs Thinks about Bank of America
Bank of America (BAC) is currently trading at $25.26. Its 52-week high is $25.80 and 52-week low is $12.05.

Turn to Financials and Healthcare When Fears of Rate Hike Loom
With classic safe havens providing little protection, turn to financials and healthcare sectors for opportunities. Healthcare stocks usually hold up well in the run-up to a rate hike.

How Wells Fargo Creates Value for Shareholders
Wells Fargo has consistently performed well in stress tests. This performance has let the company increase its dividends annually.

Blackstone and KKR Raise Funds amid Volatility and Prospects
Equities and broader markets rebounded in 2H16. The global economic outlook has now become relatively more stable for 2017.

Bank of America’s Continued Efficiency Maintains Margins
Operating margins In 3Q17, Bank of America’s (BAC) non-interest expenses fell sequentially and YoY (year-over-year), reflecting strong operating efficiency. This fall was partially offset by continued investments in technology. The bank’s expenses fell to $13.1 billion in 3Q17, compared with $13.5 billion in 3Q16 and $13.7 billion in 2Q17. Commercial banks (XLF) are focusing on reducing operating spending, targeting huge investments in technology […]
Why investor sentiment can show overvaluation in US markets
While valuation is important, investors should also pay attention to sentiment. The goal is to gauge how – to steal a phrase – “irrationally exuberant” investors have become.

How will the Federal Reserve go about policy normalization?
Monetary policy normalization refers to two aspects: the federal funds rate and the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet.

Citigroup’s Focus on Efficiency Could Boost Its Profitability
Citigroup’s 2Q15 efficiency ratio was 56% and was 66% in 3Q14. The bank has focused on efficiency through cost controls and exiting low-return segments that led to a lower efficiency ratio.

Why JPMorgan and Wells Fargo Are Trading at High Multiples
In spite of a rather weak performance, Wells Fargo (WFC) commands the highest premium due to its strong franchise, mortgage concentration, and high net interest margins.
Overview: A key guide to investing in exchange-traded funds
This series is our attempt to educate our readers about leveraged and inverse ETFs, their structure, and their suitability for retail investors.
Why Wells Fargo leads in loans
The bank has always focused on its bread and butter revenue-earning stream: loans. Over the years, Wells Fargo slowly realized its goal of achieving a strong market share in lending.

Will Dividends Please Wells Fargo’s Investors Worried about Scandals?
In June, the Federal Reserve approved Wells Fargo’s (WFC) capital plans after it found that the bank could keep lending in a severe economic downturn.

What Do Analysts Recommend for JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo?
In a Bloomberg survey of 37 analysts, 19 analysts (51%) have assigned a “buy” rating to Wells Fargo (WFC) while 13 (35%) have rated it as “hold.” The stock currently has five “sell” ratings.

Utility Sector: Will Investors Continue Their Defensive Positions?
The Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), which tracks the performance of the utility sector, rose 2.7% in November 2017.

Can State Street Recover Its Discounted Valuations?
On a next 12-month basis, State Street Corporation (STT) has a PE (price-to-earnings) ratio of 13.9x. Its competitors’ average is 21.22x.

Does Citigroup Look Attractive at Its Current Valuations?
Currently, Citigroup trades at a discount of 40% to its book value. It trades cheaper than peers such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs.

How Rate Hikes and Tax Rate Cuts Could Play Out for Bankers
The Fed is targeting one last rate hike in December 2017 to bring the federal funds rate from 1.25% to 1.50%.

Major Litigations End, but Bank of America Faces New Challenge
In March, the Fed issued a conditional non-objection to Bank of America’s capital plan. It must resubmit its plan and address certain weaknesses.

The Boon of Tax Reform and Infrastructure Spending: More Than Just High Hopes?
President Trump is expected to submit a tax reform and infrastructure spending package to Congress this year—all aimed at increasing business investments.

TD Ameritrade’s Projected Operating Expenses for Fiscal 4Q17
TD Ameritrade Holding (AMTD) saw an increase in its total operating expenses for fiscal 3Q17 compared to fiscal 3Q16.

Hyman Bullish on Financials, Investors Upbeat about Rate Hike
Trump’s domestic growth-friendly policies Returns have been surging for the financial sector (XLF) (VFH) as the market expects to benefit from the Trump administration’s projected policies. Markets are highly confident with the expectation of more rate hikes, for example, and of widespread deregulation. Banks’ earnings have thus been getting a huge boost, and the market has been […]

Bank of America’s Efficiency Could Improve to 63% in 2017
Bank of America (BAC) has put in place a strong expense control mechanism that has resulted in lower growth in operating expenses compared to revenues.

JPMorgan Chase Gained 4% after Its 1Q16 Earnings: Was It That Good?
On April 13, JPMorgan Chase reported 1Q16 earnings of $1.35 per share. It beat consensus estimates of $1.28. Its shares rallied 4.2% after the earnings beat.

Can American Express Distributions Continue to Attract Investors?
American Express (AXP) has been using its strong balance sheet position to consistently declare dividends to its shareholders.

Prospect Capital Plans to Raise Capital through Spin-Offs
Prospect Capital (PSEC) is targeting spin-offs in order to raise capital to be redeployed in asset classes yielding higher returns.

How Analysts View TD Ameritrade after Fiscal 2Q18
Of the 19 analysts covering TD Ameritrade (AMTD) in April 2018, seven have recommended “strong buy,” five have recommended “buy,” six have recommended “hold,” and one has recommended “strong sell.”

XLF May Cross Its 100-Day Moving Average: Is It Time to Buy?
The Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) attracts the most attention among financial ETFs in the US. 87% of the fund is composed of large-cap stocks.
Why Wells Fargo has the highest net interest margin
Maintaining a high net interest margin has always been part of Wells Fargo’s (WFC) strategy. Wells Fargo has consistently been better than the industry’s average net interest margin.
Must-know: Putting the price–to-book value ratio in perspective
We explored the most commonly used valuation metric for financial companies—the price-book value. We also understood the relation between price-book value and return on equity.

American Express: Opportunities Abound in a Challenging Market
Co-branding relationships are an important part of the American Express business model. The costs of renewing and extending these relationships is increasing.

A Look at the PGIM Ultra-Short Bond ETF
PGIM, which distributes Prudential Financial’s (PRU) retail products, has introduced the PGIM Ultra-Short Bond ETF, an actively managed fund focusing on capital appreciation and income generation.

General Electric’s Mission, Vision, and Strategy
General Electric’s strategy is to reshape its portfolio from a broad conglomerate to a more focused industrial leader.

Banks That Look Riskier in the Brexit Aftermath
Banks with significant exposure to the United Kingdom and the European Union are the riskiest investments in a post-Brexit environment.

What Led to Invesco’s Discounted Valuations?
Invesco has a price-to-book ratio of ~1.4x on an LTM basis.

What’s Charles Schwab’s Valuation?
Charles Schwab (SCHW) has a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.80x on an NTM (next-12-month) basis.

Dimensional Fund Advisors’ Major Holdings in Q3
Dimensional Fund Advisors’ top buys are Apple (AAPL), AT&T (T), Microsoft (MSFT), L3Harris Technologies (LHX), and Verizon Communications (VZ).
Must-know: Is Wells Fargo making boring attractive for investors?
Wells Fargo’s (WFC) broad operation level strategy over the long run can be described by two words—slow and steady. It doesn’t take many risks. It’s stable and boring.

Morgan Stanley’s Expense Cuts Are Key Part of Recovery
Morgan Stanley’s 2Q16 earnings beat analysts’ estimates, as the bank reported considerably lower legal expenses.

What to Expect from Mastercard Moving Forward
Wall Street analysts expect Mastercard (MA) to post earnings per share (or EPS) of $1.25 for 1Q18.

How REIT Classification Benefits Preferred Securities
S&P Dow Jones Indices and MSCI (MSCI) have decided to shift stock exchange-listed equity REITs and other listed real estate companies from the financial sector (XLF) to a new real estate sector.

What Prudential’s Planning for Its Investment Management Business
Prudential’s investment management division is deploying money to expand its offerings and reach.

How Wall Street Analysts View Invesco
Of 16 analysts tracking Invesco in April 2018, four analysts suggested a “buy,” and six analysts gave “hold” ratings on the stock.

Analyzing TD Ameritrade’s Higher Valuation after Fiscal 2Q18
TD Ameritrade’s (AMTD) NTM (next-12-month) price-to-book ratio is 4.1x, higher than the peer average of 4.0x, indicating its higher valuation.

Where Are Opportunities in the Current Economic Environment?
There are still pockets of value in US markets. Investors can look to the financial and technology sectors for opportunities in the current economic environment.

Graphical Representation of General Electric’s Business Model
General Electric’s industrials and finance services are its two broader divisions, contributing 91% and 9%, respectively, to its consolidated 2015 earnings.

Allianz Reports 11% Revenue Growth Backed by Insurance Business
Allianz Group offer property casualty insurance, life and health insurance, and asset management products and services in over 70 countries. The company’s major operations are in Europe.

What Should Be The “Right Amount” of Cash Allocation?
If you’re preparing your portfolio for the short term, the allocation to cash should be high. As the horizon increases, allocation to cash should go down.

Financial ETF XLF Traded below Its Moving Averages on December 11
This series analyzes investors’ sentiments toward the financial sector in the major global regions: the United States, Europe, China, Japan, and the Emerging Market economies.

JPMorgan Chase Could Beat the Fourth-Quarter Estimates
JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is scheduled to announce its fourth-quarter financial results on January 15.
Must-read: Key takeaways for investors in the banking sector
The longer term outlook for Eurozone banks does look more positive than a year ago given reasons including the substantial deleveraging, capital raising by local banks and the European Central Bank (or ECB)’s recently announced ABS purchase program.

Janus Capital, Henderson Group: Complementary Business Advantage
The merged entity of Janus Capital Group (JNS) and Henderson Group (HGG) will help accelerate the twin strategic objectives for diversification and growth.

Why the Sudden Jump in General Electric’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio?
As of September 30, 2015, General Electric’s industrial plus verticals had a much cleaner balance sheet than consolidated GE in 3Q15.

Will the US Dollar and Inventories Impact Crude Oil Futures?
March US crude oil (DBO) (UWT) futures contracts increased 1.8% to $65.61 per barrel on January 24, 2018.

Prudential’s International Insurance Aims to Expand Reach
In 4Q17, Prudential Financial’s (PRU) life planner operations’ adjusted operating income fell to $383 million from $395 million in 4Q16 due to foreign currency exchange, policies, and increased expenses.

Wells Fargo remains number one in low-cost deposits
Wells Fargo continues to remain a sector leader in raising low-cost deposits. It grew its noninterest deposits by nearly 7.0% compared to 4Q14.
Why Wells Fargo’s future goals will help it grow more
Management sets the vision for an organization. Wells Fargo’s vision is large, but it’s already halfway there. Wells Fargo is the largest bank in the U.S.—by market capitalization.

Société Générale Fell 5.8% and Became FEZ’s Biggest Loser
On Friday, January 15, 2016, Société Générale stock fell 5.8%, putting it at the bottom of the SPDR Euro STOXX 50 ETF (FEZ).

Will the Financial Sector Continue Its Rally Next Month?
The financial sector has had a strong performance so far in September 2017. The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF), which tracks the performance of the financial sector, rose nearly 4.4% on a month-to-date basis.

Why Deutsche Bank Prefers Bank of America over J.P. Morgan
In this series, we’ll compare Bank of America and J.P. Morgan on the basis of their 2Q earnings, profitability, cost-cutting initiatives, and interest rate sensitivities.

Investors should watch Discover’s stock in the longer term
Discover Financial’s (DFS) stock price rose from $14.70 at the end of 2009 to $65.50 at the end of 2014. This is an increase of 346%.

How Does Wells Fargo Compare on Energy Exposure?
Wells Fargo (WFC) seems secure when it comes to risks arising from energy-related loans. Wells Fargo’s energy loan portfolio of $17.8 billion made up 1.7% of the total loan portfolio in 1Q16.

Why Analysts Think Bank of America Is a Better Bet Than JPMorgan
Financial stocks have been rising after a better-than-expected 2Q16. Despite this, Citigroup has downgraded JPMorgan Chase to a “neutral” from a “buy.”

Financials Steal the Spotlight on July 15: Stellar Q2 Earnings
Financial-sector companies such as Bank of America (BAC), U.S. Bancorp (USB), and BlackRock (BLK) shared the spotlight on July 15.

How Have Equities Performed since the Brexit Vote?
Investors lost confidence due to the uncertainty surrounding the vote, which led to the expectation of the other member nations’ following in the United Kingdom’s footsteps.
Why low funding cost is an advantage for Wells Fargo
If a bank is able to keep its cost of deposits low, it will have a competitive advantage. Wells Fargo has the lowest cost of deposits among its peers—despite having a very high deposit base.

What Analysts Are Saying about Prudential Financial
Of the 18 analysts covering Prudential Financial (PRU) in April 2018, six have recommended “strong buy,” five have recommended “buy,” and seven have recommended “hold.”

What Were Jim Chanos’s Largest Holdings in 3Q17?
In 3Q17, Jim Chanos has made a substantial investment in the finance sector (XLF) and various ETFs.

What Commodities’ Outperformance Means for the Business Cycle
Let’s take a look at where we are in the business cycle, what factors are at play, and what stands to work given current macroeconomic influences.

XLF Is above Its 20-Day Moving Average: Is This a Bullish Sign?
On February 19, the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) closed at $20.98. This is 10% and 6% below its 100-day and 50-day moving averages, respectively.
Why Wells Fargo focuses on non-interest income
Wells Fargo wants to maintain a balance between its interest income from loans and non-interest income. Non-interest income accounts for nearly 49% of Wells Fargo’s revenues.
Why cross-selling is part of Wells Fargo’s strategy
Wells Fargo’s (WFC) first, and possibly the most important, operational strategy is focusing on cross-selling. It’s the most important pillar of its operational strategy.