iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETFNYSE American: AGG

Economic growth estimates are stabilizing, with healthy retail sales and job market improvements, suggesting a decent US GDP growth heading into 2025. I maintain a buy rating on AGG, as its yield is significantly higher than cash accounts, despite inflation risks and Fed policy uncertainties. AGG offers broad exposure to investment-grade bonds with a yield to maturity of 4.85%, making it attractive relative to historical averages.

Today is Veterans Day. My father served in the army during the Vietnam War.

Ahead of a pivotal week of consequential decisions, U.S. equity markets posted a second-straight week of declines as investors parsed a relatively disappointing slate of employment and inflation data. The pivotal Nonfarm Payrolls report showed that the U.S. economy added just 12k jobs in October - the weakest month since 2020 - with notably weaker trends under the surface. Private employment declined by 28k during the month, fueled by the largest plunge in manufacturing employment since the pandemic shutdown, alongside job declines in retail, transportation, and hospitality.

These ETFs provide different types of income.

We love to celebrate ETF milestones at VettaFi, whether it is a well-established ETF hitting an even higher round number or newer products proving that age is not a factor. Last week, the first U.S.-listed ETF, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), crossed a new threshold.

For some people, the early days of the fourth calendar quarter is a good time for reflection. In life and certainly in portfolios.

U.S. equity markets extended gains to a fourth-straight week despite a resurgence in benchmark interest rates after a critical slate of employment data showed surprisingly strong labor market trends. One of several strong employment reports, Nonfarm Payrolls data showed that the U.S. economy added 254k jobs in September - the strongest in six months and well above consensus estimates. Combined with a nearly 10% surge in crude oil prices driven by renewed Middle East tensions, markets reflected a significantly less aggressive Fed rate cut path in the months ahead.

The ongoing debate on whether the economy will face a recession or achieve a soft landing continues, with mixed opinions from experts. Despite my longstanding recession prediction, the economic expansion has been extended due to delayed deployment of pandemic-era savings. Tariffs have not benefited American manufacturing, leading to higher input costs, disrupted supply chains, and a slump in manufacturing jobs and output.

ETFs across various categories pulled in $8.6 billion in capital last week, with U.S. fixed-income ETFs leading the way.