iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF

AGG

Market cap $135B

Although many ETF investors believe the Fed's December rate meeting is the final hurdle to clear in 2025, there are increasing signs that a new market cycle is already underway. Astoria Portfolio Advisors founder, CEO and CIO John Davi and LionShares CEO Sofia Massie sit down with CNBC's Contessa Brewer on “ETF Edge” to discuss the best way to position a portfolio as we near the end of the year, the set-up for 2026, key trends to watch for, and why it's important to look beyond the Mag 7.

U.S. equity markets dipped in a volatile week, while benchmark interest rates pulled back from one-month highs, as renewed anxiety over stretched AI-driven valuations collided with mounting monetary policy uncertainty. Public commentary from Fed officials revealed an unusually fractured committee, with a divide that was deepened further by a mixed slate of employment data via the long-delayed September payrolls report. Payrolls data showed that the U.S. economy added 119k jobs in September- better than estimates- but prior months were revised lower and the unemployment rate rose to four-year highs.

U.S. bonds are outperforming after years of volatility, with 10-year Treasury yields falling as inflation pressures moderate even with some prices still elevated.

U.S. equity markets stumbled this week as unexpectedly hawkish Fed commentary clashed with fragile risk sentiment, muting investor relief over the deal to end the longest-ever government shutdown. December rate cut odds dipped below 50% after Fed officials firmly pushed back on rate-cut expectations, citing uneven inflation progress, pockets of financial-market froth, and the economic-data blackout. The S&P 500 finished flat, but hawkish commentary sparked renewed pressure on smaller-cap and rate-sensitive market segments, with the Mid-Cap 400 and Small-Cap 600 dipping 1%.

Over 200 U.S. REITs and homebuilders have reported third-quarter earnings results over the past five weeks, providing critical information on the state of the commercial and residential real estate industry. Overall, REIT earnings results were marginally better than consensus expectations despite a handful of high-profile flops that overshadowed some impressive individual results across a balanced mix of sectors. Two-thirds of the sector (67 REITs) raised their full-year FFO outlook—above the historical average of 65%. Notable winners included Industrial, Senior Housing, Data Center, Retail, and Billboard REITs.

U.S. equity markets stumbled this week as stretched tech valuations collided with weakening consumer and labor market data, while the economic drag and uncertainty from the ongoing government shutdown build. Now it's real? The shutdown has now halted fiscal flows into several sizable government benefits programs - a sudden onset of fiscal austerity that could have non-trivial disinflationary impacts. Snapping a three-week winning streak, the S&P 500 dipped 1.7%. REITs led as earnings season wrapped up with a handful of surprisingly solid reports from some unlikely leaders.

On this episode of the “ETF of the Week” podcast, VettaFi's Head of Research, Todd Rosenbluth, discussed the Capital Group Municipal Income ETF (CGMU) with Chuck Jaffe of Money Life. The pair discussed several topics related to the fund to give investors a deeper understanding of the ETF.

U.S. equity markets posted mixed performance this week- while long-term yields jumped- after the Federal Reserve cut short-term rates for a second-straight meeting, but reigned in expectations for future cuts. Fed Chair Powell hawkishly pushed back on market expectations, saying that another cut in December was "far" from certain and highlighting "strongly differing views" within the committee. Market breadth was exceptionally narrow this past week as post-earnings gains from a handful of mega-cap technology stocks offset weekly declines from over 70% of the S&P 500 constituents.

Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) and iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) have underperformed cash over the past decade despite recent gains. Both AGG and BND face risks from potential interest rate increases, long durations, and narrow credit spreads, making them vulnerable to price declines. Given persistent inflation, high federal debt, and uncertain rate direction, cash, short-dated Treasuries, and TIPS currently offer more attractive risk-reward profiles than AGG or BND.

U.S. equity markets climbed to fresh record-highs this past week, while interest rates hovered around multi-year lows, after cool inflation data cleared the path for additional Federal Reserve rate cuts. The Consumer Price Index report for September was released this past week - one week delayed - showing cooler-than-expected consumer price pressures across both the headline and core metrics. Combined with a relatively strong start to corporate earnings season and a planned meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi, market volatility metrics eased to one-month lows.