iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF

AGG

Market cap $136B

U.S. equity markets snapped a five-week losing streak this week, while interest rates retreated, as resilient economic data pushed back against stagflation concerns amid a continuation of the Iran conflict. Major equity benchmarks rebounded sharply, with the S&P 500 gaining 3.4% and the Nasdaq 100 rising 4.0%, while real estate stocks outperformed as falling Treasury yields boosted rate-sensitive sectors. Treasury yields declined despite surging oil prices, breaking their recent correlation with crude, as investors weighed solid U.S. employment data against risks that higher energy costs could slow growth abroad.

Retirement portfolios face a specific set of demands: income that arrives reliably, capital that holds its value through market downturns, and costs low enough that compounding works in the investor's favor rather than against it.

You likely already own at least one of these names. The others, however, are often underrepresented within most U.S. investors' portfolios.

U.S. equity markets fell for a fifth-straight week— pulling several major benchmarks into correction territory— as the Iran conflict remained locked in a volatile stalemate, keeping energy markets on edge. The fourth week of the Iran conflict delivered little progress toward de-escalation, as Washington maintained strikes on Iranian nuclear sites while Tehran continued retaliatory attacks across the Persian Gulf. The S&P 500 declined 2.1% this week and now sits 8.7% below its late-January record. The Dow and Nasdaq both entered "correction" territory, while the VIX volatility index topped 30.

Five years of holding AGG has returned roughly what you'd earn leaving money in a savings account.

U.S. equity markets fell for a fourth straight week, while interest rates jumped to eight-month highs, as continued turmoil in the Middle East rattled financial markets and revived inflation concerns. The third week of the Iran conflict settled into an uneasy equilibrium between escalation and de-escalation amid a continued standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, the key global energy chokepoint. The Federal Reserve - long bemoaning tariff-related inflation that failed to materialize - did little to calm markets, delivering a “hawkish hold” that pushed traders to price in rate hikes by year-end.

U.S. equities slid to four-month lows as the escalating Iran war rattled markets, sending oil to three-year highs and interest rates higher amid tanker attacks, shipping disruptions, and intensifying strikes. Brent Crude jumped above $100 as attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and tanker explosions threatened global oil flows, fueling inflation fears and keeping investors on edge. The White House deployed emergency supply measures—including Russian crude purchases and potential strategic reserve releases—but markets remain skeptical they can offset disruptions to global energy flows.

2022 taught us that owning bonds as a risk hedge against stocks is no longer enough. Elevated inflation, rising debt levels, and monetary policy are all reasons why investors need to diversify beyond just stocks and bonds.

U.S. equity markets slumped this week - while interest rates tumbled to multi-year lows- as investors weighed unresolved AI questions and a flight to safety sparked by escalating Middle East tensions. The defensive "risk-off" posture took sharper relevance over the weekend after a dramatic U.S.-led strike of Iranian leadership that sought to topple the Islamic regime. The S&P 500 slipped 0.6%, while Small-Caps slid nearly 2%. The policy-sensitive 2-Year Treasury Yield dipped to the lowest level since August 2022. Oil prices swelled to seven-month highs.

U.S. equity markets advanced this week as investors parsed a deluge of headlines, including a major Supreme Court tariff ruling, escalating Middle East tensions, soft economic data, and hawkish Fed-speak. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to restrict the President's authority to impose broader tariffs under the IEEPA framework, a widely expected move that was quickly countered by the White House. Investors also shrugged off renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which sent oil prices to seven-month highs. The S&P 500 advanced 1.1% - its best weekly gains since early January.