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Wall Street On the Brink of Rally? Momentum ETFs to Tap

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As the week draws to a close, Wall Street appears ready to rally, with stocks closing higher on Thursday. The positive shift is primarily fueled by anticipation of an agreement on the ongoing debt ceiling debate and encouraging Q1 results from Walmart (which indicates a healthy consumer segment). Investors are keeping a close eye on the developments, hoping for a resolution that will add stability to the markets.

Debt Deal Looms?

Thomas Simmons, Jefferies US Economist, offered a hopeful perspective, stating, "We are starting to see enough common themes in their views to feel confident that a deal is going to be announced in relatively short order," as quoted on Yahoo Finance. His note on Wednesday further speculated that an announcement could come as soon as Sunday when President Biden returns from his trip to Japan for the G-7 meetings. With the Treasury's caution for a June 1 deadline, the timing seems to align for the legislative process to reach a fruitful conclusion.

Healthy Consumer in America

In the face of ongoing ambiguity, American consumers are demonstrating tenacity, a trend visible in Walmart's sturdy quarterly performance. The shares of the leading US retailer saw an uptick of 1.3% on Thursday due to reported same-store sales growth that surpassed Wall Street's expectations. Elevating investor confidence, Walmart upgraded its annual adjusted earnings per share prediction from the former band of $5.90-$6.05 to a revised spectrum of $6.10-$6.20.

FAANG Is Back

FAANG stocks have been on a rallying mode. Netflix (NFLX), Apple (AAPL), Alphabet (GOOGL), Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT) and Nvidia (NVDA) stock all finished at their highest levels in at least a year. Meta Platforms is the best-performing FAANG stock this year. Still, year to date, its stock has outperformed every other FAANG stock by almost more than doubling, up 105%. The next best-performing FAANG stock was Amazon (AMZN), which is up only 40%.

The strength of AI, corporate restructuring through layoffs, a moderation in interest rates and cooling inflation are helping FAANG stocks to bounce back after a struggling 2022.

Time for Momentum ETFs?

These favorable conditions suggest that Wall Street is on the brink of a rally, presenting an opportune time to invest in Momentum ETFs. These ETFs are designed to capitalize on existing market trends by investing in stocks that have shown a tendency to continue their current trajectory. As Wall Street's optimism continues to grow, these funds are likely to yield significant returns.

ETFs in Focus

Invesco DWA Technology Momentum ETF (PTF - Free Report) ), Invesco S&P SmallCap Value with Momentum ETF (XSVM - Free Report) ), Invesco S&P MidCap Value with Momentum ETF (XMVM - Free Report) ), VanEck Social Sentiment ETF (BUZZ - Free Report) and Momentumshares US Quantitative Momementum ETF (QMOM - Free Report) are some of the winning ETFs in the arena in the past one week.

Any Caveat?

However, it is crucial to remember that while the signs are promising, all investments carry inherent risks. The political landscape can be unpredictable, and a delay in the debt ceiling agreement could hamper the predicted rally. Similarly, while Walmart's results are encouraging, they represent just one segment of the broader market.

That being said, if the current momentum continues, inflation continues give signals of cooling and a deal on the debt ceiling is indeed reached, Wall Street is set for a rally, and momentum ETFs could prove to be an excellent investment opportunity.

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