Investing Insights

Dan Lefkovitz, Morningstar Indexes strategist and columnist, explains how factor investing works. And he discusses which stocks outperformed and underperformed during this year’s market volatility.  What Is Factor Investing?What Factors Have the Strongest Performance Amid Market Volatility in 2025?Berkshire Hathaway and Other Low-Volatility Stocks Outperformed During Market VolatilityWhy Lower-Volatility Stocks Help With Capital Preservation in the Long TermWhich Factors Have Lagged the Broader Stock Market in 2025?Nvidia and Other Quality Stocks Underperformed During Market Volatility? How Factor Investing’s Performance in 2025 Fits Into Long-Term TrendsWhy Diversification Is Key When Investing in FactorsHow Often Should Factor Investors Check Their Portfolio?How to Position a Portfolio for Future Stock Market RotationsKey Takeaways Read about topics from this episode.  How Market Turmoil Made Low-Volatility Stocks Great AgainYou’re a Factor Investor. You Just May Not Know It YetPaying Attention to Investmen

Dan Sotiroff, senior manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services, explains how TIPS ETFs work, their performance in 2025, and what to consider before buying the treasury inflation-protected securities.  Key Takeaways:What Are TIPS?TIPS ETFs vs. TIPSFlows Into TIPS ETFs in 2025 Surprises Morningstar’s ETFInvestor EditorHow TIPS Have Performed Against the Bond Market in 2025How Higher-for-Longer Interest Rates Could Create Higher RiskShould Investors Look to Short- or Long-Term TIPS During Market Volatility?What’s the Best Account to Hold TIPS ETFs?Who Should Invest in TIPS ETFs?2 Top TIPS ETFs Picks Read about topics from this episode.  Subscribe to Morningstar’s ETFInvestor newsletter.TIPS Funds Gain on Fears of Inflation and Economic DownturnHow to Use TIPS in Your PortfolioWhy the Fed May Wait Until July to Cut Interest RatesInflation Was Softer in April, but Tariff Impacts Still LoomWhat Now? An Investor’s To-Do List for Chaotic MarketsMorningstar′s Guide to ETF InvestingHow to Think About T

Dominic Pappalardo, chief multi-asset strategist for Morningstar Investment Management’s Wealth group, discusses how trade talks over tariffs could ripple through the bond market and whether import taxes are the right move for Hollywood movies.Key Takeaways:What a Potential Trade Deal Between the US and UK Means for Market SentimentWhat Countries Need to Strike a Trade Deal to Calm Wall Street?What Persistent High Tariffs and Falling Imports From China Could Mean for the USHow Japan Moving Out of US Treasuries Could Rattle the Bond MarketHow Trump’s Tariffs on International Movies Could Affect the Services SectorHow Tariff-Induced Market Volatility Affects the US Dollar’s Strength GloballyHas Market Volatility Made the US a Risky Bet for Stock Investors?How Investors and Investment Managers Should Handle Market VolatilityWhat to Watch Before Trump’s 90-Day Tariff Pause Ends Read about topics from this episode.  9 Charts on Trump’s First 100 Days in the Markets 6 Charts on How Trump’s Tariffs Have Upended Glob

Gregg Warren, senior analyst with Morningstar Research Services, discusses the succession, dividend, and stock portfolio questions he would ask at this year’s Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. Warren previously pitched questions as part of the meeting’s analyst panel. Key Takeaways:Morningstar Analyst on Pitching Questions at Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting   Succession Planning for Berkshire Hathaway’s Insurance Business   What Investors Need to Know About Warren Buffett’s Successor   Should Greg Abel Spin Off Berkshire Hathaway’s Businesses or Issue a Dividend?   What We Are Listening for From Buffett on His Stock Sales at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting 2025   Does Warren Buffett Think the US Is Still a Solid Bet?   Is Berkshire Hathaway Stock a Buy? Read about topics from this episode.  10 Questions for Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 Annual Meeting Subscribe to The Morning Filter on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream podcasts.What to Expect at Berkshire Hathaway’s Annual Meeting Why Berkshire Hath

Amy Arnott, Morningstar Inc. portfolio strategist, discusses why her team’s starting safe withdrawal rate is more conservative than the popular 4% rule. Plus, a new metric to help determine financial priorities during retirement.How ‘The State of Retirement Income’ Report Helps Investors Know Their Safe Withdrawal RateConservative Estimate for Starting Safe Withdrawal RateWhy Has the Starting Safe Withdrawal Rate Gone Down? Flexible or Dynamic Strategies to Increase the Starting Safe Withdrawal Rate What Is the Spending-Ending Ratio? Retirement Spending Strategies That Leave Legacy Funds Strategies to Help Retirees Spend All Their Retirement Savings Should You Delay Social Security? What Type of Retiree Should Considering an Annuity?Pros and Cons of Deferred Annuities What’s Next for ’The State of Retirement Income’ Report? Read about topics from this episode.  Six Retirement Withdrawal Strategies That Stretch SavingsThe Best Ways to Maximize Your Retirement Income in 2025Navigating the Future of Retirement I

Amy Arnott, Morningstar Inc. portfolio strategist, discusses which investments have performed best and worst in past recessions. Gold prices are rising during the current market volatility. Arnott explains why it might not be the best time to buy the precious metal. Key Takeaways:Why Current Market Volatility May Not Be Ending SoonHow to Keep Yourself Steady During Market VolatilityHow Investors Nearing Retirement Can Avoid Sequence-of-Return Risk During Market VolatilityHow Retirees Can Mitigate Market Volatility Using the Bucket ApproachWhich Asset Classes Have Performed Best and Worst During a Recession?   What Investors Should Keep in Mind Before Going for Buying GoldWhy It’s Better to Own Large Companies During an Economic SlowdownWhy Consumer Defensive Stocks Have Been Resilient During Recessions   What Sectors Have Been Hit the Hardest in Past Recessions?Create an Investment Plan and Stick to It During Market Volatility   Read about topics from this episode.  Best Investments to Own During a RecessionM

Dominic Pappalardo, chief multi-asset strategist for Morningstar Investment Management, discusses the escalating US-China trade war, the 90-day tariff pause, and raised recession risk during this market volatility.Key Takeaways:What an Escalating Trade War Between the US and China Could MeanMacroeconomic Trends and Rising Deglobalization After Trump’s Tariffs  What Trump’s 90-Day Pause on Tariffs Means for the Markets and Economy  How Market Volatility Could Persist After a Tariff-Induced Stock Selloff and Rebound  Why Fixed Income and Equities Are Responding Differently During Market Volatility  Morningstar Forecasters Predict Higher Economic Risks in 2025Will the Fed Cut Interest Rates in May?How to Protect Your Retirement Portfolio During Market VolatilityWhat Investors Need to Have on Their Radar   Read about topics from this episode.  Tariffs and Emotions Shake Markets Now, But Discipline Wins Long-Term Morningstar’s Take on Tariffs: Stock Impacts, Portfolio Tips, and More Even With Trump’s Rollback, Tar

Sarah Hansen, Morningstar Inc. senior markets reporter, discusses the market volatility in the first quarter of 2025 and the portfolio strategy that paid off for investors.What’s the Difference Between the Stock Market and the Economy? How Stock Market Trends in 2025 Have Shifted From Last Year Worries About Changes Fanning Market Volatility  How Tariffs Could Impact Growth, Inflation, and Consumer Prices Market Volatility Sends Investors Rushing to Gold What Are the Risks of a Recession in 2025? Why Portfolio Diversification Is a Winning Strategy During Market VolatilityWhat's next is now at the Morningstar Investment Conference. Register now to get to the source for cutting-edge research, expert insights, and thorough analysis. Click here to register.  Read about topics from this episode.  13 Charts on Q1’s Dramatic Rotation in StocksTrump Tariff Selloff: How Long-Term Investors Can Best Weather the StormTariffs and the Markets: What Investors Need to KnowQ1’s Biggest Lesson for Investors: Diversification W

Zach Evens, a passive strategies analyst for Morningstar Research Services, discusses two ETFs that use data from Unusual Whales to track congressional stock trades. He explains why investors might be drawn to these funds and the potential risks that they face.Key Takeaways:Why Investors May Want to Follow Congressional Stock TradesAre Members of Congress Good at Picking Stocks?The Firms Behind the ETFs: Subversive Capital and Unusual WhalesLimitations of the Data on Congressional Stock TradesHow Democrats and Republicans Invest DifferentlyBoth the Democratic and Republican ETFs Favor Tech StocksHow Outsize Tech Exposure Has Affected the Performance of These ETFsWhy Investors Face Concentration Risk With Thematic Funds Like Congressional ETFsWhy the ‘Black Box’ of Congress’ Investing Strategy Is Risky for InvestorsKey Takeaways on Investing in Congressional ETFs What's next is now at the Morningstar Investment Conference. Register now to get to the source for cutting-edge research, expert insights, and thorou

Karen Anderson, director of healthcare equity research for Morningstar Research Services, discusses the forces shaping the landscape and where she sees opportunities for investors.  Key Takeaways:Why Healthcare Stocks Have Been Resilient During the Market DownturnHow Regulatory Changes Could Affect the Healthcare IndustryWhy Healthcare Stocks’ Valuations Look Attractive From a Bottom-Up ViewHow Have Healthcare Stocks’ Valuations Changed Historically?How Stock Valuations Differ Within the Healthcare Sector  How an Aging US Population Affects the Healthcare Sector  Will GLP-1 Drugs Continue to Grow?  Regulatory Risks for Healthcare Stocks  Healthcare Stocks Outlook  Are Healthcare Stocks a Buy?  Healthcare Stock Picks  How Amgen Is Using AI in Healthcare   Read about topics from this episode.  Healthcare: Sector Looks Undervalued with Pullback After US Election and Obesity DataNovo Nordisk: Next-Generation GLP-1/Amylin Drug Sees Leading Weight Loss in Small TrialHow GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Are Boosting Biophar

Russ Kinnel, senior principal of ratings for Morningstar Research Services, researched which alternative, equity, and value funds could provide a good hedge during a market sell-off.What is the Downside Capture Ratio? Why Funds with A Low Downside Capture Ratio Make Good Diversifiers How Does a Fund’s Maximum Drawdown Line Up with Its Downside Capture?  Why Savers Should Look for Low-Risk Investments Floating-Rate Funds to Help Protect a Bond-Heavy Portfolio Against Interest-Rate Risk Alternative Funds for Diversification  What is Arbitrage? Large-Blend Funds to Help Preserve Capital Defensive Large-Value Funds to Consider A Small-Value Fund That Can Serve as a Good Diversifier  How Can Risk-Averse Investors Get Zero Downside?What's next is now at the Morningstar Investment Conference. Register now to get to the source for cutting-edge research, expert insights, and thorough analysis. Get tickets here. Read about topics from this episode.  Subscribe to the FundInvestor NewsletterHow to Diversify Away From Lar

Sheryl Rowling, editorial director for financial advice at Morningstar Inc, discusses the financial and tax issues that could come up during and after a gray divorce.Limiting the Financial Impact of a Gray DivorceHow to Budget After DivorceWhat to Do if There’s a Budget Shortfall Social Security Divorce BenefitsGray Divorce Near RetirementWill a New Tax-Filing Status Result in Higher Taxes? How to Fairly Split Assets in Divorce How to Avoid Tax Penalties When Dividing Retirement AccountsPros and Cons of Keeping the Family HomeSelling the House and Downsizing After DivorceWhy Hire Professionals to Help with a Gray Divorce  Read about topics from this episode.  Gray Divorce: 10 Financial and Tax Issues You Must Know After 50Maybe You Shouldn’t Delay Taking Your Social Security Benefits After AllSix Retirement Withdrawal Strategies That Stretch Savings6 Retirement Financial Myths to AvoidWhat You Need to Know About Capital Gains DistributionsHow to Choose a Financial Advisor What to watch from Morningstar. Why t

Dan Lefkovitz, strategist for Morningstar Indexes, talks about what he finds noteworthy in the bond market today. Philip Straehl, chief investment officer for the Americas for Morningstar Wealth, a part of registered investment adviser Morningstar Investment Management, explains why employees who own company stock should protect their total wealth.Bond Market in Q1 2025Why Did the 10-Year US Treasury Yield Go Up After 2024 Interest Rate Cuts Why Bond Investors Are Worried Following the US Presidential ElectionWhat’s the Bright Side for Bonds?The Importance of Portfolio DiversificationMorningstar’s 2025 Bond OutlookKey Takeaways on Portfolio DiversificationWhat’s New in the Markets?What Are Restricted Stock Units?Risks Associated with RSUsExamining RSU Risk Through Portfolio PersonalizationUnderstanding Concentration Risk’s Effect on Your Total WealthDo Separately Managed Accounts Offer Enough Personalization? How Should Investors Mitigate the Risk?How Do Your Financial Goals Play Into Diversifying Your Concen

David Harrell, editor of Morningstar’s StockInvestor newsletter, investigated stock valuation trends from a watchlist with 120 names across the market. He reveals which stocks are relative bargains. The Evolution of the Morningstar Style BoxWhat Is the Value-Growth Score for Stocks?Why Investors Should Look Deeper Than Overall Market TrendsInvestigating Stock Valuation Trends on the Tortoise and Hare WatchlistSmall-Cap Stock FindingsAre There Any Mega-Cap Stocks on Morningstar StockInvestor’s Watchlist?  Which Stocks Earned the Minimum Value-Growth Score?Which Stocks Earned the Maximum Value-Growth Score? What's next is now at the Morningstar Investment Conference. Register now to get to the source for cutting-edge research, expert insights, and thorough analysis.https://www.morningstar.com/business/events/morningstar-investment-conference?refid=investinginRead about topics from this episode.  Subscribe to the StockInvestor Newsletter3 Top Value Stocks to Buy and Hold for 202511 Newly Overvalued StocksTop 15

Bryan Armour, director of passive strategies research for North America for Morningstar Research Services, explains how dividend income and dividend growth strategies work. He also discusses why four dividend ETFs from Vanguard and Schwab earn top marks.Comparing Income and Growth Dividend ETF StrategiesBlindspots in Dividend  ETF InvestingAre Company Payouts Expected to Increase Over Time for Dividend Growth ETFs?Judging the Performance of Dividend ETF Strategies What is Factor Investing?Writing Your Factor Exposure Checklist for Dividend ETFsGold-Rated Dividend Growth ETFs from VanguardWhy is Vanguard’s Dividend Income Strategy Impressive?Why Schwab’s Dividend ETF Is Worthy of a Gold Rating What's next is now at the Morningstar Investment Conference. Register now to get to the source for cutting-edge research, expert insights, and thorough analysis.https://www.morningstar.com/business/events/morningstar-investment-conference?refid=investingin Read about topics from this episode.  The Top High Dividend ETFs

Dan Sotiroff, a senior manager research analyst for Morningstar, explains how lower fees on dozens of Vanguard investments will likely benefit both investors and the popular money manager. Plus, we hear from the hosts of our new podcast, The Morning Filter. David Sekera, Morningstar's chief US market strategist, and Susan Dziubinski, an investment specialist at Morningstar Inc., discuss how they cut through the noise of the stock market each week.Vanguard Fee Cuts 2025Why Is Vanguard Cutting Fees Now?6 Noteworthy Vanguard Funds and ETFs With Cheaper Expense Ratios Vanguard Signals to Investors to Consider Bond FundsIs Vanguard’s New CEO Putting Pressure on BlackRock to Lower Fees?Has the “Race to the Bottom” of Cheaper Fund Fees Started Again?What Lower Fund Fees Mean for Vanguard Investors in the Long TermHow Vanguard Can Keep and Grow Their Customer BaseWhat’s New in the MarketsIntroducing The Morning Filter PodcastHow The Morning Filter Brings Unique Insights to ListenersWhat to Expect from The Morning Fil

Preston Caldwell, senior US economist for Morningstar Investment Management, discusses the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision, his outlook for inflation in 2025, and the potential impact of US tariffs.Fed Meeting January 2025: Was Pausing Interest-Rate Cuts a Good Move? Outlook for Inflation in 2025How a Strong Jobs Market Fits into the Fed’s OutlookWhy Mortgage Rates Rose When Interest Rates FellWhen is the Next Fed Meeting in 2025?Are Interest Rates Going Down in 2025?How Mass Deportations Could Affect Businesses and ConsumersHow US Tariffs Could Affect Consumer Goods PricesTracking Inflation, Financial Conditions, and the Housing Market Read about topics from this episode.  What Trump’s Proposed Tariffs Would Mean for the Economy Forecasts for December PCE Report Show Continued Improvement on Core Inflation Fed Hits the Pause Button, Awaits Further Data Amid Policy Uncertainty An Investor’s Guide to the Next Trump Administration What to watch from Morningstar.Why Inflation Still Poses a Risk to Stock

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Sarah Hansen, Morningstar Inc markets reporter, explains why the markets are closely watching inflation and what some forecasters expect. Seth Goldstein, strategist for Morningstar Research Services, discusses whether the new Trump administration’s policies could affect the electric vehicle industry and his outlook for Tesla’s stock.What’s Changed About the Inflation OutlookWhy Inflation is Running Hotter AgainWhat Stubborn Inflation Means for Investors and the EconomyMarkets’ Response to Inflation Why Investors Need to Pay Attention to Inflation DriversWhat Economists Think Is Next for InflationBottom Line for InvestorsWhat’s New in the Markets How Trump’s Policy Shift Could Affect Tesla and Other AutomakersIs It Still Possible for EVs to Hit Their Accelerated Growth Forecast?Why Tesla May Have a Comeback in 2025What to Look for in Tesla’s Upcoming EarningsMorningstar’s Outlook on Tesla Stock  Read about topics from this episode.  Markets Breathe a Sigh of Relief on Softer Core InflationDecember Inflation Da

Russ Kinnel, director of ratings for Morningstar Research Services, compares open-end funds and actively managed ETFs from Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, and Capital Group. Matthew Dolgin, senior equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services, discusses what he thinks of Netflix’s stock and where the streamer could profit next. Open-End Funds vs. Active ETFsAdvantages of Active ETFsAppeal for Day TradersDisadvantage of Active ETFsWhich Investors Should Consider Swapping Mutual Funds for ETF CounterpartsComparing Open-End Funds and Active ETFs on Key FactorsHow T. Rowe Price Funds Compare to ETFsFidelity Funds vs ETFs PerformanceCapital Group’s Different Approach to Their Funds vs ETFsDecision Expected From SEC on ETF Share Class Requests  What’s New in the Markets  Netflix's Message to CompetitorsToo Early to Judge Live Sports PushHow Can Netflix Increase Profits?  What to Watch for From Netflix’s Earnings Report Morningstar’s Outlook on Netflix Stock Read about topics from this episode.  How to Find the Right Ac