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4 Healthcare ETFs To Buy As Johnson & Johnson Beats Estimates

Original Post With the Q2 earnings season kicking off, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ ) is the first to have reported earnings in the healthcare space. The world’s biggest maker of healthcare products continued its long streak of earnings beat despite currency headwinds and revenues that came in above our estimates. Further, the company lifted its full year outlook, reflecting confidence in its future growth. Johnson & Johnson Q2 Results in Focus Earnings per share came in at $1.71, a couple of cents above the Zacks Consensus Estimate but 3.9% below the year-ago earnings. Revenues slid 8.8% year over year to $17.8 billion but edged past the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $17.7 billion. Healthy sales of new drugs including Zytiga, Invokana, Imbruvica, and Xarelto and strength of old drugs such as Stelara, Concerta, Simponi and Invega Sustenna offset a steep decline in sales of the hepatitis C medicine – Olysio – which has lost its competitive position in the U.S. to its rivals Gilead (NASDAQ: GILD ) and AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV ). In spite of the fact that a strong U.S. dollar would remain a major drag on international revenue growth, the company raised its earnings per share guidance to $6.10-$6.20 from $6.04-$6.19. The new midpoint is above the current Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.14. Market Impact Despite the earnings beat and encouraging guidance, shares of JNJ dropped as much as 1.7% on the day but recovered slightly to close at down 0.5%. This could be an attractive entry point for value investors given that Johnson & Johnson has a solid Value Style Score of ‘B’. Further, the stock has a favorable Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and a solid industry Rank in the top 30% at the time of writing. ETFs to Buy That being said, investors could pile up some of the top ranked healthcare ETFs having the largest allocation to this behemoth for higher returns. We have detailed four of them below. All of them have a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 or ‘Buy’ rating, suggesting that they will outperform the market in the coming months. Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEARCA: XLV ) The most popular healthcare ETF, XLV follows the S&P Health Care Select Sector Index. This fund manages about $15.4 billion in its asset base and trades in heavy volume of more than 9.2 million shares. Expense ratio came in at 0.15% annually. In total, the fund holds 56 securities in its basket with JNJ taking the top spot at 9.51% of the assets. Pharma accounts for 42.9% share from a sector look while biotech, healthcare providers and services, and equipment and supplies make up for a double-digit exposure each. The fund has gained about 11.7% in the year to date time frame. iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (NYSEARCA: IYH ) This fund provides exposure to 106 securities by tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Health Care Index. Here again, Johnson & Johnson dominates the fund’s return at 9.11% of total assets. In terms of industrial exposure, pharma takes the top spot at 41%, followed by biotech (23.2%), healthcare providers & services (16.3%) and healthcare equipment & supplies (15.2%). The product has amassed nearly $2.6 billion in its asset base while it charges 44 bps in annual fees. It trades in good volume of more than 23,000 shares a day and is up 13.8% this year. iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (NYSEARCA: IHE ) This ETF targets the pharma corner of the broad healthcare space and tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Pharmaceuticals Index. Holding 39 stocks in its basket, Johnson & Johnson occupies the top position at 9.11%. Pharma takes the largest share at 85.7% while biotech takes the remainder. The product has managed nearly $1.2 billion in its asset base while volume is relatively light at under 56,000 shares a day on average. The fund charges 444 bps in fees per year from investors and has surged 20.9% so far this year. Vanguard Health Care ETF (NYSEARCA: VHT ) This ETF tracks the MSCI US Investable Market Health Care 25/50 Index and holds 349 stocks in its basket. Out of these, Johnson & Johnson takes the top spot with a 7.9% allocation. Pharma takes the largest share at 36.8% while biotech and healthcare equipment round off the top three spots. VHT is also one of the popular and liquid ETFs with AUM of $6.2 billion and average daily volume of over 297,000 shares. It charges 12 bps in annual fees and expenses. The product has added 13.6% in the year to date time frame.

4 ETFs In Focus As Iran Reaches Nuclear Deal

The tension in the Middle East has eased following the historic nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. After decade-long negotiations, the Islamic Republic is ready to back down the development of nuclear weapons for over a decade in exchange for relief in oil sanctions imposed in the late 2000s. This seems to be a major development for Iran, the U.S. and the six world powers. The deal would open the doors for international oil and gas giants like Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A ), Total S.A. (NYSE: TOT ) and Eni SpA (NYSE: E ), previously barred under sanctions, to invest in the Iranian oil and energy sector thanks to Iran’s huge oil reserve. This is especially true as Iran is the world’s fourth-largest reserve holder of oil with 158 billion barrels of crude oil, according to the Oil & Gas Journal . Notably, it accounts for almost 10% of the world’s crude oil reserves and 13% of reserves held by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). On the other hand, any relaxation in sanctions would boost Iranian oil exports and production, adding to the global supply glut. However, it will take at least six months for the sanctions to be lifted due to vast legislative procedure involved in the historic deal. Additionally, the relief to oil sanctions will be gradual when it starts and thus could take years or more for Iran to increase oil production significantly or fully ramp up its export capacity. As per Fitch Ratings, Iranian oil production will increase in 2016 but will take a number of years to reach its previous peak. Iran currently exports about 1.1 million barrels per day, which more than halved from 2.6 million barrels per day exported in 2011. The development has put the spotlight on many corners of the investing world with investors keeping a close eye on them for the coming days. In particular, crude oil price has seen huge volatility following the historic nuclear deal. Crude price slumped as much 2.3% on the day but bounced back later to settle 1.6% higher at the close. As a result, we have highlighted four ETFs, which are especially in focus in the wake of nuclear deal: United States Brent Oil Fund (NYSEARCA: BNO ) Oil ETFs which directly deal in the futures market will be on the top of investors’ list. While there are many, the focus would be on Brent crude oil that serves as a major benchmark of oil worldwide instead of WTI, which is more of a benchmark for American prices. The fund provides direct exposure to the spot price of Brent crude oil on a daily basis through future contracts. It has amassed $95.4 million in its asset base and trades in good volume of roughly 215,000 shares a day. The ETF charges 75 bps in annual fees and expenses. BNO gained 0.5% on Tuesday trading session and is down about 9% in the year-to-date period. SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (NYSEARCA: XOP ) As Iran is expected to increase oil production after sanctions are lifted, a closer look at the exploration and production sector is warranted. XOP is one of the largest and popular funds in the energy space with AUM of $1.7 billion and expense ratio of 0.35%. It trades in heavy volume of more than 9.7 million shares a day on average. This fund provides an equal-weight exposure to 75 firms by tracking the S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Select Industry Index. None of the firms accounts for more than 1.84% of the total assets. The product is skewed toward small cap securities, as these account for 56% share in the basket, while the rest is almost evenly split between large and mid caps. The ETF surged 3% on the Iran deal but is down 4.8% so far in the year. iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSEARCA: ITA ) A nuclear agreement could be a boon for the U.S. defense sector, as it will prompt the Mideast partners to seek improved defense systems from American contractors. While there are other two quality options in the defense space – PPA and XAR – ITA will garner huge investors’ interest for its liquidity and AUM. The fund follows the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index and holds 36 stocks in its basket. It allocates higher weights to the top two firms – Boeing (NYSE: BA ) and United Technologies (NYSE: UTX ) – at over 8% share each. Other securities hold no more than 6.70% of total assets. The fund has accumulated $533.6 million in AUM while charges 44 bps in fees a year. The product is up 0.6% on Tuesday trading session and 6.4% so far this year. Market Vectors Gulf States Index ETF (NYSEARCA: MES ) The deal could be the game changer for the Middle East, as it would make the relationship with the Western countries smoother with increased investments, new business, and a pickup in other economic activities. Given this, MES having AUM of just $15.3 could be potential winner in the coming years. The fund provides exposure to the 63 largest and most liquid stocks in the Gulf region by tracking the Market Vectors GDP GCC Index. Emaar Properties, Qatar National Bank and National Bank of Kuwait occupy the top three spots with at least 6% share each. Other firms hold no more than 4.3% of total assets. From a sector look, financials dominates the portfolio with 66.7% share while industrials and telecom round off the next two spots with double-digit exposure each. The ETF charges 99 bps in annual feeds and trades in a paltry volume of about 6,000 shares. The fund added 1.3% on the day and over 4% in the year-to-date time frame. Original Post

5 Mid-Cap Growth Mutual Funds For High Return

Mid-cap funds are an ideal investment options for investors looking for high return potential that comes with lower risk than small-cap funds. Mid-cap funds are not very susceptible to volatility in broader markets, making it an ideal bet given that macroeconomic conditions have generally offered a roller-coaster ride in recent years. Meanwhile, when capital appreciation over the long term takes precedence over dividend payouts, growth funds become a natural choice for investors. These funds focus on realizing an appreciable amount of capital growth by investing in stocks of firms whose value is projected to rise over the long term. However, a relatively higher tolerance to risk and the willingness to park funds for the longer term are necessary when investing in these securities. This is because they may experience relatively more fluctuations than other fund classes. Below we will share with you 5 buy ranked mid-cap growth mutual funds. Each has earned either a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #2 (Buy) as we expect these mutual funds to outperform their peers in the future. Janus Enterprise S (MUTF: JGRTX ) seeks capital appreciation over the long run. JGRTX invests a minimum of half of its assets in common stocks of companies having market capitalizations similar to those listed in the Russell Midcap Growth Index. JGRTX invests in companies that are believed to have above-average growth prospects. JGRTX may invest in companies located outside the US including those from emerging nations. The Janus Enterprise S fund has returned 6.8% over the year-to-date frame. Brian Demain is the fund manager and has managed JGRTX since 2007. Neuberger Berman Mid Cap Growth A (MUTF: NMGAX ) invests a large chunk of its assets in companies having market cap size identical to those included in the Russell Midcap Index. NMGAX maintain a diversified portfolio by investing in common stocks of companies across a wide range of sectors and industries. NMGAX may focus on specific sectors that are expected to gain from market or economic trends. The Neuberger Berman Mid Cap Growth A fund has returned 12.3% over the year-to-date frame. As of May 2015, NMGAX held 104 issues with 1.71% of its assets invested in O’Reilly Automotive Inc. TIAA-CREF Mid-Cap Growth Premier (MUTF: TRGPX ) seeks total return through long-term growth of capital. TRGPX invests a major portion of its assets in equity securities of companies having market capitalizations within the range of the Russell Midcap Growth Index. TRGPX primarily emphasizes on acquiring securities of domestic companies with favorable growth potentials. The TIAA-CREF Mid-Cap Growth Premier fund has returned 7% over the year-to-date frame. TRGPX has an expense ratio of 0.62% as compared to category average of 1.30%. Dreyfus Mid-Cap Growth F (MUTF: FRSPX ) invests a lion’s share of its assets in growth companies having market capitalizations within the universe of the Russell Midcap Growth Index. FRSPX may invest a maximum of 30% of its assets in securities of non-US companies. FRSPX may invest up to 25% of its assets in a particular foreign country. The Dreyfus Mid-Cap Growth F fund has returned 5.5% over the year-to-date frame. As of May 2015, FRSPX held 59 issues with 2.79% of its assets invested in Imax Corp. PRIMECAP Odyssey Aggressive Growth (MUTF: POAGX ) seeks capital growth over the long run. POAGX invests in common stocks of domestic companies having an impressive growth prospect. Though POAGX invests in companies irrespective of market capitalizations, POAGX invests a notable portion of its assets in mid and small cap firms. The PRIMECAP Odyssey Aggressive Growth fund has returned 7.7% over the year-to-date frame. POAGX has an expense ratio of 0.62% as compared to category average of 1.30%. Original Post