This Hidden Gem Vanguard ETF Is Chock-Full of Magnificent Stocks. Here's Why It's a Buy Now.
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jul 21 2024
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF Overview: The Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF (VFQY) distinguishes itself from traditional market-cap weighted ETFs by using a rules-based approach to classify companies based on quality, focusing on metrics like return on equity and profitability rather than industry or stock price.
Investment Characteristics: With 364 holdings and a yield similar to the S&P 500, VFQY emphasizes a mix of growth and value stocks across various sectors, showcasing high-quality companies regardless of their market capitalization, although it has underperformed compared to the S&P 500 this year.
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Analyst Views on QCOM
Wall Street analysts forecast QCOM stock price to rise
16 Analyst Rating
10 Buy
5 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 182.970
Low
165.00
Averages
197.14
High
225.00
Current: 182.970
Low
165.00
Averages
197.14
High
225.00
About QCOM
Qualcomm Incorporated is engaged in the development and commercialization of foundational technologies for the wireless industry, including third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) and fifth generation (5G) wireless connectivity, and high-performance and low-power computing, including on-device artificial intelligence. Its segments include Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT), Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL) and Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives. QCT develops and supplies integrated circuits and system software based on 3G/4G/5G and other technologies, including radio frequency front-end, digital cockpit and advanced driver assistance and automated driving, Internet of things including consumer electronic devices, industrial devices and edge networking products. QTL grants licenses or otherwise provides rights to use portions of its intellectual property portfolio that includes certain patent rights essential to and/or useful in the manufacture and sale of certain wireless products.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Qualcomm Positioned for Edge AI Revolution
- Market Opportunity: Billions of devices are expected to run intelligent agents, driving Qualcomm's market share growth in edge computing, particularly in smartphones and IoT devices, thereby solidifying its leadership in the AI chip market.
- Industry Recognition: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang publicly praised Qualcomm during his visit to South Korea, advising investors to buy its stock, which reflects Qualcomm's expertise in mobile AI and may attract more investor interest.
- Product Innovation: Qualcomm is developing over 40 new AI-powered devices, with CEO Amon noting that AI agents will become the new apps, pushing the company to expand into wearables and autonomous agent markets, enhancing its product diversity.
- Strategic Partnership: The agreement with Meta will position Qualcomm in the data center CPU market, with the first product, Dragonfly C1000, expected to launch in 2028, marking a significant role for Qualcomm in hyperscaler infrastructure and further diversifying its revenue streams.
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- Surge in Oil Prices: Following President Trump's declaration that the ceasefire with Iran is over, WTI crude oil prices surged over 4% to a two-week high, boosting inflation expectations and pushing the 10-year Treasury yield to a 1.5-month high of 4.59%.
- Economic Data: US MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.2% for the week ending July 3, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.6% and the refinancing sub-index down 4.1%, reflecting the negative impact of high rates on housing demand.
- Earnings Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts a 23% increase in corporate earnings for Q2, close to Q1's 30% growth, with AI infrastructure stocks expected to contribute nearly 60% of S&P 500 earnings growth, highlighting strong potential in technology investments.
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- Increased Capital Expenditure: Meta anticipates capital expenditures for fiscal 2026 to rise to between $125 billion and $145 billion, up from the previous range of $115 billion to $135 billion, which may pressure return on invested capital.
- Competitive Pressure: Analysts highlight that Meta faces significant challenges entering the cloud market against well-established competitors like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, with cloud business margins significantly lower than its core advertising business.
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- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.79%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.44%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 0.61%, reflecting heightened investor caution following President Trump's declaration that the ceasefire with Iran is over, prompting a flight to safety.
- Surge in Oil Prices: WTI crude oil prices surged over 7% to a two-week high as the US launched strikes against Iran, raising concerns about potential disruptions to energy supplies and pushing inflation expectations higher, which in turn lifted the 10-year Treasury note yield to a 1.5-month high of 4.59%.
- Mortgage Applications Decline: US MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.2% in the week ending July 3, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.6% and the refinancing sub-index down 4.1%, indicating that high interest rates are negatively impacting housing demand and could further suppress the recovery in the real estate market.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts a 23% increase in corporate earnings for Q2, close to the 30% growth seen in Q1, indicating that AI infrastructure stocks are expected to contribute nearly 60% of the S&P 500's earnings-per-share growth, suggesting a positive long-term outlook despite short-term market volatility.
See More
U.S. Stocks Decline as Oil Prices Surge
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.49%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.96%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 0.19%, reflecting investor concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East, prompting a flight to safety.
- Oil Price Surge: WTI crude oil prices surged over 4% to a two-week high following U.S. military strikes against Iran, raising fears of potential disruptions in energy supplies and further boosting inflation expectations.
- Mortgage Applications Drop: U.S. MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.2% in the week ending July 3, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.6% and refinancing down 4.1%, indicating the negative impact of high interest rates on housing demand.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts a 23% increase in corporate earnings for Q2, close to the 30% growth seen in Q1, indicating that AI infrastructure stocks will drive S&P 500 earnings-per-share growth, reflecting market confidence in tech stocks.
See More
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- Market Decline: On Tuesday, the S&P 500 index fell by 0.45%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.25%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 1.77%, indicating a broader market decline under pressure from a selloff in chipmakers, reflecting investor concerns over high valuations.
- Samsung's Earnings Disappointment: Despite Samsung Electronics reporting a 19-fold profit surge, its stock plummeted over 8% in South Korea, suggesting market skepticism regarding the future profitability of the semiconductor sector, which could impact investor confidence in related companies.
- Geopolitical Risks Heightened: Crude oil prices surged to a 1.5-week high due to attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, raising inflation expectations and pushing bond yields higher, with the 10-year T-note yield reaching a 3.5-week high of 4.54%, adding uncertainty to the market.
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See More
Qualcomm Positioned for Edge AI Revolution
- Market Opportunity: Billions of devices are expected to run intelligent agents, driving Qualcomm's market share growth in edge computing, particularly in smartphones and IoT devices, thereby solidifying its leadership in the AI chip market.
- Industry Recognition: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang publicly praised Qualcomm during his visit to South Korea, advising investors to buy its stock, which reflects Qualcomm's expertise in mobile AI and may attract more investor interest.
- Product Innovation: Qualcomm is developing over 40 new AI-powered devices, with CEO Amon noting that AI agents will become the new apps, pushing the company to expand into wearables and autonomous agent markets, enhancing its product diversity.
- Strategic Partnership: The agreement with Meta will position Qualcomm in the data center CPU market, with the first product, Dragonfly C1000, expected to launch in 2028, marking a significant role for Qualcomm in hyperscaler infrastructure and further diversifying its revenue streams.
See More
Mixed Close for US Stocks: Nasdaq Recovers Slightly
- Market Volatility: On Wednesday, the S&P 500 Index fell by 0.28%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.09%, while the Nasdaq 100 Index rose by 0.27%, indicating mixed market performance under pressure from rising oil prices and bond yields.
- Surge in Oil Prices: Following President Trump's declaration that the ceasefire with Iran is over, WTI crude oil prices surged over 4% to a two-week high, boosting inflation expectations and pushing the 10-year Treasury yield to a 1.5-month high of 4.59%.
- Economic Data: US MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.2% for the week ending July 3, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.6% and the refinancing sub-index down 4.1%, reflecting the negative impact of high rates on housing demand.
- Earnings Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts a 23% increase in corporate earnings for Q2, close to Q1's 30% growth, with AI infrastructure stocks expected to contribute nearly 60% of S&P 500 earnings growth, highlighting strong potential in technology investments.
See More
Meta's Cloud Business Plans Spark Stock Volatility
- Cloud Business Outlook: Meta's plan to launch a cloud service led to a nearly 9% stock price increase upon confirmation, indicating market optimism for new revenue streams, although specific details remain unclear.
- Increased Capital Expenditure: Meta anticipates capital expenditures for fiscal 2026 to rise to between $125 billion and $145 billion, up from the previous range of $115 billion to $135 billion, which may pressure return on invested capital.
- Competitive Pressure: Analysts highlight that Meta faces significant challenges entering the cloud market against well-established competitors like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, with cloud business margins significantly lower than its core advertising business.
- Poor Market Performance: Meta's stock has declined over 8% year-to-date, making it the worst performer among its peers, reflecting market concerns about its future growth potential, despite an accelerating recovery in its advertising business.
See More
US Stocks Decline as Oil Prices Surge
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.79%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.44%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 0.61%, reflecting heightened investor caution following President Trump's declaration that the ceasefire with Iran is over, prompting a flight to safety.
- Surge in Oil Prices: WTI crude oil prices surged over 7% to a two-week high as the US launched strikes against Iran, raising concerns about potential disruptions to energy supplies and pushing inflation expectations higher, which in turn lifted the 10-year Treasury note yield to a 1.5-month high of 4.59%.
- Mortgage Applications Decline: US MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.2% in the week ending July 3, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.6% and the refinancing sub-index down 4.1%, indicating that high interest rates are negatively impacting housing demand and could further suppress the recovery in the real estate market.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts a 23% increase in corporate earnings for Q2, close to the 30% growth seen in Q1, indicating that AI infrastructure stocks are expected to contribute nearly 60% of the S&P 500's earnings-per-share growth, suggesting a positive long-term outlook despite short-term market volatility.
See More
U.S. Stocks Decline as Oil Prices Surge
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.49%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.96%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 0.19%, reflecting investor concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East, prompting a flight to safety.
- Oil Price Surge: WTI crude oil prices surged over 4% to a two-week high following U.S. military strikes against Iran, raising fears of potential disruptions in energy supplies and further boosting inflation expectations.
- Mortgage Applications Drop: U.S. MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.2% in the week ending July 3, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.6% and refinancing down 4.1%, indicating the negative impact of high interest rates on housing demand.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts a 23% increase in corporate earnings for Q2, close to the 30% growth seen in Q1, indicating that AI infrastructure stocks will drive S&P 500 earnings-per-share growth, reflecting market confidence in tech stocks.
See More
US Stocks Close Lower as Chipmakers Weigh on Market
- Market Decline: On Tuesday, the S&P 500 index fell by 0.45%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.25%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 1.77%, indicating a broader market decline under pressure from a selloff in chipmakers, reflecting investor concerns over high valuations.
- Samsung's Earnings Disappointment: Despite Samsung Electronics reporting a 19-fold profit surge, its stock plummeted over 8% in South Korea, suggesting market skepticism regarding the future profitability of the semiconductor sector, which could impact investor confidence in related companies.
- Geopolitical Risks Heightened: Crude oil prices surged to a 1.5-week high due to attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, raising inflation expectations and pushing bond yields higher, with the 10-year T-note yield reaching a 3.5-week high of 4.54%, adding uncertainty to the market.
- Strength in Software Stocks: Despite the overall market pressure, strong performance in software stocks indicates a rotation of funds into other sectors, with companies like Workday seeing stock price increases of over 4%, providing some support for the market.
See More
