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Gold Extends its Strength in April

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9 år sedan

den

15 maj, 2016

Market Review – Gold Extends its Strength in April. The gold market has moved from a position of strength to one of even greater strength. The gold price entered a consolidation in March but never traded below $1,200 per ounce. Late in April the gold price broke out of its consolidating pattern to reach its 2016 high of $1,296 per ounce and ended April at $1,292.99 per ounce for a gain of $60.28 (4.9%). On May 2 gold traded above $1,300 per ounce for the first time since January 2015. We believe that an increasing sense of financial risk and U.S. dollar weakness are driving investment demand for gold. When commenting on the global economy in a Bloomberg interview on April 5, International Monetary Fund (IMF) President Lagarde indicated that downside risks have increased and “we don’t see much by way of upside.” Gold moved to its high for the month following the Commerce Department’s April 28 release of weaker-than-expected first quarter U.S. GDP growth of just 0.5% annualized. Markets seemed confounded by the strength exhibited by the Japanese Yen (JPY) and the Euro (EUR), despite negative rate policies in both regions. As a result, the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY)1 declined 1.7% in April and fell to a 15-month low on May 2.

This year’s bull market in precious metals gained in breadth as silver kicked into gear in April. Like gold, silver is a monetary metal but it had been lagging gold’s performance. In fact, the gold/silver ratio reached a long-term high of 83.2 on March 1. Strong inflows into silver bullion exchange traded products (ETPs) in March and April enabled silver’s year-to-date performance to surpass gold on April 14. For the year, silver is up 28.7%, while gold has gained 21.9% and the gold/silver ratio ended the month at 72.4. We regard silver as a leveraged proxy for gold and wouldn’t be surprised to see the gold/silver ratio continue to fall further towards its long-term average of around 60.

Another sign of the strength of the current market is the performance of gold stocks. On April 8 the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR)2 surpassed its previous high for the year and never looked back, advancing 28.1% in April. Many of the larger producers announced favorable first quarter results in April, which boosted the performance of gold equities.

Our patience was tested in the first quarter by the underperformance of many junior producers and developers. The junior gold stocks had been lagging but our perseverance has appeared to pay off. The MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR)3 gained 36.8% in April and had lagged the GDMNTR until April 8 but is now outperforming the GDMNTR by 11.7% for the year. The MVGDXJTR caught up with the GDMNTR for the year by outperforming in March with an 8.6% gain.

Market Outlook

We identified several reasons for this year’s spectacular rise in gold stocks, which has caused gold stocks (GDMNTR) to gain 87.4% and the juniors (MVGDXJTR) to gain 99.1% year-to-date:

• Positive changes in sentiment and investment demand for gold.
• Companies have successfully slashed costs, cut debt, gained efficiencies, and generated cash.
• Mean reversion in a sector that had been oversold during the worst bear market in history.
• Elimination of short selling pressure that had been weighing on gold and gold stocks since they crashed in 2013.
• Limited liquidity in a relatively small sector with a global market cap of just $260 billion.

These heady gains suggest to us that gold stocks have become overbought. We expect there will probably be a correction at some point this year. Seasonal patterns have been absent in the gold market for the past several years, possibly due to the overwhelming selling pressure that prevailed. Without such intense selling, we may again see seasonal patterns from Asia and India lead to some weakness in the summer months but strengthening in the fall and extending into the new year. We remain cognizant that GDMNTR is still down 61% from its 2011 highs, which translates to a 159% gain needed to return to 2011 levels. The gold price was much higher in 2011 as well, topping at $1,921 per ounce, but we think the earnings power of the gold sector is greater now than it was back then. We estimate that a $100 (roughly 8%) move in the gold price from $1,300 to $1,400 per ounce would result in a 38% increase in free cash flow for the majors in our research universe, while the mid-tier producers would see a 68% increase in free cash.

The $217 per ounce (23%) increase in the gold price since the U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) hiked interest rates in mid-December wasn’t caused by a crash or panic in the financial markets. There hasn’t been a systemic crisis and in fact, global conditions today aren’t that different than six months ago when gold struggled near its lows. In our view, the fundamental change that has enabled gold to perform well since the Fed’s rate announcement is a change in investors’ view of central banks. The U.S. dollar has weakened mainly because the market no longer anticipates a series of Fed rate increases. Investors are realizing that central bank policies lack efficacy and have run their course without accomplishing their intended results. In general, central banks appear to be rapidly running out of options to help stimulate economies. In fact, rather than helping, quantitative easing, zero rates, and negative rates have created distortions in capital allocation, leading to the mispricing of assets and currencies, wealth inequality, and possibly other harmful, unintended consequences on the financial system.

We think the solution to most of the world’s problems hinges on re-establishing robust economic growth. A major reason that central bank policies haven’t been able to foster as much growth as desired is that fiscal and regulatory policies are working against them. Governments around the world have increased debt to unheard of levels to raise capital to spend on projects, programs, and entitlements that generate a fraction of the jobs and growth that the same capital may have generated through private sector channels.

The popular perception that the banks were responsible for the subprime crisis has resulted in fines and regulatory burdens that hamper the formation of capital at the center of the financial system. The “wolf” character in the 2013 movie “The Wolf of Wall Street” ran a boiler room on Long Island that was unrelated to investment banks on Wall Street. The 2015 film “The Big Short,” an Academy Award nominee for Best Motion Picture, puts the blame for the financial crisis squarely on the banks. It makes barely any mention of the Government Sponsored Enterprises’ (GSEs such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac4) role in sponsoring subprime loans or the long-running government policies under the Clinton and Bush Administrations that enabled high risk borrowers to own homes despite their inability to service a mortgage. The tone was set in 2009 when President Obama labeled bankers as “fat cats.” While banks certainly played a part, the government played the lead, in our opinion. Unfortunately, these misperceptions and misplaced blame have guided policy, leading to a financial system that is probably weaker than it was before the crisis. We believe that the economy is clearly weaker.

In addition, regulations that burden the private sector have also increased. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Obama Administration is on track to issue 439 major regulations in its 8 years in office, more than the Bush Administration’s 358 or Clinton’s 361. Heaping on more and more regulations only serves to stifle business formation, profitability, and innovation.

A similar tipping point has been reached with tax policies. Some companies have been re-domiciling away from the United States to avoid tax rates that are among the highest in the world. Instead of revising and simplifying the tax code to address the problem, the U.S. Treasury implemented new regulations that force U.S. corporations to remain in the U.S., placing them at a disadvantage to their global peers.

How often do we see leaders in government promote policies that help make business more productive, efficient, or profitable? As to where we are heading, we look to possibly the most monolithic governmental institution in the world. An article published in The Wall Street Journal and written by a retiring United Nations (“UN”) assistant secretary general for field support articulated a sentiment worth sharing. After relocating to the New York headquarters of the UN, he became disheartened, remarking: “If you lock a team of evil geniuses in a laboratory, they could not design a bureaucracy so maddeningly complex, requiring so much effort but in the end incapable of delivering the intended result. The system is a black hole into which disappear countless tax dollars and human aspirations, never to be seen again.”

We believe this is the sentiment that gold investors feel when they see central banks resort to more radical monetary policies in an attempt to spur economies bogged down by taxes, regulations, and bureaucracy. Moreover, there are social policies that incentivize people not to work and foreign policies that have resulted in chaos. The investment demand evidenced by the strong inflows into the bullion ETPs this year suggests that many investors are making a strategic investment in gold to diversify and prepare their portfolios for the uncertainty of a financial system that may become increasingly dysfunctional.

by Joe Foster, Portfolio Manager and Strategist
With more than 30 years of gold industry experience, Foster began his gold career as a boots on the ground geologist, evaluating mining exploration and development projects. Foster is Portfolio Manager and Strategist for the Gold and Precious Metals strategy.

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time.

Important Information For Foreign Investors

This document does not constitute an offering or invitation to invest or acquire financial instruments. The use of this material is for general information purposes.

Please note that Van Eck Securities Corporation offers actively managed and passively managed investment products that invest in the asset class(es) included in this material. Gold investments can be significantly affected by international economic, monetary and political developments. Gold equities may decline in value due to developments specific to the gold industry, and are subject to interest rate risk and market risk. Investments in foreign securities involve risks related to adverse political and economic developments unique to a country or a region, currency fluctuations or controls, and the possibility of arbitrary action by foreign governments, including the takeover of property without adequate compensation or imposition of prohibitive taxation.

Please note that Joe Foster is the Portfolio Manager of an actively managed gold strategy.

Any indices listed are unmanaged indices and include the reinvestment of all dividends, but do not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees or expenses that are associated with an investment in the Fund. An index’s performance is not illustrative of the Fund’s performance. Indices are not securities in which investments can be made.

1U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) indicates the general international value of the U.S. dollar. The DXY does this by averaging the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and six major world currencies: Euro, Japanese yen, Pound sterling, Canadian dollar, Swedish kroner, and Swiss franc. 2NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR) is a modified market capitalization-weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in the mining for gold. 3MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR) is a rules-based, modified market capitalization-weighted, float-adjusted index comprised of a global universe of publicly traded small- and medium-capitalization companies that generate at least 50% of their revenues from gold and/or silver mining, hold real property that has the potential to produce at least 50% of the company’s revenue from gold or silver mining when developed, or primarily invest in gold or silver. 4Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association); Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation)

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time. Not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. Historical performance is not indicative of future results; current data may differ from data quoted. Current market conditions may not continue. Non-VanEck proprietary information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of VanEck. ©2016 VanEck.

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Fem börshandlade fonder för investeringar i healthcare : Den stora möjligheten 2025?

Publicerad

13 minuter sedan

den

6 april, 2025

Redaktionen

Året för investeringar i healthcare har varit blygsamt. Men när man ser hur marknaden går i år kan man säga att de ”håller sig”. Under det första kvartalet 2025 uppvisade MSCI World Index, som mäter utvecklingen för stora och medelstora aktier i 23 utvecklade länder, en blygsam genomsnittlig avkastning på 2,57 %.

Med tanke på ödet för vissa andra sektorer, såsom teknik, i detta sammanhang av osäkerhet som drivs av Donald Trumps ankomst till Vita huset, kan det till och med vara positivt. ”Hälsovårdssektorn har återigen visat sin defensiva karaktär i en osäker miljö. Hittills under 2025 har stora läkemedelsföretag etablerat sig som marknadsvinnare, medan bioteknikföretag står inför flera utmaningar”, kommenterade DNB AM nyligen.

Förra året släpade sektorn även efter andra sektorer i den globala ekonomin. Detta minskade dess representation i MSCI World Index till 10,7 %, den lägsta nivån på mer än ett decennium.

Men experter insisterar: branschvärderingar är mycket attraktiva, så vi kan stå inför en stor marknadsmöjlighet. ”De utomordentligt låga värderingar vi för närvarande har pekar på undervärderad vitalitet som kan erbjuda intressanta instegspunkter”, kommenterade Vinay Thapar, co-chief investment officer och senior analysanalytiker på Alliance Bernstein, nyligen.

Resultatet är en ”solid outlook” som kan erbjuda möjligheter till investerare som söker tillväxtpotential och ”historiskt attraktiva” priser. Vidare lyfter han fram den defensiva karaktären hos dessa företag, som kan fungera som en defensiv motvikt i portföljer, ”särskilt om inflationen och räntorna förblir höga under längre tid.”

Den stora möjligheten 2025?

Hälso- och sjukvård är ett ämne som omfattar mycket mer än en enskild sektor, som omfattar olika specialiteter: från läkemedelstillverkare till tillverkare av sjukhusutrustning, inklusive bioteknik och cancerforskning.

Nedan finns fem aktie-ETFer inom hälsosektorn, rankade från lägsta till högsta årliga avkastning under en treårsperiod.

iShares Aging Population UCITS ETF USD (Acc)

BlackRocks iShares Aging Population Index försöker följa resultatet för iSTOXX FactSet Aging Population Index, som inkluderar globala företag som genererar betydande intäkter från att tillhandahålla varor och tjänster till en åldrande befolkning.

Med tillgångar på 372,1 miljoner euro har denna ETF sett en avkastningsminskning på -1,01 % 2025. Dess treåriga årliga avkastning är dock 4,05 %. Dess toppinnehav inkluderar Robinhood Markets, Intra-Cellular Therapies, BeiGene Ltd, Exelixis och Unum Group, alla med vikter nära 0,8% till 0,9% av portföljen. Det fångar möjligheter inom olika segment som bioteknik, försäkringar etc., allt kopplat till tillväxten av seniorbefolkningen.

Xtrackers MSCI USA Health Care UCITS ETF 1D

Xtrackers MSCI USA Health Care UCITS ETF följer MSCI USA Health Care Index, som består av amerikanska hälsovårdsföretag med stora och medelstora företag. Med tillgångar på 630,2 miljoner euro har denna ETF haft en avkastning på 1,62 % 2025 och en årlig avkastning på 4,46 % över tre år.

Dess portfölj domineras av färre företag än den tidigare ETFen, av tungviktare som Eli Lilly (12,23 %), UnitedHealth Group (8,38 %), Johnson & Johnson (7,10 %), AbbVie (6,79 %) och Merck & Co (4,31 %). Dessa bolag står för mer än en tredjedel av fondens totala portfölj, vilket visar dess kapitaliseringsviktade fokus på etablerade industriledare.

Invesco Health Care S&P US Select Sector UCITS ETF

Invesco Health Care S&P US Select Sector UCITS ETF syftar till att spåra resultatet för S&P Select Sector Capped 20% Health Care Index, som representerar hälso- och sjukvårdssektorn i S&P 500. Med tillgångar på 400,5 miljoner euro, har denna ETF en avkastning på 3-2,0 % per år. 4,55 %.

Den börshandlade fonden investerar genom en TRS (Total Return Swap) på S&P Select Sector Capped 20% Health Care Index. Detta innebär att det använder ett finansiellt derivat som gör att det kan replikera indexets lönsamhet till 100 %, utan att fysiskt behöva köpa värdepapperen.

För att undvika överdriven koncentration i ett enskilt företag föreskriver indexet att inget företag får ha en vikt större än 19 %. Om något företag överskrider denna gräns omfördelas överskottet mellan de andra företagen i indexet.

Några av de stora företagen som vanligtvis ingår i detta index inkluderar Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Merck & Co., UnitedHealth Group och Abbott Laboratories.

SPDR S&P U.S. Health Care Select Sector UCITS ETF

Denna ETF, SPDR S&P U.S. Health Care Select Sector UCITS ETF, som förvaltas av State Street Global Advisors, följer S&P Health Care Select Sector Index, som grupperar de ledande hälsovårdsaktierna inom S&P 500, inklusive stora läkemedelsföretag, sjukförsäkringsbolag och tillverkare av medicinsk utrustning. Med tillgångar på 355,6 miljoner euro uppnådde detta börsnoterade företag en avkastning på 2,01 %, medan dess treåriga årliga avkastning är 4,56 %.

Den har en liknande sammansättning som Invesco ETF, men utan gränsen på 19 %. De högsta innehaven är Eli Lilly (13,31 %), UnitedHealth Group (8,02 %), Johnson & Johnson (7,29 %), AbbVie (6,78 %) och Abbott Laboratories (4,39 %). Dessa företag representerar nästan 40 % av den totala fonden.

Amundi STOXX Europe 600 Healthcare UCITS ETF Acc

Denna Amundi ETF, Amundi STOXX Europe 600 Healthcare UCITS ETF Acc, är den enda på listan som fokuserar på den europeiska marknaden. Det replikerar STOXX Europe 600 Health Care, ett index som samlar kontinentens ledande hälsovårdsföretag, inklusive läkemedels-, bioteknik- och medicintekniska tillverkare. Med tillgångar på 797 miljoner euro är det också den största fonden i rankingen (även om den inte är den största i kategorin: det skulle vara Xtrackers MSCI World Health Care med mer än 2,6 miljarder dollar).

Även om lönsamheten 2025 är mer blygsam (+0,64%), sticker den tydligt ut när man analyserar dess långsiktiga resultat: med en 3-årig årlig avkastning på 7,31%, rankas den som den mest lönsamma ETFen i hälsovårdssektorn över 3 år inom sin kategori.

Dess portfölj är starkt koncentrerad till en handfull stora aktier i sektorn. De fem största positionerna är Roche (13,41%), AstraZeneca (13,09%), Novartis (12,67%), Novo Nordisk (12,61%) och Sanofi (7,52%), som tillsammans står för nästan 60% av den totala portföljen.

Dessutom inkluderar de tio bästa innehaven även kända namn som EssilorLuxottica (5,16 %), GSK (4,73 %) och Alcon (2,73 %).

När man väljer en ETF som ger exponering mot healthcare bör man överväga flera andra faktorer utöver metodiken för det underliggande indexet och prestanda för en ETF. För ytterligare information om respektive börshandlad fond, klicka på kortnamnet i tabellen nedan.

Börshandlade fonder för investeringar i healthcare : Den stora möjligheten 2025?

Alla dessa börshandlade fonder utom Invesco Health Care S&P US Select Sector UCITS ETF handlas på tyska Xetra. Invesco Health Care S&P US Select Sector UCITS ETFandlas på London Stock Exchange.

Det betyder att det går att handla andelar i dessa ETFer genom de flesta svenska banker och Internetmäklare, till exempel Nordnet, SAVR, DEGIRO och Avanza.

Namn	Utveckling Innevarande år	Utveckling Tre år	AUM
Amundi STOXX Europe 600 Healthcare UCITS ETF	0,64%	7,31%	797,0M€
SPDR S&P U.S. Health Care Select Sector UCITS ETF	2,01%	4,56%	355,6M€
Invesco Health Care S&P US Select Sector UCITS ETF	2,03%	4,55%	400,5M€
Xtrackers MSCI USA Health Care UCITS ETF	1,62%	4,46%	630,2M€
iShares Ageing Population UCITS ETF	-1,01%	4,05%	372,1M€

Detta innehåll har utarbetats under redaktionella kriterier och utgör ingen rekommendation eller investeringsförslag. Att investera innehåller risker. Tidigare resultat är ingen garanti för framtida resultat.

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S5EW ETF är en likaviktad satsning på S&P500

Publicerad

1 timme sedan

den

6 april, 2025

Redaktionen

UBS ETF (IE) S&P 500 Equal Weight SF UCITS ETF (USD) A-dis (S5EW ETF) med ISIN IE000OAZZ3X6, försöker följa S&P 500® Equal Weight-index. S&P 500® Equal Weight (EWI)-index följer stora amerikanska aktier med lika vikt och fast vikt på 0,20 %.

Den börshandlade fondens TER (total cost ratio) uppgår till 0,12 % p.a. UBS ETF (IE) S&P 500 Equal Weight SF UCITS ETF (USD) A-dis är den billigaste ETF som följer S&P 500® Equal Weight-index. ETFen replikerar resultatet för det underliggande indexet syntetiskt med en swap. Utdelningarna i ETFen delas ut till investerarna (halvårsvis).

ETFen lanserades den 20 februari 2025 och har sin hemvist i Irland.

Översikt

Investeringsmålet är att replikera resultatet för S&P 500 Equal Weight Index.

Fonden replikerar syntetiskt indexutvecklingen genom att investera i en swap.

Swapmotparten överför säkerheter till ETFen i form av G10-statsobligationer, överstatliga obligationer och kontanter.

Fördelar

Kunder drar nytta av flexibiliteten hos en börshandlad investering och investerarskyddet som en fond erbjuder.

Ger tillgång till detta segment av marknaden med en enda transaktion.

Optimerad risk/avkastningsprofil tack vare en bred diversifiering över en rad sektorer.

Fonden erbjuder en hög grad av transparens och kostnadseffektivitet och är lätt att handla.

UCITS-kompatibel fond.

Handla S5EW ETF

UBS ETF (IE) S&P 500 Equal Weight SF UCITS ETF (USD) A-dis (S5EW ETF) är en europeisk börshandlad produkt som handlas på London Stock Exchange.

London Stock Exchange är marknader som få svenska banker och nätmäklare erbjuder access till, men DEGIRO gör det.

Börsnoteringar

Börs	Valuta	Kortnamn
London Stock Exchange	GBX	S5EW

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Spotlight on the tariff war

Publicerad

22 timmar sedan

den

5 april, 2025

Redaktionen

The impact of US tariffs continues to dominate market sentiment and risk assets, including crypto, struggled with this uncertainty throughout the month. The Nasdaq Crypto Index™ (NCI™) fell 4.46% in March as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 dropped 5.63% and 7.61%, respectively.

Despite the macro uncertainty from Washington, US policymakers are continuing to embrace crypto in an unprecedented way, including launching a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, Digital Asset Stockpile, and engaging in expansive work at the regulatory agencies and in Congress.

Our team spent the last week of the month in Washington, meeting with regulators to share our experiences and views on what’s most important for crypto investors in the US. In his latest Notes from the CIO, Samir Kerbage shares what he learned from these meetings and how investors should be thinking about the new regulatory regime in the US.

As always, we are greatly appreciative of your trust in us and are here to answer any questions you may have.

-Your Partners at Hashdex

Market Review

March was marked by the tariff dispute triggered by the Trump administration. Back-and-forth fiscal policies, threats, and retaliations dominated the month’s agenda. The uncertain macroeconomic environment put investors into a defensive stance and negatively impacted crypto assets. The Nasdaq Crypto Index™ (NCI™) closed the month down -4.46% after a period of high volatility. Major market indices, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100, also recorded steep declines of -5.63% and -7.61%, respectively. These concurrent drawdowns across equities and crypto underscored March’s broad market caution, as trade war uncertainty prompted investors to flee risk assets.

During times of uncertainty, it is common to observe increased correlation among different classes of risk assets. This pattern played out in March: the 6-month rolling correlation of monthly returns between the NCI™ and the Nasdaq-100 surged to roughly 0.91 (see chart below), its highest level since 2021, indicating that crypto assets were moving almost in lockstep with tech stocks. This spike in correlation confirms that crypto was behaving like a high-beta extension of the tech sector—an amplified version of the Nasdaq-100. The lack of clarity in the global landscape leads investors to reduce their risk exposure and seek protection, a movement known in financial markets as “risk-off” allocation.

6-Month Rolling Correlation of Monthly Returns between the Nasdaq Crypto Index and Nasdaq-100 (Apr 2021–Apr 2025).

The chart illustrates how this correlation has been increasing since the American elections in November 2024 and spiked to approximately 0.91 in the most recent period—a multi-year high. This visual evidence reinforces the view that crypto assets have been moving closely in tandem with tech stocks, effectively acting as a high-beta version of the Nasdaq-100 during the March risk-off phase.

Following this trend, risk reduction was evident within the crypto asset class. Among the NCI’s constituents, Bitcoin (BTC) posted a decline of -1.93%, withstanding the downturn far better than other constituents such as Ether (ETH, -17.4%) and Litecoin (LTC, -34.6%). BTC’s relatively mild drop in this sell-off aligns with the idea that it increasingly trades like a high-beta proxy for large-cap tech. It still declined, but less severely, whereas smaller-cap crypto assets behaved more like speculative growth stocks and suffered outsized losses. The only exception to the negative results was Cardano (ADA), which surprised with a positive return of 3.88% despite no significant protocol developments during the month.

Thematic indices also faced a challenging environment. As highlighted in previous letters, smaller capitalization assets tend to suffer more during periods of market stress, mirroring how speculative small-cap stocks are hit hardest in equity sell-offs. The biggest negative highlight was the Digital Culture Index, which dropped -17.45%, followed by the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Smart Contract Platform (Web3) indices, which fell -16.73% and -12.07%, respectively. The Vinter Hashdex Risk Parity Momentum Index recorded a negative result of -8.26% but outperformed the three other thematic indices, benefiting from its high allocation in BTC and TRX (which gained 4.68%). The heavy weighting in BTC – the more resilient large-cap crypto – helped cushion this index, underscoring the relevance of the momentum factor in a well-diversified strategy during times of market stress.

The market remains on the lookout for the outcome of the fiscal policy discussions, hoping for a reduction in uncertainties and an end to the tariff war. That would likely mark the moment when investors regain their appetite for risk assets, including crypto assets. The U.S. government has also signaled interest in advancing the crypto agenda, a development that could drive the asset class to a new level of adoption. We remain confident in our positive outlook for the rest of the year and the long term.

US creates Bitcoin Strategic Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile

The Bitcoin Reserve will be capitalized with BTC owned by the Department of Treasury, which could further increase via new budget-neutral acquisitions. The stockpile will also include assets owned by the Treasury. This marks a major milestone, with the US government starting to integrate major crypto assets and continues the new administration’s work to lead the global crypto economy.

Stablecoins surpass $230 billion in market value

The total stablecoins market capitalization surpassed $230 billion amid institutional demand for dollar-backed digital assets. This showcases one of the most successful applications for crypto technology enhancing traditional financial payments. It could also pave the way for new use cases that require a strong and reliable global payment system.

FDIC eases banks’ ability to engage in crypto activities

The FDIC has rescinded previous guidelines which prevented financial institutions from engaging with crypto activities without prior sign-off. By removing bureaucratic hurdles, banks may more readily over crypto-related services, potentially leading to broader adoption and integration of digital assets into the financial system.