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184 Unternehmen haben ihre Hauptsitze nach Texas verlegt, darunter Tesla und Caterpillar. Der Standort bietet niedrige Steuern, günstigen Lebensstandard und Zugang zu erneuerbaren Energien. Ein neues Börsenhaus in Texas wird bald eröffnet, und Trumps eigene Social-Media-Firma ist bereits gelistet.

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Die National Fuel Gas Company NFG hat ihre Board of Directors informiert, dass sie eine 4%ige Erhöhung der Quartalsdividende genehmigt hat. Die Zahlung beträgt nun 55,5 Cent pro Aktie und wird am 15. Juli 2026 ausgezahlt. Der neue jährliche Dividendenbetrag liegt bei 2,22 Dollar pro Aktie im Vergleich zum vorherigen Betrag von 2,14 Dollar. Die aktuelle Dividendenertragsrendite beträgt 2,79%, höher als der Durchschnitt der Zacks S&P 500-Kompositumsatz von 1,44%.

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Investing.com -- Exxon Mobil Corp. is in early-stage internal talks about possible acquisition targets, including Woodside Energy Group, Australia’s largest gas exporter, according to Bloomberg News, citing people familiar with the matter.

Woodside has a market value exceeding A$59 billion, or nearly $42 billion. The discussions remain preliminary and no certainty exists that Exxon will make an offer. Both companies declined to comment.

Exxon seeks to expand its presence in the liquefied natural gas sector and Asian markets, where it trails competitors such as Shell Plc and TotalEnergies SE. The urgency for an LNG-focused transaction increased after war broke out in Iran in late February, closing the Strait of Hormuz and cutting off one-fifth of global gas supply.

Major Asian buyers, including Japan and South Korea, are now searching for alternative suppliers following the Middle East disruption. Woodside maintains long-term sales agreements with these buyers.

Exxon completed a $60 billion purchase of US shale producer Pioneer Natural Resources Co. in 2024 and continues to pursue additional opportunities.

Woodside is developing a US Gulf Coast project scheduled to begin operations by 2029. In Australia, the company is advancing its Scarborough and Browse gas projects after recently increasing its stake in Browse to expand future LNG exports.

The two companies already work together in the Bass Strait project, where Woodside became operator last year.

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Quick Read

XLE has surged 31% year-to-date, nearly four times the S&P 500's return, with Exxon and Chevron alone comprising 41% of the concentrated fund. Exxon beat earnings estimates by 15% and Chevron by 46% as the Strait of Hormuz closure drove Brent crude to $138 per barrel in April. Hormuz reopening would deflate XLE's risk premium toward $75 crude, while OPEC spare capacity shrinking to 2.5M bpd means future disruptions hit harder. Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

If you put $10,000 into the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLE) on the last trading day of 2025 and forgot about it, you would be sitting on roughly $13,131 as of the June 8 close. The same $10,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth about $10,840. Energy, the sector everyone wrote off as a value trap stuck behind the AI trade, is up about 31% year to date against 8.4% for SPY. That gap, almost 23 points in five months, is the single most surprising scoreboard in the 2026 market.Miha Creative / Shutterstock.com

The headline you may have seen says 29%. The actual number is a touch better. XLE opened the year at $44.42 and closed Monday at $58.33. Over one year, the fund is up about 44%, versus roughly 23% for SPY. Over five years, it has more than doubled, up about 152%. The fund is a plain-vanilla SPDR with a fee that rounds to almost nothing, and it does one thing well, which is concentrate your money in a handful of the biggest US oil and gas names. Top of the book is heavy. Exxon at 23.7% and Chevron at 17.6% together are 41.3% of the fund. Add ConocoPhillips and EOG and you have most of the explanation.

What Actually Did the Work

The mechanism is straightforward. Sector concentration met a sector-specific catalyst, and the catalyst is geopolitics. According to the EIA, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to shipping traffic since late February following military action, removing access to a corridor that carried nearly 20% of global oil supply. Brent went vertical. Daily spot prices touched $138 per barrel on April 7, the highest since the weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, and the April monthly average came in around $117 per barrel. WTI followed, with the YTD high at $114.58 on the same day.

Prices have since cooled. Brent printed $98.29 on June 1 and WTI sat at $95.96, which the St. Louis Fed places in the 82.8th percentile of its trailing 12-month range. That is the important part. Even after a meaningful pullback, crude is trading well above where the integrated majors built their 2026 budgets. The 12-month WTI average is $72.26, and current spot is more than $20 above it.

Story Continues

Now look at how the top holdings translated that into earnings. Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) posted adjusted EPS of $1.16 versus a $1.01 consensus, a 15% beat and the fourth straight. Underlying earnings rose to $8.77 billion from $7.58 billion year over year, even after roughly $3.88 billion in unfavorable derivative timing and $706 million in Middle East supply-disruption losses washed through the GAAP line. CEO Darren Woods told investors that "ExxonMobil is a fundamentally stronger company than it was just a few years ago, built to perform through disruption and across market cycles." The buyback authorization for the year is $20 billion. The stock is up 27.8% YTD.

Chevron (NYSE:CVX) did even better at the EPS line, with $1.41 versus $0.97 expected, a 46% beat and the sixth in a row. Production jumped 15% year over year to 3,858 MBOED as the Hess deal bedded in, and US output cleared 2 million barrels per day for a third straight quarter. The company returned $2.5 billion in buybacks in the quarter, raised the dividend for a 39th consecutive year, and Mike Wirth framed the result as evidence that the portfolio held up "despite heightened geopolitical volatility and related supply disruptions." Shares are up about 27% YTD.

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ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) and EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG), the two big E&P names in the top ten, told a parallel story with a different texture. COP beat by roughly 12% on EPS, kept its target of returning 45% of cash from operations to shareholders, and pulled Qatar out of 2026 production guidance because of the Middle East situation. EOG benefited from the Encino acquisition, pushing production to 1,383.8 MBoed from 1,090.4 a year earlier and revenue up about 18% to $6.92 billion. EOG is the standout performer of the four, up about 36% YTD, with COP up 28.9%.

The pattern is clean. Three years of M&A (Hess into Chevron, Marathon into ConocoPhillips, Encino into EOG) finished integrating just as Brent prices spiked. The synergies are real, the cost work is real, and the capital return engines kept running on schedule. Then a Middle East shock dropped onto the top line. That is how a sector ETF turns a single-digit broad market into a 31% mover.

The Soft Patch Inside the Run

The recent tape complicates the story a little. XLE is up only about 5% over the last month, and crude has been the reason. WTI has fallen from a May peak near $112 to $96, and natural gas has gone in the other direction entirely, with Henry Hub dropping from a January 23 spike of $30.72 per MMBtu to $3.07 on June 1. The EIA now expects Henry Hub to average $2.83 per MMBtu in Q2 2026, 11% below Q2 2025. So one of the two commodities driving the rally is rolling over. The other has slipped about 16% off its high but is still pricing a risk premium.

What You Watch From Here

The forward look hinges on two indicators a reader can actually track. The first is the Strait of Hormuz. The EIA's May STEO assumes Brent averages around $106 per barrel in May and June, then steps down to $89 in Q4 2026 and $79 in 2027 as shut-in production gradually returns. If tanker traffic genuinely resumes, the risk premium that built XLE's YTD comes out of the price, and the integrated names re-rate toward a $75 to $85 crude backdrop rather than $95 to $100. The second is OPEC spare capacity, which the EIA now models at 2.5 million barrels per day in 2027, down from a prior estimate of 3.8 million. Less cushion in the system means the next disruption hits harder, which is the structural reason this trade has a longer half-life than a typical war-premium spike.

Retail is starting to notice. Reddit sentiment on XLE has run 76 to 80 (bullish to very bullish) over the past several days, anchored by a single WSB post titled "You hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability." Mention volume is still low, which is usually how these trades work before they get crowded. The Exxon news cycle, with retail flagging "Exxon warns oil inventories near record lows, price spike ahead" as the top driver on June 1, suggests the inventory tightness narrative is still doing work.

The honest read is that XLE's YTD is mostly a Hormuz trade wearing the costume of an earnings story. The earnings are genuine, the cost work is genuine, and the capital returns are durable. But the marginal dollar in the price came from a tanker chokepoint, and the EIA, the futures curve, and the integrated CEOs themselves are all guiding to a lower oil price in 2027. If the strait reopens cleanly, the broad market starts closing the gap. If it does not, or if the next disruption arrives before the first one resolves, the sector that has refused to quit in 2026 keeps doing exactly that. Watch Hormuz traffic, watch the Brent curve, and watch whether WTI holds the $90 line. That is the whole game from here.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

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Chevron Corporation’sCVX 50% stake in Tengizchevroil (TCO), which operates the giant Tengiz and Korolev oil fields in Kazakhstan, is one of the company’s most valuable international upstream investments. TCO is a key contributor to Chevron’s reserve base, with Kazakhstan accounting for nearly 11% of the company’s proved reserves. The asset recently entered a new growth phase following the completion of the Future Growth Project (FGP) and Wellhead Pressure Management Project in 2025.

The FGP increased Tengiz crude production capacity by approximately 260,000 barrels per day, lifting total gross production capacity to around 1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d). This expansion has become a major driver of Chevron’s production growth, contributing significantly to the company’s 2025 output increase and expected growth in 2026. Management views TCO as a cornerstone asset supporting long-term production and free cash flow growth through 2030.

TCO is also transitioning from a capital-intensive project to a cash-generating asset. Chevron has provided substantial financing for its expansion and received a $1 billion loan repayment in the first quarter of 2026. It also expects additional repayments during the year, further boosting cash flow.

Although higher depreciation expenses and weaker commodity realizations temporarily pressured earnings in 2025, TCO’s long-term value proposition remains strong. The project provides large-scale, low-cost production growth, high-margin barrels, rising free cash flow and meaningful capital returns. As a result, TCO is expected to be one of Chevron’s largest contributors to cash generation and shareholder value creation over the remainder of the decade.

Other Oil Majors Operating in Kazakhstan

Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM is a major international investor in Kazakhstan’s energy industry, playing a key role in the development of the country’s vast oil and gas resources. Through its local subsidiaries, including ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., the company collaborates closely with the Kazakh government and national oil company, KazMunayGas, to advance exploration, production and transportation activities. A cornerstone of ExxonMobil’s presence in the country is its 25% stake in the TCO joint venture, which operates the world-class Tengiz oil field located along the northeastern coast of the Caspian Sea, one of Kazakhstan’s most significant energy assets.

TotalEnergies SE TTE has established a strong presence in Kazakhstan through a balanced energy strategy that combines large-scale oil and gas operations with growing investments in renewable energy. The company is a key contributor to the nation’s hydrocarbon production and supports Kazakhstan’s position as a major global energy supplier. TotalEnergies owns a 16.81% interest in the North Caspian Project’s Kashagan field, one of the world’s largest offshore oil developments in the Caspian Sea. At the same time, TTE is advancing Kazakhstan’s energy transition through the Mirny Project, a major renewable energy initiative aligned with the country’s 2060 net-zero emissions target.

Story Continues

CVX’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates

Shares of Chevron have gained 26% in the past six months compared with the Oil/Energy sector’s growth of 20.6%.Zacks Investment Research

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CVX’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $15.74 per share, indicating 115.9% year-over-year growth. The positive earnings estimate outlook makes the stock attractive for investors.Zacks Investment Research

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation perspective — in terms of forward price-to-earnings ratio — Chevron is trading at a premium compared with the industry average.Zacks Investment Research

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The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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Investors looking for energy exposure must choose between broad sector coverage and targeted thematic plays. Take, for example, the Vanguard Energy ETF (NYSEMKT:VDE)which offers a low-cost entry to traditional fossil fuel giants, and the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF (NYSEMKT:NLR) focused on the specialized infrastructure and utilities of the nuclear power industry.

Comparing these two funds helps better understand how different energy subsectors behave, especially regarding price volatility and sector concentration, and make better investment decisions.

Snapshot (cost & size)

Metric NLR VDE Issuer VanEck Vanguard Expense ratio 0.52% 0.09% 1-yr total return (as of June 10, 2026) 19.16% 41.67% Dividend yield 2.40% 2.40% Beta 0.81 0.42 AUM $4.3 billion $12.7 billion

Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield.

The Vanguard fund is significantly more affordable, sporting an expense ratio of 0.09% compared to 0.52% for the VanEck fund. While the costs differ, both ETFs currently offer an identical distribution yield of 2.40%. For many investors, the expense difference of 0.43 percentage points represents a significant factor in long-term performance compounding.

Performance & risk comparison

Metric NLR VDE Max drawdown (5 yr) (30.50%) (26.60%) Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return) $2,697 $2,533

What's inside

The Vanguard Energy ETF (NYSEMKT:VDE) provides a broad sweep of the traditional energy industry with 106 holdings. It is 100% focused on the energy sector, specifically targeting firms involved in the exploration and production of oil, natural gas, and coal. Its largest positions include Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) at 21.06%, Chevron (NYSE:CVX) at 14.28%, and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) at 5.93%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a trailing-12-month dividend of $3.93 per share.

The VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF (NYSEMKT:NLR) tracks the MVIS Global Uranium & Nuclear Energy Index, targeting companies involved in uranium mining and nuclear power. The fund holds 29 positions with a sector breakdown of energy (45%), utilities (38%), and industrials (16%). Its largest positions include Cameco (NYSE:CCJ) at around 8%, Constellation Energy (NASDAQ:CEG) at 7.8%, and Bwx Technologies (NYSE:BWXT) at 6.8%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a trailing-12-month dividend of $3.17 per share.

For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.

Story Continues

What this means for investors

The Vanguard Energy ETF is an energy pure-play that gives investors exposure primarily to oil and gas exploration and production companies and coal producers in the U.S. It's a low-cost way to bet on fossil fuels without having to research and select individual stocks. Because of a diversified portfolio, investors in energy also face lower risk than they would if they owned individual stocks.

After a muted, range-bound performance for several years, the ETF has gained significant momentum this year, rising nearly 28% as of this writing. Oil prices have risen sharply this year, driven largely by geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions in the Middle East.

Because a major portion of the Vanguard Energy ETF is concentrated in large integrated oil companies, it typically moves in tandem with commodity prices. Because of higher oil and gas prices, most traditional oil and gas companies have also delivered strong numbers in recent quarters, which has reflected in their share prices and driven the ETF value higher.VDE Total Return Level Chart

VDE Total Return Level data by YCharts

The VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF, on the other hand, has fallen by more than 10% so far this year as uranium prices cooled off. Artificial intelligence (AI) data centers are booming, and they require astronomical amounts of uninterrupted, 24/7 electricity. The existing grids are under immense pressure, and hyperscalers and data center developers are signing massive power purchase agreements with nuclear energy companies to secure clean baseload power.

The U.S. government is also aggressively supporting nuclear energy development, and all of these factors combined sent shares of nuclear and uranium companies. However, with stocks going parabolic and trading at extremely stretched valuations, and uranium prices dropping off in recent weeks, shares of nuclear energy and uranium companies have cooled off too. That has reflected in the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF value.

Investors should take a long-term view before deciding which ETF to buy, or whether to buy both.

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Vanguard Energy ETF or VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF: Which is a Smarter Bet Right now? was originally published by The Motley Fool

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Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM is an integrated energy giant, but generates the bulk of its earnings from the upstream operations. With a strong presence in the prolific Permian Basin and offshore Guyana resources, its top and bottom lines are highly vulnerable to fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices.

But investors should not worry much about this vulnerability since ExxonMobil has a strong balance sheet. With a debt-to-capitalization of 15.44%, the integrated energy giant has significantly lower exposure to debt capital. Thus, unlike many other energy companies, ExxonMobil can rely on its strong balance sheet when oil and natural gas prices turn low, and the business scenario becomes unfavorable.

With lower exposure to debt capital, XOM can secure additional debt on favorable terms during uncertain situations, allowing it to operate smoothly, pursue lucrative acquisitions and continue rewarding shareholders.

CVX & EOG Also Have Low Debt Load

Chevron Corporation CVX and EOG Resources Inc. EOG, both having robust balance sheets, can also sail through an unfavorable business environment due to their strong financials. While CVX has a debt-to-capitalization of 19.35%, EOG's debt-to-capitalization stands at 20.42%.

XOM's Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates

Shares of XOM have gained 37.2% over the past year compared with the 35.3% improvement of the industry.Zacks Investment Research

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, XOM trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA of 9.97X. This is above the broader industry average of 6.40X.Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for XOM's 2026 earnings has seen upward revisions over the past 30 days.Zacks Investment Research

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ExxonMobil currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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Cenovus Energy Inc. CVE is a leading Canadian integrated energy company with a diversified asset portfolio spanning oil sands, conventional oil and gas assets, offshore operations and refining facilities across Canada and the United States. CVE’s upstream operations generate the majority of its revenues by extracting crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas. The integrated giant’s downstream business generates revenues by refining these resources into petroleum products like gasoline and diesel.

Cenovus generates enough revenues to return capital to its shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. In the first quarter of 2026, CVE increased its quarterly base dividend by 10% to 22 cents per share, marking six consecutive years of dividend growth. During the same period, the company returned approximately $1.0 billion to its shareholders through dividends, share buybacks and preferred share redemptions. Since 2021, Cenovus has repurchased about 13% of its outstanding shares.

Cenovus plans to boost its future cash flows through several high-return growth projects. Key initiatives include the Christina Lake North expansion, the West White Rose offshore project, the Foster Creek optimization project and the Sunrise expansion. These projects are expected to boost production, cash flow and shareholder returns over the long term.

XOM & CVX Focus on Returning Capital to Its Shareholders

Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM and Chevron Corporation CVX are other integrated giants that generate enough revenues to return capital to their shareholders.

ExxonMobil distributed $9.2 billion to shareholders, including $4.3 billion in dividends and $4.9 billion through stock repurchases. This strong capital return program keeps XOM on pace with its plan to repurchase $20 billion of shares in 2026.

Chevron rewarded shareholders with a total of $27.1 billion through 2025, including $12.1 billion in share repurchases and $2.2 billion related to the acquisitions of Hess Corporation. This strong shareholder return program marked the company's 38th consecutive year of annual dividend increases. Continuing this trend into early 2026, CVX paid out $3.5 billion in common stock dividends and repurchased $2.5 billion worth of shares during the first quarter.

CVE’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates

Cenovus shares have gained 96.7% over the past year compared with 66.7% growth of the industry.Zacks Investment Research

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, CVE trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 7.03X. This is below the broader industry average of 7.21X.

Story Continues

Zacks Investment Research

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CVE’s 2026 earnings has remained constant over the past seven days.Zacks Investment Research

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

CVE currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -0.61%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.88%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -0.80%.  June E-mini S&P futures (ESM26) are down -0.71%, and June E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQM26) are down -0.97%.

Stock indexes are sliding for a second day today, as chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks retreat.  Also, rising crude oil prices are weighing on airline stocks, and trucking companies are under pressure today after Amazon expanded its LTL freight offering to all destinations in the US, including third-party warehouses, distribution centers, and retail partners.Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why the midday Barchart Brief newsletter is a must-read for thousands daily.

Stocks found some support today after US May consumer prices came in as expected, easing inflation concerns.  Also, gains in crude oil prices today are lifting energy producers.

US May CPI rose +4.2% y/y, right on expectations and the fastest pace of increase in 3 years.  May core CPI rose +2.9% y/y, right on expectations, and the fastest pace of increase in 7 months.

US MBA mortgage applications rose +10.8% in the week ended June 5, with the purchase mortgage sub-index up +7.3% and the refinancing mortgage sub-index up +15.3%.  The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose +3 bp to 6.60% from 6.57% in the prior week.

WTI crude oil prices (CLN26) are up more than +1% today after the US and Iran exchanged strikes overnight.  The US said it had completed an operation that saw fighter jets strike Iranian air defenses, ground control stations, and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for Iran shooting down a US Apache helicopter.  In response, Iran launched missiles at four US military targets and fired drones at the main US naval base in the Middle East, located in Bahrain, and struck Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait.  Gains in crude prices accelerated today when President Trump said that Iran has taken too long to make a deal and that they will now have to “pay the price,” fueling concerns that the US may escalate military attacks on Iran.

The markets are discounting a 0% chance of a +25 bp rate hike at the next FOMC meeting on June 16-17.

Overseas stock markets are mixed today.  The Euro Stoxx 50 recovered from a 2.5-week low and is up +0.03%.  China's Shanghai Composite closed down -0.42%.  Japan's Nikkei Stock Average closed down -1.89%.

Interest Rates

September 10-year T-notes (ZNU6) today are down -1 tick, and the 10-year T-note yield is up +0.2 bp to 4.519%.  T-notes are under slight pressure today after a +1% jump in WTI crude oil, which has raised inflation expectations.  Supply pressures are also weighing on T-note prices as the Treasury will auction $39 billion of 10-year T-notes later today.  T-notes recovered from their worst levels after the US May CPI report rose as expected, easing inflation concerns.

European government bond yields are moving higher today.  The 10-year German Bund yield climbed to a 2.5-week high of 3.088% and is up +1.7 bp to 3.060%.  The 10-year UK gilt yield is up +1.7 bp to 4.920%.

Swaps are discounting a 100% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at its next policy meeting on Thursday.

US Stock Movers

Chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks are leading the broader market lower today.  ON Semiconductor (ON) is down more than -5%, and Qualcomm (QCOM) is down more than -5% to lead losers in the Nasdaq 100.  Also, Western Digital (WDC) and Broadcom (AVGO) are down more than -4%, andAdvanced Micro Devices (AMD), NXP Semiconductors NV (NXPI), ARM Holdings Plc (ARM), and Microchip Technology (MCHP) are down more than -3%.  In addition,  Nvidia (NVDA), Marvell Technology (MRVL), and Micron Technology (MU) are down more than -2%.

Trucking companies are under pressure today after Amazon expanded its LTL freight offering to all destinations in the US, including third-party warehouses, distribution centers, and retail partners.  Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) is down more than -4%, and FedEx Freight Holding Co (FDXF), ArcBest (ARCB), and XPO Inc (XPO) are down more than -3%.  Also, Saia Inc (SAIA) is down more than -2%, and CH Robinson Worldwide (CHRW) and JB Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) are down more than -2%.

Airline stocks and cruise line operators are falling today, as WTI crude oil is up more than 1%, which is boosting fuel costs and dampening profitability prospects.  United Airlines Holdings (UAL), Alaska Air Group (ALK), and Carnival (CCL) are down more than -4%, and American Airlines Group (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) are down more than -3%.  Also, Southwest Airlines (LUV) is down more than -2%.

Energy producers and service providers are moving higher today, with WTI crude oil up more than +1%.  Devon Energy (DVN) is up more than +5%, and APA Corp (APA) is up more than +3%.  Also, ConocoPhillips (COP), Marathon Petroleum (MPC), Phillips 66 (PSX), and Chevron (CVX) are up more than +2%.  In addition, Diamondback Energy (FANG), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Halliburton (HAL), and Valero Energy (VLO) are up more than +1%.

Super Micro Computer (SMCI) is down more than -17% to lead losers in the S&P 500 after saying it plans $7 billion in equity and equity-linked financing transactions to fund component purchases.

Dianthus Therapeutics (DNTH) is down more than -13% after peer developer Sanofi halted a late-stage trial of an experimental therapy for a rare autoimmune disorder, citing efficacy concerns.

Summit Therapeutics (SMMT) is down more than -7% after announcing it had commenced an underwritten public offering of $500 million of shares of its common stock.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) is up more than +27% after raising its full-year revenue forecast to $3.27 billion to $3.30 billion from a previous estimate of $3.24 billion to $3.27 billion, stronger than the consensus of $3.25 billion.

Casey’s General Stores (CASY) is up more than +14% to lead gainers in the S&P 500 after reporting Q4 revenue of $4.57 billion, above the consensus of $4.32 billion.

Illumina (ILMN) is up more than +3% after JPMorgan Chase upgraded the stock to overweight from neutral with a price target of $185.

Hinge Health (HNGE) is up more than +2% after raising its full-year revenue forecast to $818 million to $824 million from a previous estimate of $798 million to $804 million.

Earnings Reports(6/10/2026)

Chewy Inc (CHWY), Core & Main Inc (CNM), Oracle Corp (ORCL). On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Haftungsausschluss: Der Text wurde mit Hilfe einer KI zusammengefasst und übersetzt. Für Aussagen aus dem Originaltext wird keine Haftung übernommen!

There's something interesting going on in the stock market. The S&P 500 is hitting record high after record high, but of the 500 companies in the index, only about 20 are actually trading at their own all-time highs.

The high-flying AI-linked megacaps -- companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Meta -- are pushing the index higher while hundreds of individual stocks from less flashy parts of the economy are falling behind.

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

I think it's a perfect time to diversify and broaden your exposure away from these AI names into more value-driven stocks. That's why, for my money, the smartest Vanguard exchange-traded fund at the moment is the Vanguard Value ETF (NYSEMKT: VTV).

What the Vanguard Value ETF actually holds

VTV tracks the CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value index -- a benchmark of 311 large-cap stocks selected for classic value characteristics like low price-to-earnings (P/E) and price-to-book (P/B) ratios. They're also largely from outside technology -- names like Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan, and ExxonMobil dominate. Here are the top five holdings:

Stock Weight Berkshire Hathaway 3.6% JPMorgan Chase 3% ExxonMobil 2.9% Johnson & Johnson 2.4% Walmart 2.2%

Why the S&P 500 is riskier than it looks

If you own something like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, you've made a more lopsided bet than you may realize. The top 10 names in the S&P 500 now account for roughly 40% of the entire index. That's historically extreme. And they're all from a single area of the economy: technology.

Those tech firms have been driving the index higher, all based on the expectation that artificial intelligence will reshape the economy and generate massive profits for decades to come. That might prove correct. But at this point, it is still very much a bet; it's far from guaranteed.

VTV is cheaper than you might think

The Vanguard Value ETF trades at about 21 times earnings with a P/B value of roughly 3. The S&P 500 is significantly more expensive by both counts at the moment.

Now, these companies are no shlubs: The fund's holdings sport a 17% return on equity (ROE, an important measure of how efficiently a company turns capital into profit) and 9.5% earnings growth. These are healthy, profitable businesses. They're just not getting the AI premium.

And VTV also offers a 2% dividend yield. That's not a crazy amount, but it's about twice that of what you'd get from SPY.

Story Continues

A hedge that works in any AI scenario

If the AI trade turns out to be overhyped, if the massive capital expenditures don't translate into the profits Wall Street expects, the S&P 500 is going to take a hit. With more than a third of the index concentrated in the companies most exposed to AI, it will be a painful one. VTV, on the other hand, with just 8% tech exposure, would be far more insulated from a major correction.Image source: Getty Images.

On the other hand, if AI plays out the way bulls hope and the technology does reshape the economy, these companies benefit too. Banks can process more transactions and cut costs while energy companies power more and more data centers. Healthcare companies become more efficient. Industrials optimize their supply chains. The list goes on. In other words, you win either way.

The bottom line

If you've got $1,000 to put to work today, I think the smartest move is to lean into the parts of the market that have been left behind in the AI gold rush rather than double down on a handful of names that are already priced for perfection.

VTV gives you 311 large-cap businesses trading at a discount to the broader market and is positioned to benefit whether the AI narrative plays out or not.

Should you buy stock in Vanguard Value ETF right now?

Before you buy stock in Vanguard Value ETF, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Vanguard Value ETF wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut are built for long-term growth and could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $439,038! Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,277,804!

That performance is why people listen. With a track record of beating the S&P 500 by nearly 5x, Stock Advisor offers a distinct advantage. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built for the long haul.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of June 10, 2026.

JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan Chase, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, Vanguard Value ETF, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Smartest Vanguard ETF to Buy With $1,000 Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool

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