Building a Portfolio from Scratch? Consider ETFs
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) have truly revolutionized the concept of diversification, and they have fundamentally changed the way people invest. Investors can now seek-out different markets, sectors, regions, and/or asset classes that interest you.
ETFs for investing are like apps for your phone. Do you want to invest in only green energy companies? There’s an ETF for that. Are you looking for an ETF that invests in only Israeli stocks? There’s an ETF for that. Do you want an ETF that targets global real estate? There’s an ETF for that too.
The categories and ETF options are so expansive that there are currently more than 1,700 available to choose from, and the number keeps rising. The ETFs can be narrowly focused on a particular region, commodity, style, or can be expansive like investing in an entire market, like the S&P 500. In fact, for many investors, simply buying an S&P 500 ETF (ticker: SPY) and calling it a day is all they’ll ever need.
ETFs can give new investors a benefit because they are generally cost effective (low annual fee) and represent a category, which means investors can obtain instant diversification (assuming you invest in a broad market or multiple categories).
That being said, for new investors or those building a portfolio from scratch, choosing from the extensive menu of ETFs can be somewhat daunting. A good place to start is by answering some questions that inform who you are as an investor:
- What are your investment objectives?
- How do you feel about risk?
- How long will you be investing for?
- Do you have any particular interests when it comes to investing? I.e., are there certain opportunities or regions or asset classes you’re interested in?
- How much do you plan on investing?
Those questions are all good primers for narrowing your options and figuring out which ETF(s) could make sense for your situation.
Next would be to search and filter the ETFs. Using the iShares website is helpful to poke around on all the options, and Vanguard and Schwab also offer good selections of ETFs. TD Ameritrade also has a tool that allows you to search for and filter ETFs by different criteria, like performance, sector, fund family, market cap, ratings, portfolio holdings, and so on. They also have more than 300 ETFs that you can trade commission-free.
Want to Use Algorithms to Get Investment Ideas? Tickeron has Artificial Intelligence for That
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Tickeron’s new financial website is available to beginners, intermediate investors, and even experts and advisors. Explore tickeron.com today.
Momentum Indicator for SPY turns positive, indicating new upward trend
SPY saw its Momentum Indicator move above the 0 level on June 03, 2025. This is an indication that the stock could be shifting in to a new upward move. Traders may want to consider buying the stock or buying call options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 68 similar instances where the indicator turned positive. In of the 68 cases, the stock moved higher in the following days. The odds of a move higher are at .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for SPY just turned positive on June 26, 2025. Looking at past instances where SPY's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in of 53 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The 50-day moving average for SPY moved above the 200-day moving average on June 27, 2025. This could be a long-term bullish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an upward trend.
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where SPY advanced for three days, in of 367 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In of 436 cases where SPY Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are .
Bearish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator has been in the overbought zone for 1 day. Expect a price pull-back in the near future.
The Stochastic Oscillator has been in the overbought zone for 2 days. Expect a price pull-back in the near future.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where SPY declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
SPY broke above its upper Bollinger Band on June 26, 2025. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
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