ETF Power Rankings Archives Articles

Aerospace & Defense is dominating right now.

The ETF tracking this sector, $ITA, is up 12% in just the last month, powering its way to all-time highs with impressive momentum.

Check out the explosive upside on the chart.

Breaking down the biggest contributors:

• General Electric ($GE) – 21.04% weight
• RTX Corporation ($RTX) – 12.42% weight
• Boeing ($BA) – 9.94% weight

But it’s not just these giants pushing $ITA higher. Several smaller, lesser-weighted names (top left quadrant) are posting significant year-to-date gains.

Here’s a scatter plot of each component’s ETF weighting vs. YTD return.

While the broader market struggles to reclaim pre-tariff highs, Aerospace & Defense has blown past them.

And when you see relative strength like this, it rarely fades quickly.

A great example of this is the commodities complex. Gold is up +26% YTD and +43% over the last year.

This is a trend that's far from exhausting.

Our Chief Market Strategist, Steve Strazza, is hosting an...

Another week, another crypto-focused note—because the relative strength in this space is too strong to ignore.

Both crypto stock ETFs on our thematic list—BITQ and BLOK—have completed their transitions from red to green. That’s a clear signal of accelerating relative strength.

The Amplify Transformation Data Sharing ETF ($BLOK) allocates at least 80% of its assets to companies actively building and deploying blockchain technologies. On a total return basis, it’s now pressing against a historic breakout.

If Bitcoin clears its all-time highs, we're targeting a 50% move to $155,000.

In that scenario, these stocks are primed to capture the upside.

Stocks have pushed higher despite growing economic uncertainty fueled by rising tariffs.

Now that the rebound is in motion, the key question is whether the market will sustain this rally or pause to retest previous highs.

A prime example is the Technology sector ($XLK), arguably the most critical in the U.S. It’s currently pressing against a significant overhead supply level.

We expect tech—and the broader market—to respect these resistance points. Any consolidation here would set the stage perfectly for a decisive breakout toward new all-time highs.

Large-cap stocks remain firmly in the lead across U.S. markets, while small caps continue to underperform.

This divergence is clearly illustrated in the accompanying table, where small-cap indices are uniformly in the red, in stark contrast to the strong green posted by large-cap benchmarks.

The breakdown in the $IWM/$SPY ratio underscores this trend, with small caps continuing to lose ground relative to their larger counterparts.

While some interpret the underperformance of small caps as a broader economic signal, the more actionable takeaway lies in identifying where the most attractive investment opportunities reside.

Over the past decade, investors have consistently been rewarded for focusing on large-cap names. That pattern continues today, fueled in part by renewed strength in growth-heavy sectors dominated by mega-cap stocks.

In this market, large caps remain the place to be.

All year long, we've been pounding the table on one core idea: the real money-making opportunities are showing up outside the United States.

Week after week, international markets are hitting fresh highs while U.S. equities continue to lag, stuck below their pre-tariff peaks.

You can literally see the rotation happening. The visual below turns our Power Rankings table into a color-coded map—clearly showing capital flowing out of the U.S. and into global equities.

Zoom into Europe, and it's even more obvious: green everywhere. These markets aren't just moving—they're going vertical.

Plot the performance of Europe $VGK against the U.S. $VOO this year, and it's a straight line higher. Europe is crushing it.

Meanwhile, most passive investors are sitting in stale U.S. exposure, completely missing the move.

After 15 years of U.S. market dominance, the tide may finally be turning. The data is stacking up. The rotation is real.

The question is no longer if global markets are outperforming. The question is—are you...

The most significant development on this table is the dramatic shift in Uranium, represented by the $URA ETF.

On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at expediting approvals for new nuclear power plants. This move sent the Uranium ETF soaring, marking its best day in nearly three years, as it now attempts to break out from a massive multi-year base.

The nuclear theme has never been more pertinent, especially with the United States spearheading global advancements in artificial intelligence. The overwhelming demand for new data centers has created an urgent need for energy, and the U.S. is turning to nuclear infrastructure as a key solution to meet this demand.

If $URA manages to break above the $35 level, it would signal a strong potential for this sector to experience a substantial move upward.

We keep returning to crypto as a key investment theme — and for good reason.

The largest cryptocurrency, which represents 65% of the investable asset class, is breaking out to all-time highs.

The Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF ($BITQ) has staged a strong recovery, rallying 60% off the lows.

But when you price it in Bitcoin ($BTC), the story shifts.

It’s a powerful reminder: changing the denominator can reveal how strong an asset really is — or whether its strength is simply riding the coattails of something else.

In a market like this, where headlines often focus on nominal gains, it's worth asking: What’s actually outperforming — and what’s just keeping pace?

That shift in perspective can make all the difference in identifying real leadership versus passive beneficiaries.

We’re seeing healthy sector rotation play out, with risk-on groups like Communications, Technology, Industrials, Financials, and Discretionary all flashing green.

This builds on what we’ve been highlighting in these notes for a while now.

The bears had their shot — and they blew it. Failed breakdowns are rippling through the market, and what we’re seeing now is the aftermath: buyers stepping in, and the tape responding.

With markets back on solid footing, the question becomes: is this just the beginning of something bigger, or are we in for more sideways chop?

Zooming out, the Communications sector — a clear leader — might offer some insight.

Since the bear market lows, $XLC has delivered an exceptional run with barely any volatility. But that changed on Liberation Day — marking the first real correction this group has seen throughout the entire bull phase.

Looking at the chart, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some sideways movement here — maybe a base-building phase before the next leg higher.

In trading, managing risk is non-negotiable — but equally...

As the market bounces back, growth is doing what it does best: leading the charge.

Large Cap Growth ($IWF) and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 ($QQQ) aren’t just participating — they’re setting the pace. These are the names climbing to the top of the leaderboard, outpacing the rest of the U.S. index universe.

But here’s where it gets interesting.

Despite the strong tape, the S&P 500 still closed down 2.5% last week. That puts us right at a critical juncture.

This is the level to watch.

If the market can absorb that dip and hold firm here, it sends a clear message: the bulls are still in control. The trend remains intact, and the path of least resistance is higher.

But if this level breaks, it’s a different conversation. It doesn’t mean the whole move is invalid — but it would suggest this rally needs more time, or a reset, before it can resume.

Either way, how we respond at this inflection point will shape the tone of the next few weeks.
 

Last week marked yet another period where international markets outpaced the United States.

We continue to highlight these historic breakouts because the evidence is mounting: the 15-year era of U.S. equity dominance may finally be coming to an end.

Just two weeks ago, we pointed to a key breakout in Spain’s $EWP on a dividend-adjusted basis. Last week, it pushed even higher—closing at fresh all-time highs.

Argentina’s $ARGT, a global standout since Javier Milei’s election and the wave of deregulation that followed, also notched new all-time highs.

It remains one of the most impressive leaders on the global stage.

Around the world, more and more markets are breaking out.

From Europe to Asia, Latin America to the Middle East—the strength is broadening.

The United Arab Emirates $UAE just joined the ranks, completing a breakout to all-time highs on a dividend-adjusted basis.

This week, our message remains consistent with what we've said all year:

International markets are full of opportunity—and...

As you can see from the steady band of green near the top of our rankings, there hasn't been much rotation across the industry group universe.

The same groups continue to lead — precious metal miners, along with growth areas like software, cybersecurity, and internet stocks.

On the flip side, Home Construction ($ITB) has been dragging on the market. It’s failed to reclaim a key support level, even as most major indices attempt to break above their pre-tariff crash highs.

Keep an eye on ITB in the coming weeks.

If even the weakest industry group can reclaim support, it leaves the bears with nothing to hold onto.

It’s a bull market when even the laggards are forced to move higher.

Last week, we highlighted the short-term breakout in crypto stocks.

As money has rotated back into U.S. markets and growth names, crypto-related equities have been clear beneficiaries — just look at the sharp, bullish run they’ve put in over the past few weeks.

But now, much like Technology ($XLK), which we discussed yesterday, Bitcoin ($BTC) is approaching a key resistance level after an impressive move higher.

This is a logical spot for recent gains to consolidate — a breather here wouldn’t be surprising before any potential breakout.

The strength of this rally has already revealed a lot about which assets are likely to lead once markets clear their tariff-driven highs. But in the short term, these resistance levels deserve respect.