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TODAY ON REASONED REFLECTIONS:

• Market Movers 📈;

• Exchange Traded Funds;

• Fun fact of the Reflection 🗓️;

• Quote of the Reflection 🧐.

📈 MARKET MOVERS 📉

Data was pulled from MarketBeat as of April 24, 2025 based on the preceding 7 days. It includes U.S. NYSE and NASDAQ companies, covering all sectors, and focusing on large-cap stocks ($10b+ market cap).

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REFLECTION No. 32: ETFs

I - Issue: What is an Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)?

R - Rule: An Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is an investment fund that holds a diversified basket of assets, like stocks, bonds, or commodities, and trades on a stock exchange like an individual stock. ETFs are designed to offer investors diversification, liquidity, and low fees. Most ETFs track an index, sector, or asset class, giving investors broad market exposure without needing to buy each asset individually.

A - Analysis: At first glance, an ETF might look like just another stock ticker, but there's much more behind the scenes. When you buy a share of an ETF, you buy a small piece of a larger portfolio. For example, owning a share of VOO exposes you to all 500 companies in the S&P 500, meaning there is no need to buy each stock individually or guess which company will outperform.

One key advantage of ETFs is how they trade. Unlike mutual funds, which only trade once per day after markets close, ETFs trade throughout the day, just like shares of Apple or Microsoft. This means you can buy or sell ETFs whenever the market is open, giving you the flexibility to react in real time.

Another reason ETFs have gained popularity is their cost efficiency. Since most ETFs are passively managed—aiming to mirror an index rather than beat it—they come with lower management fees. Some of the most popular ETFs have expense ratios as low as 0.03%. That’s $3 a year for every $10,000 invested.

Of course, no investment is without risk. An ETF’s value rises and falls with its underlying assets. If you’re holding a stock market ETF and the market dips, your ETF will too. Niche ETFs or those using leverage can be particularly volatile, so knowing what you're buying is essential.

C - Conclusion: ETFs combine the flexibility of stock trading with the diversification of mutual funds, making them a popular, cost-effective choice for building a balanced portfolio. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned investor, ETFs offer an easy way to gain broad market exposure—remember, diversification helps manage risk but doesn’t eliminate it.

FUN FACT 🗓️

TSA collects almost $1,000,000 in unclaimed money—mostly coins—from airline passengers who empty pockets to go through the security line. Good thing electronic payment is becoming the norm.

QUOTE OF THE REFLECTION 🧐