UPDATE

🌤️ Happy Wednesday

Good morning. Thanks for tuning in to this mid-week issue! We’re hoping last week was a productive and eventful week for you.

With fast-moving markets and tasks that require your attention all day, it can be tough to remember to take a moment for yourself. Here’s your reminder to take a deep breath and crush your to-do list today 🙌

Read time: 4 minutes

WEEK IN REVIEW

📈 Market Performance

S&P 500 (5-day), via Google Finance

What goes up must come down. Last week, we talked optimistically about the S&P 500 and why we might be seeing some declines. Specifically, we mentioned that the index is likely coming off of summertime highs and is now cooling off, finding a middle ground.

Much of what we discussed still holds, however, it can be disheartening to see the index falling lower over a week. As of this morning (10/25), big-name companies like Amazon and Google have seen their stock prices slip -3.18% and -8.82% respectively.

Remember, larger companies like these tend to have more weight within the S&P 500 index (and even more in the Nasdaq) which could be a large contributor to the declines we saw this morning.

As with all short-term swings, hold steady and stick to your long-term investing plan.

🗂️ Considering an Index Fund? Here Are Two Favorites.

Stock Market Analyst by Tima Miroshnichenko, via Pexels

Last week we also talked about the differences between investing in stocks directly vs. buying index funds. Both have their merits, and your investing plan will likely have both asset types within it. However, not all index funds are created equal, as some track different metrics or have costs associated.

Perhaps the simplest way to get into index fund investing is through an exchange-traded fund (ETF). When it comes to investing in ETFs, there are many options available in the market: two popular ETFs that investors often compare are $VOO and $SCHD.

• $VOO, which is managed by Vanguard, is designed to track the performance of the S&P 500 index. This means that it is a great way to capitalize on a highly diversified collection of companies.

• On the other hand, $SCHD, which is managed by Schwab, tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. This index includes 100 high dividend-yielding U.S. companies.

While both ETFs are designed to provide investors with exposure to the U.S. equity market, their investment strategies and underlying holdings are quite different. Many Americans keep a combination of both funds in their 401(k)s or Roth IRAs to counter risk long-term.

WEEKLY WATCHLIST

📋 PayPal’s Bet

PayPal Company Sign, via Rawpixel

Paypal is a company that we’ve talked about in the past. While publically listed as $PYPL, PayPal is a subsidiary of eBay. The E-commerce giant bought the merchant company for $1.5 Billion in October 2002.

This doesn't stop PayPal from boasting its own impressive operation, as the company even has subsidiaries of its own. Venmo, which is popular as a mobile payment service among millennials and Gen-Z, was purchased by PayPal in 2013. This points to PayPal's larger plan of trying to dominate the peer-to-peer payment market.

• This operation hasn't carried on without some hiccups. In the past six months, PayPal's stock has been down over 28.06%. This comes at a time when many other companies are hoping to compete within the same market. Zelle, CashApp, and even Apple Cash are all programs trying to operate within the digital payment world.

While these competitors mean that PayPal stock has faced some short-term upsets, the company is still hoping to execute its long-term plan. With the stock at new lows, many investors are considering picking up discounted shares, hoping for a long-term play.

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BRAIN TEASERS

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Thanks again for reading!

Nothing MARK IT. publishes constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information published by MARK IT. constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed.