Monthly payouts in 2026 have run $0.102, $0.105, and $0.108, tracking close to the $0.1055 average seen across 2025. That is a meaningful step up from the $0.0865 average in 2024.
The iShares Biotechnology ETF is the default large-cap vehicle for the sector. It is market-cap weighted, which concentrates the fund in cash-generative incumbents rather than spreading capital across clinical-stage names.
"This is a system shock," says Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group. "You have a material energy supply disruption and a structural shift toward fragmentation."
EMLC holds a broad mix of about 507 bonds issued by emerging market governments, all denominated in local currencies such as the Brazilian real, South African rand, Turkish lira, and Mexican peso. Almost the entire portfolio is sovereign debt at roughly 99 percent, so the fund is essentially a pure government credit exposure.
Over time, markets get ahead of themselves. Excitement over AI, green energy, or whatever the next big thing is tends to push stock valuations far beyond what fundamentals justify. Accordingly, more often than not, a correction can be the catalyst that brings valuation discipline back into the discussion. Think of it as the market taking a deep breath.
We're on a rollercoaster of AI disruption with geopolitical risks adding to the uneasy ride. Sell-offs have rocked markets as artificial intelligence tools and services threaten to disrupt sectors. High geopolitical tensions have also been the theme so far this year, with the ongoing US military build‑up in the Middle East, while the assault on Venezuela and January's stand‑off over Greenland are still front of mind.
EDIV tracks a yield-weighted index of dividend-paying companies across emerging markets. Rather than weighting by market cap, the fund tilts toward companies paying the highest dividends relative to their size. Banks, telecom operators, and consumer staples dominate the portfolio. The top positions include Brazilian beverage giant Ambev, Brazilian bank Bradesco, China Railway Group, and a cluster of Taiwanese industrials and telecom names.
While over-diversification is not a term you hear often, the financial industry has spent decades telling investors that more is better. More funds, more sectors, more geographic exposure, and more asset classes, galore. The thing is, when a retiree holds 15 or 20 ETFs across overlapping strategies, the result isn't going to be safety, more like dilution.
The stock market hates inflation. There are not many stocks that are little affected today, if any. However, safe-haven stocks may even rise due to demand. At the top of this list is Altria (NYSE: MO), the cigarette and tobacco king. People who smoke do not stop smoking, even during periods of conflict.
