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BUZZ Investing: U.S. Equities Struggle Amid Macro Pressures

February 18, 2022

Read Time 6 MIN

Summary

A diverse mix of stocks contributed to performance in January, while multiple headwinds detracted from overall monthly performance. Spotify and Enphase Energy join the Buzz Index.



Domestic U.S. equities have struggled to start the New Year as geopolitical tensions in Ukraine, heightened domestic inflation expectations and hawkish central bank communications continue to weigh on investor sentiment and valuations. The S&P 500 Index and the technology heavy Nasdaq Composite each posted their worst January performance in thirteen years. The Russell 2000 Growth Index, which measures the performance of those Russell 2000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values, fell a stunning 13.4% during January, suggesting capitulation-like selling within the market segment where some prognosticators had viewed valuations as being stretched. The BUZZ US Sentiment Leaders Index continues to underperform these key benchmark indices as growth and thematic-related equities featured within the index once again weigh on performance.

The BUZZ NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index (the “BUZZ Index” or “Index”) fell -16.11% during the month of January compared to the S&P 500’s fall of -5.17% as of the end of the month. Continue reading for details on recent performance and the latest Index reconstitution.

A Diverse Mix of Stocks Contributed to the Recent BUZZ Index Performance

Peloton Interactive Inc. (PTON) paced advancing stocks during the recent period between selection dates of the BUZZ Index. The once niche provider of indoor cycling and other fitness related equipment targeted to the home-workout community surged eight-fold following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdowns and work-from-home mandates provided huge tailwinds for the company’s business model. As the world’s economies re-opened over the past year, shares of PTON have retraced all of their remarkable run, settling at their pre-pandemic levels by late January 2022. Rumors of a takeover of the suddenly distressed fitness provider, together with a management shake-up headlined by co-founder John Foley relinquishing his title as CEO, rekindled investor spirits and fueled a snap 50% rally in shares of the company. Other positive contributors to performance featured a diverse mix of stocks ranging from the communication services, information technology, energy, and industrials sectors. Beaten down cloud infrastructure and gambling related stocks bounced off recent lows while energy conglomerate Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) surged alongside the price of crude oil which reached its highest level in over seven years.

Top BUZZ Index Contributors: January 12, 2022 – February 10, 2022
Company Ticker Average Weight (%) Return Contribution (%)
Peloton Interactive Inc PTON 1.35 0.20
Cloudflare Inc NET 1.00 0.10
ViacomCBS Inc VIAC 1.42 0.07
Exxon Mobil Corp XOM 0.58 0.06
Las Vegas Sands Corp LVS 0.54 0.05
Carnival Corp CCL 1.26 0.05
Boeing Co BA 2.01 0.04
Visa Inc V 0.61 0.03
Bank of America Corp BAC 0.71 0.02
Penn National Gaming Inc PENN 0.47 0.02

Source: BUZZ Holdings ULC, Bloomberg. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance is not illustrative of fund performance. Not intended as a recommendation to buy or to sell any of the securities mentioned herein. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please visit www.vaneck.com.

The top detractors to performance within the period between selection dates of the BUZZ Index likewise featured a diverse mix of stocks ranging from the healthcare, information technology, communication services and consumer discretionary sectors. COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers once again paced declining stocks within the BUZZ Index as the recent Omicron wave fades, weighing on share prices. Novavax (NVAX) led declining stocks featured within the BUZZ Index for the second consecutive month as the share price of the biotechnology company, which provides a protein-based vaccine for COVID-19, broke support and traded in the low $80’s following months of price volatility which saw NVAX oscillate between $150 and $250 per share. Shares of automaker Ford Motor Co (F) and social media giant Meta Platforms (FB) both fell following disappointing earnings reports. FB recorded the largest one-day drop in market value ever for a U.S. company losing more than one-quarter of its value, $232 billion in market capitalization, following a disastrous earnings report and reduced outlook for the social-media firm as it looks to reimagine itself as a “metaverse” company.

Bottom BUZZ Index Contributors: January 12, 2022 – February 10, 2022
Company Ticker Average Weight (%) Return Contribution (%)
Novavax Inc NVAX 2.31 -0.86
Ford Motor Co F 2.79 -0.85
Meta Platforms Inc FB 2.39 -0.80
PayPal Holdings Inc PYPL 1.9 -0.73
Moderna Inc MRNA 2.18 -0.71
BlackBerry Ltd BB 2.89 -0.68
Tesla Inc TSLA 3.01 -0.60
Palantir Technologies Inc PLTR 2.79 -0.57
AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc AMC 2.5 -0.50
ROBLOX Corp RBLX 1.44 -0.38

Source: BUZZ Holdings ULC, Bloomberg. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance is not illustrative of fund performance. Not intended as a recommendation to buy or to sell any of the securities mentioned herein. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please visit www.vaneck.com.

Sentiment Stock Highlight – Spotify Technology

The largest addition to the BUZZ Index this month happens to be the company at the center of one of the most talked about recent controversies. Spotify (SPOT), the biggest music streaming service in the world, also features non-music content such as audiobooks and podcasts. In May 2020, Spotify signed Joe Rogan, the mixed-martial arts commentator, to an estimated $100MM contract to exclusively provide Rogan's podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE). Launched in 2009, the podcast features Joe Rogan talking to various guests on a wide range of topics. Renowned for Rogan's ability to ask interesting questions and have engaging conversations with guests, JRE ascended in popularity to become one of the most listened-to podcasts in the world, averaging over a million listeners per episode.

Over the past year, JRE has featured several guests discussing topics related to COVID-19, ranging from vaccine efficacy to government mandated lockdowns, while making various claims that politicians, doctors, and scientists have refuted as ‘misinformation’. The controversy has elevated to the point where several prominent musicians have pulled their music off Spotify's platform citing the company's refusal to remove the JRE podcast. While the stock has been mired in a downturn since Q1 2021 amidst the rotation away from growth-related equities, investor sentiment has recently been increasing. It appears investors may not be of the view that the controversy and associated boycotts will have negative long-term effects on Spotify’s platform. This month SPOT re-enters the BUZZ Index with a 1.6% weight, its largest weight since first being featured in the BUZZ Index in June 2020.

Spotify Stock Price | April 2018 – February 2022

Spotify Stock Price | April 2018 - February 2022

Source: BUZZ Holdings ULC, Bloomberg. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance is not illustrative of fund performance. Not intended as a recommendation to buy or to sell any of the securities mentioned herein. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please visit www.vaneck.com.

BUZZ Index February 2022 Rebalance Highlight

Enphase Energy

Enphase Energy (ENPH) is a featured entrant into the BUZZ Index this month. Enphase is a manufacturer of residential solar equipment with operations around the world. Touting a revolutionary method of converting solar energy into electricity, the company has been one of the technological leaders in the industry. Whereas traditional rooftop solar panel networks rely on a single inverter to convert sunlight into energy, Enphase pioneered the development of microinverters, which are smaller inverters built into individual panels, thus allowing for more efficient designs. The company's successful commercialization of the technology has helped it solidify itself as a global market leader, and over the past four years, the stock has surged from $3 to as high as $250 last year, before correcting 50% over the past two months on fears of increasing competition and supply chain issues. Its latest earnings, however, exceeded expectations as the company demonstrated it was able to successfully pass along price increases to consumers. Enphase is currently in the process of transforming from a pure panel supplier to a complete home energy management company, which it believes will create new avenues of revenue. Investors remain bullish on the company, evident by the jump in positive sentiment this month, which pushed ENPH into the Index with a 0.62% weight.

For more on rebalance results and a full breakdown of index constituents added and removed for the month, view the BUZZ Index reconstitution report.

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Important Disclosures

Company data is the source for all particular company information quoted.

Definitions: The S&P 500 is a stock market index of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The Nasdaq Composite Index is a stock market index that consists of the stocks that are listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The Russell 2000 Index is a small-cap stock market index that makes up the smallest 2,000 stocks in the Russell 3000 Index. Russell 2000 Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 2000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

This is not an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation to buy or sell any of the securities/financial instruments mentioned herein. The information presented does not involve the rendering of personalized investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are valid as of the date of this communication and subject to change without notice. Information provided by third party sources are believed to be reliable and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness and cannot be guaranteed. VanEck does not guarantee the accuracy of 3rd party data. The information herein represents the opinion of the author(s), but not necessarily those of VanEck.

An investor cannot invest directly in an index. Returns reflect past performance and do not guarantee future results. Results reflect the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains, if any. Certain indices may take into account withholding taxes. Index returns do not represent Fund returns. The Index does not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, nor does the Index lend securities, and no revenues from securities lending were added to the performance shown.

BUZZ NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index (the “BUZZ Index”) is a product of BUZZ Holdings ULC (“BUZZ Holdings”), and has been licensed to Van Eck Associates Corporation for use in connection with the VanEck Social Sentiment ETF.

BUZZ” is a trademark of BUZZ Holdings, which has been licensed by Van Eck Associates Corporation for use in connection with the BUZZ Index.

VanEck Social Sentiment ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by BUZZ Holdings, or its shareholders, or the licensor of the BUZZ Index and/or its affiliates and third party licensors. BUZZ Holdings makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the VanEck Social Sentiment ETF or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in VanEck Social Sentiment ETF, particularly or the ability of the BUZZ Index to track general market performance.

BUZZ Holdings’ only relationship to Van Eck Associates Corporation with respect to the BUZZ Index is the licensing of the BUZZ Index and certain trademarks of BUZZ Holdings. The BUZZ Holdings are determined and composed by BUZZ Holdings without regard to Van Eck Associates Corporation or the VanEck Social Sentiment ETF. BUZZ Holdings has no obligation to take the needs of Van Eck Associates Corporation or the owners of VanEck Social Sentiment ETF into consideration in determining and composing the BUZZ Index.

BUZZ Holdings are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices of VanEck Social Sentiment ETF or the timing of the issuance or sale of securities of VanEck Social Sentiment ETF or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which VanEck Social Sentiment ETF securities may be converted into cash, surrendered, or redeemed, as the case may be. BUZZ Holdings have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of VanEck Social Sentiment ETF. There is no assurance that investment products based on the BUZZ Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. BUZZ Holdings is not an investment advisor and the inclusion of a security in the BUZZ Index is not a recommendation by BUZZ Holdings to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor should it be considered investment advice.

BUZZ HOLDINGS DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE BUZZ INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS). BUZZ HOLDINGS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. BUZZ HOLDINGS MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY Van Eck Associates Corporation, OWNERS OF THE VanEck Social Sentiment ETF, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE BUZZ INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL BUZZ HOLDINGS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN BUZZ HOLDINGS AND Van Eck Associates Corporation, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF BUZZ HOLDINGS.

Effective August 18, 2016, BUZZ Indexes Inc. implemented changes to the BUZZ NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index construction rules. The index constituent count was increased from 25 to 75 stocks and the maximum constituent weight was reduce from 15% to 3%. These change may result in more a diversified exposure to index constituents than under the rules in effect prior to this date. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by Van Eck Associates Corporation. Copyright © 2022 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, Inc., and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. For more information on any of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC’s indices please visit www.spdji.com. S&P® is a registered trademark of S&P Global and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the ability of any index to accurately represent the asset class or market sector that it purports to represent and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of any index or the data included therein.

An investment in the Fund may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to social media analytics, investing in equity securities, medium-capitalization companies, information technology, communication services, consumer discretionary, health care and industrials sectors, market, operational, high portfolio turnover, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, new fund, absence of prior active market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified and concentration risks which may make these investments volatile in price or difficult to trade. Medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks.

Investing in companies based on social media analytics involves the potential risk of market manipulation because social media posts may be made with an intent to inflate, or otherwise manipulate, the public perception of a company stock or other investment. Although the Sentiment Leaders Index provider attempts to mitigate the potential risk of such manipulation by employing screens to identify posts which may be computer generated or deceptive and by employing market capitalization and trading volume criteria to remove companies which may be more likely targets for such manipulation, there is no guarantee that the Sentiment Leaders Index's model will successfully reduce such risk. Furthermore, text and sentiment analysis of social media postings may prove inaccurate in predicting a company's stock performance.

Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. An investor should consider the investment objective, risks, charges and expenses of a Fund carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus, which contain this and other information, call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Important Disclosures

Company data is the source for all particular company information quoted.

Definitions: The S&P 500 is a stock market index of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The Nasdaq Composite Index is a stock market index that consists of the stocks that are listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The Russell 2000 Index is a small-cap stock market index that makes up the smallest 2,000 stocks in the Russell 3000 Index. Russell 2000 Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 2000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

This is not an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation to buy or sell any of the securities/financial instruments mentioned herein. The information presented does not involve the rendering of personalized investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are valid as of the date of this communication and subject to change without notice. Information provided by third party sources are believed to be reliable and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness and cannot be guaranteed. VanEck does not guarantee the accuracy of 3rd party data. The information herein represents the opinion of the author(s), but not necessarily those of VanEck.

An investor cannot invest directly in an index. Returns reflect past performance and do not guarantee future results. Results reflect the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains, if any. Certain indices may take into account withholding taxes. Index returns do not represent Fund returns. The Index does not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, nor does the Index lend securities, and no revenues from securities lending were added to the performance shown.

BUZZ NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index (the “BUZZ Index”) is a product of BUZZ Holdings ULC (“BUZZ Holdings”), and has been licensed to Van Eck Associates Corporation for use in connection with the VanEck Social Sentiment ETF.

BUZZ” is a trademark of BUZZ Holdings, which has been licensed by Van Eck Associates Corporation for use in connection with the BUZZ Index.

VanEck Social Sentiment ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by BUZZ Holdings, or its shareholders, or the licensor of the BUZZ Index and/or its affiliates and third party licensors. BUZZ Holdings makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the VanEck Social Sentiment ETF or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in VanEck Social Sentiment ETF, particularly or the ability of the BUZZ Index to track general market performance.

BUZZ Holdings’ only relationship to Van Eck Associates Corporation with respect to the BUZZ Index is the licensing of the BUZZ Index and certain trademarks of BUZZ Holdings. The BUZZ Holdings are determined and composed by BUZZ Holdings without regard to Van Eck Associates Corporation or the VanEck Social Sentiment ETF. BUZZ Holdings has no obligation to take the needs of Van Eck Associates Corporation or the owners of VanEck Social Sentiment ETF into consideration in determining and composing the BUZZ Index.

BUZZ Holdings are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices of VanEck Social Sentiment ETF or the timing of the issuance or sale of securities of VanEck Social Sentiment ETF or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which VanEck Social Sentiment ETF securities may be converted into cash, surrendered, or redeemed, as the case may be. BUZZ Holdings have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of VanEck Social Sentiment ETF. There is no assurance that investment products based on the BUZZ Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. BUZZ Holdings is not an investment advisor and the inclusion of a security in the BUZZ Index is not a recommendation by BUZZ Holdings to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor should it be considered investment advice.

BUZZ HOLDINGS DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE BUZZ INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS). BUZZ HOLDINGS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. BUZZ HOLDINGS MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY Van Eck Associates Corporation, OWNERS OF THE VanEck Social Sentiment ETF, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE BUZZ INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL BUZZ HOLDINGS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN BUZZ HOLDINGS AND Van Eck Associates Corporation, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF BUZZ HOLDINGS.

Effective August 18, 2016, BUZZ Indexes Inc. implemented changes to the BUZZ NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index construction rules. The index constituent count was increased from 25 to 75 stocks and the maximum constituent weight was reduce from 15% to 3%. These change may result in more a diversified exposure to index constituents than under the rules in effect prior to this date. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by Van Eck Associates Corporation. Copyright © 2022 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, Inc., and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. For more information on any of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC’s indices please visit www.spdji.com. S&P® is a registered trademark of S&P Global and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the ability of any index to accurately represent the asset class or market sector that it purports to represent and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of any index or the data included therein.

An investment in the Fund may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to social media analytics, investing in equity securities, medium-capitalization companies, information technology, communication services, consumer discretionary, health care and industrials sectors, market, operational, high portfolio turnover, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, new fund, absence of prior active market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified and concentration risks which may make these investments volatile in price or difficult to trade. Medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks.

Investing in companies based on social media analytics involves the potential risk of market manipulation because social media posts may be made with an intent to inflate, or otherwise manipulate, the public perception of a company stock or other investment. Although the Sentiment Leaders Index provider attempts to mitigate the potential risk of such manipulation by employing screens to identify posts which may be computer generated or deceptive and by employing market capitalization and trading volume criteria to remove companies which may be more likely targets for such manipulation, there is no guarantee that the Sentiment Leaders Index's model will successfully reduce such risk. Furthermore, text and sentiment analysis of social media postings may prove inaccurate in predicting a company's stock performance.

Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. An investor should consider the investment objective, risks, charges and expenses of a Fund carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus, which contain this and other information, call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before investing.