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In this episode of ETF Spotlight, I speak with Kristy Akullian, Director on BlackRock’s iShares Investment Strategy team, about the market outlook and investing strategies for the second half of 2023. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, offers more than 400 US-listed ETFs.

BlackRock expects inflation to remain sticky, forcing the Fed to keep rates higher for longer. In this environment, investors may want to be nimble with their asset allocation based on incoming macroeconomic data.

The asset manager recommends focusing on bonds as an income generator in portfolios. Investors could consider the iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG - Free Report) or the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND - Free Report).

The firm expects a mild slowdown but thinks that the near-term upside for markets is capped and that downside risks are underappreciated. Investors could consider high-quality large-cap companies.

The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL - Free Report) and the SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS - Free Report) provide exposure to high-quality stocks. Apple (AAPL - Free Report), Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report), and Nvidia (NVDA - Free Report) are the top holdings in these ETFs.

Low volatility ETFs like the iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV - Free Report) underperform the broader indexes during strong bull markets but hold up relatively well during market declines.

BlackRock’s third theme is all about capitalizing on mega forces like AI. Take a look at the iShares Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Multisector ETF (IRBO - Free Report) and the Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ - Free Report).

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