SPHQ, QUAL, and MOAT Define Quality Differently. Those Rules Decide What You Own

Three ETFs all claim to own quality businesses, yet only four companies appear in all three portfolios. The definition of quality turns out to matter enormously for what ends up in your account.

24/7 Wall Street • Oct 22, 2026

Three ETFs That Refuse to Rank Stocks by Size. Each Picks Winners a Different Way

Most index funds hand the biggest companies the biggest stakes, but three ETFs tear up that rulebook and each uses a completely different formula to decide who wins a spot and how much of your money they get.

24/7 Wall Street • Oct 17, 2026

Is VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Launched on 04/24/2012, the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend category of the market.

Zacks Investment Research • Oct 6, 2026

Should VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) Be on Your Investing Radar?

The VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) was launched on April 24, 2012, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Zacks Investment Research • Sep 22, 2026

MOAT: Software Stocks Powering Recent Gains For This $12.5 Billion Wide Moat ETF

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF delivered strong recent outperformance, gaining 10.23% versus peers since my last review, driven by deeply discounted valuations and overweighted software stocks. MOAT trades at a rare 23% discount to its 5-year average P/E, in part justifying its unique selection process and higher expense ratio. The ETF's heavy allocation to undervalued software stocks and defensive sectors contributed to recent gains but historically lags EQWL and JQUA in long-term total and risk-adjusted returns.

Seeking Alpha • Aug 27, 2026

The 2026 Blueprint: 6 Stocks for a Brand New Portfolio

The era of frictionless software scaling has violently collided with physical reality. Capital is flowing out of technology names and into the hard assets, baseload power generation, and silicon foundries required to sustain the artificial intelligence supercycle.

MarketBeat • Jul 23, 2026

ETF Prime: ETF Inflows, the Nasdaq 100 Fee War, & Launches

Record ETF inflows and a new fee war in the Nasdaq 100 category were among the highlights on this week's ETF Prime. Host Nate Geraci welcomed Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, followed by Brian Walsh, head of advice and planning at SoFi.

ETF Trends • Jul 15, 2026

Time to Buy Wide Moat & HALO ETFs?

Wall Street is caught in the midst of shifting geopolitical stances of the United States and Iran, chances of higher global inflation, weak U.S. jobs data, the possibility of stagflation in the U.S. economy, and the Fed's likely dilemma in fixing the monetary policy amid a weakening labor market and accelerating inflation. Also, the occasional selloffs in the red-hot artificial intelligence (AI) space have been a steady concern.

Zacks Investment Research • Jul 10, 2026

AI Reevaluations Shape Moat Index Turnover

AI-driven moat rating downgrades played a major role in the Moat Index's Q2 review, reshaping tech exposure while surfacing attractively priced opportunities across other sectors. Key Takeaways Morningstar's March reassessment of software companies drove a larger-than-usual portion of the Index's turnover this quarter.

ETF Trends • Jun 28, 2026

MOAT: Relative Value Proposition Is What Makes VanEck's Wide Moat ETF Special

MOAT is comprised of two sub-portfolios of U.S. securities with low price-to-fair market value ratios and "wide moat" ratings from Morningstar. Its expense ratio is 0.46%. On the surface, MOAT's 24.34x trailing P/E ratio appears expensive for a value-oriented ETF, especially when weighed against SPY's 26.86x P/E. However, my analysis reveals a 24% "discount to itself" based on its constituents' 5Y average P/E ratios. That discount is the 16th highest among 884 U.S. Size & Style ETFs.

Seeking Alpha • Jun 15, 2026