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3 ETFs That Could Benefit as Consumers Tighten Their Budgets
Submitted by Jennifer Ryan Woods. Article Posted: 3/11/2026.
Key Points
- A growing divide in consumer spending is emerging as higher-income households continue to spend freely while lower-income consumers scale back due to elevated prices, slower income growth, and rising debt.
- As consumers look for ways to stretch their budgets, discount retailers and warehouse clubs such as TJX, Ross Stores, Dollar General, and Burlington Stores have benefited from increased demand, with many of their stocks posting strong gains over the past year.
- Investors looking to capitalize on the shift toward value-oriented shopping may consider ETFs such as XLY, XRT, and RTH, which offer varying levels of exposure to discount retailers, warehouse clubs, and other major consumer companies.
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U.S. consumer spending has remained resilient, but there is a growing divide in who is spending and what they're buying. In what many economists describe as a K-shaped economy, higher-income households have continued to prosper and spend more freely, while lower-income consumers have pulled back as elevated prices, lagging incomes, and rising debt take a toll. As many households look to trim expenses, shoppers are increasingly turning to discount chains and warehouse clubs to get more value for their money.
Over the past year, retailers such as TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX), Ross Stores (NASDAQ: ROST), Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG), and Burlington Stores, Inc. (NYSE: BURL) have benefited from this shift, and there may be further upside ahead. Many analysts remain bullish on these retailers, and if gas prices rise sharply because of the escalating conflict with Iran, that could further push consumers toward bargain shopping.
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Go here for JC's full briefingFor investors looking to benefit from this move toward a more price-conscious economy, three ETFs that provide exposure to value-oriented retailers can be an efficient way to participate in the trend.
XLY Offers Broad Consumer Exposure Plus Key Value Retailers
The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA: XLY) gives investors exposure to retailers benefiting from shifting consumer spending while also capturing the broader consumer discretionary sector. One of its notable holdings is TJX — the company behind TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods.
TJX makes up roughly 4% of XLY, offering investors meaningful exposure to the discount retail trend. TJX has risen more than 30% over the last year, and analysts remain overwhelmingly positive. XLY also holds Ross Stores at about a 1.5% weight; Ross has surged more than 50% over the last year and is up roughly 15% year-to-date, with analysts maintaining a bullish outlook.
That said, XLY is not a pure discount-retailer play. The fund is concentrated in a handful of consumer discretionary names across several industries: its two largest holdings, Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA), together account for roughly 40% of the portfolio.
XLY has a net expense ratio of just 0.03%, well below the consumer discretionary ETF average of 0.58%. The ETF is highly liquid and currently trades around $115 per share — up more than 15% over the last year, although it is down nearly 4% year-to-date.
XRT Provides Diversified Exposure Across the Retail Sector
Investors seeking more targeted, less top-heavy retail exposure may prefer the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: XRT). XRT provides broad, equally weighted exposure across the retail sector, allowing mid-sized companies to have a greater impact on performance. The top 25 holdings each account for roughly 1.5% to 1.8% of the portfolio.
XRT holds several warehouse clubs, including PriceSmart Inc. (NASDAQ: PSMT), BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE: BJ), and Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST).
It also includes discount retailers such as Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG), Burlington Stores Inc. (NYSE: BURL), and Five Below Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVE). The ETF is highly liquid and carries a net expense ratio of 0.35% — higher than XLY but still below the sector average. Over the last year, XRT has climbed more than 15%, though it has slipped roughly 2% year-to-date and is currently trading around $83.
RTH Targets Retail Industry Leaders
For investors who want an ETF focused strictly on retail, the VanEck Retail ETF (NASDAQ: RTH) may be an attractive option. RTH holds 25 large U.S. retail companies, many of which can perform well when consumers become more price sensitive.
Value-focused holdings include Costco, TJX, Ross Stores, and Dollar General. The fund's two largest positions, Amazon and Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT), together account for nearly 30% of the portfolio, giving investors significant exposure to dominant retailers that often gain market share in a budget-conscious environment.
That concentrated exposure to the sector's largest names has paid off recently: RTH has outperformed the other two ETFs. The fund is up nearly 17% over the last year and about 3% year-to-date, and it currently trades around $260 per share. RTH's net expense ratio of 0.35% is on par with XRT and below the sector average. However, RTH is much less liquid than XLY or XRT, trading roughly 5,500 shares per day on average.
Insiders Step in to Buy These 3 Tanking Stocks
Submitted by Leo Miller. Article Posted: 3/10/2026.
Key Points
- Insiders are buying KKR after the stock has lost over a third of its value as investors assess the risks of the firm's investment portfolio from multiple angles.
- After surging 250% on its IPO day, Figma is trading below its opening price and has seen over $30 million in insider buying.
- Reddit is down almost 50% from its highs, and one insider is buying as the company's financials improve.
- Special Report: Elon Musk: This Could Turn $100 into $100,000
Amid precipitous share-price declines, several notable stocks are flashing bullish signals via a key indicator: insider buying. That list includes a leading financial services firm, a creative design disruptor, and a social media platform whose shares have risen more than 300% since its IPO.
KKR Sees Big Insider Buying as Markets Rock Shares
KKR & Co. (NYSE: KKR) is the world's fifth-largest alternative asset manager, overseeing more than $700 billion in assets. The stock is down more than 35% from its all-time high as fears about artificial intelligence (AI) disruption weigh on the market.
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Click here to see how to claim your SpaceX access codeInvestors are concerned that AI could hurt businesses KKR has invested in or lent to, reducing returns—this is particularly a worry for software investments given the rise of so-called "vibe-coding" and rapid AI product releases from labs.
Against that backdrop, KKR insiders have been aggressively buying the company's stock. In 2026, insiders purchased roughly $40 million worth of shares, and MarketBeat has not tracked any insider selling over the same period.
That buying may reflect KKR's stated position that its roughly $740 billion in assets under management has only about 7% exposure to software—well below industry and benchmark indexes. KKR has said part of this underexposure stems from caution in 2021, when many peers overinvested in software businesses.
Still, risks remain beyond software exposure, including concerns around the "Bermuda Triangle" private credit strategies used by firms like KKR.
FIG Insider Piles in After Fall from Grace
Next is Figma (NYSE: FIG), the digital design company that has challenged the dominance of Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE).
The stock surged about 250% on its first day of trading in mid-2025, but has since collapsed. It has given back those gains and then some, trading near $29 per share—below its $33 IPO price—with AI disruption fears weighing on the name.
Yet insider Reed Andrew Phillips stepped in, purchasing over $36 million of Figma stock in February at an average price near $25—roughly 15% above the current level. Given the relatively modest move in Figma shares since that purchase, Phillips' buys still read as a bullish signal.
Investors should note that insider selling in 2026 is near $50 million, exceeding Phillips' purchases. However, most of those sales occurred under predetermined 10b5-1 plans or were otherwise constrained, which limits their bearish signal and helps preserve the bullish implication of Phillips' purchases.
As a recently public company, many insiders are also seeking liquidity by selling shares, which may continue to create an overhang on the stock.
RDDT: Revenue, Margins, Buybacks, and Insider Buying Are Up
Discussion platform Reddit (NYSE: RDDT) has had a wild ride since its 2024 IPO.
The stock climbed about 48% on its first day from the $34 IPO price and later reached as high as $270 in 2025. It has since dropped nearly 50% from that peak and now trades near $140—still more than 300% above its IPO price.
AI-related concerns likely contributed to some of Reddit's downturns, often coinciding with big drops in software stocks. Despite that, Reddit has delivered rapid revenue growth—roughly 68%–78% over the past three quarters—driven by advertising momentum, and it posted its highest-ever adjusted EBITDA margin last quarter at 45%.
The company has shown confidence by announcing a new $1 billion buyback authorization, and insiders are also signaling support.
In February, director Sarah Farrell purchased roughly $7.6 million of Reddit stock at an average price near $148, modestly above the current level. Reddit has also seen significant insider selling in 2026, but like the other names discussed, most of those sales were executed under 10b5-1 plans.
Evaluating Insider Activity Alongside Broader Fundamental Analysis
Insider purchases at KKR, FIG and RDDT are encouraging signals for stocks that have taken serious tumbles. However, investors should remember that insider buying is only one indicator. It should be weighed alongside broader fundamental analysis, valuation, and an assessment of company-specific risks before making investment decisions.
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