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The “ metaverse” was once thought to be "the next big thing," but as of late, the craze behind the concept seems to have cooled down. The term, which Neal Stephenson coined in his sci-fi novel  Snow Crash, is still without any concrete definition. But it's frequently described as a 3D virtual world inhabited by real people through avatars. The high cost of VR headsets and the complex and user-unfriendly interfaces are the main issues that metaverse developers are dealing with. As a result, despite investing billions in the creation of the metaverse platform, the companies have failed to draw in customers. Walt Disney ( DIS ) recently made headlines for closing its next-gen storytelling and consumer experiences division, which was responsible for creating metaverse strategies. The change is part of a larger overhaul that involves 7,000 job cuts across the organization. Additionally, the team behind Microsoft's ( MSFT ) Mixed Reality Tool Kit platform, which was in charge of integrating AR and VR, was fired. Earlier this year, the tech giant also shut down AltspaceVR, a social VR platform it bought in 2017. Lastly, Meta Platforms ( META ), the company that is partly responsible for building the hype about the metaverse, is also shifting focus from the metaverse to generative AI. Reality Labs, the company's metaverse division, incurred $13.7 billion in losses last year. Recently, Meta cut staff in the metaverse division and discontinued its digital collectibles business. At a time when such Wall Street heavyweights are struggling to build a future in the metaverse, smaller companies such as Decentraland and the Sandbox have gained traction among the NFT and crypto communities. Both of these companies provide users with a platform that allows them to buy virtual property and build their own worlds. Decentraland is also anticipated to benefit from Metaverse Fashion Week, where brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Tommy Hilfiger are participating. Disclosure

U.S. stock index futures rose on Thursday as fears of a banking crisis eased, while investor focus turned to key consumer spending data for cues on the Federal Reserve's policy path.

The Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC) was launched on 12/17/2007, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Launched on 03/13/2001, the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Technology - Broad segment of the equity market.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Thursday as easing fears of a banking crisis shifted the focus back to key consumer spending data due later in the week that could shape expectations for the Federal Reserve's future policy path.

Alphabet's Google Cloud has accused Microsoft of anti-competitive cloud computing practices and criticised imminent deals with several European cloud vendors, saying these do not solve broader concerns about its licensing terms.

Alphabet's Google Cloud has accused Microsoft of anti-competitive cloud computing practices and criticised imminent deals with European cloud vendors, saying these do not solve broader concerns about its licensing terms.

Alphabet's Google Cloud has accused Microsoft of anti-competitive cloud computing practices and criticised imminent deals with European cloud vendors, saying these do not solve broader concerns about its licensing terms.

The easy-cash era is over and markets are feeling the pinch from the sharpest jump in interest rate in decades.

Tax season is upon us once again. If you are getting a tax return, why not consider investing in a dividend ETF instead of spending it on a new gadget or a night out on the town? Using your tax return to buy a high-yielding dividend ETF can help you to jump-start your own dividend portfolio. Investing in a dividend ETF like the JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF ( NYSEARCA:JEPI ) gives you access to a diverse array of dividend stocks and pays you passive income on a monthly basis, which helps compound your wealth over time. Here's why you should consider allocating your tax return to an ETF like JEPI in order to give your future self some serious passive income.  The Gift That Keeps on Giving If you’re looking to get started as a dividend investor with an influx of tax return money, JEPI is a pretty good place to start. While the majority of dividend stocks and dividend ETFs pay dividends on a quarterly basis, this popular ETF pays them each month. I own JEPI, and what I like about this cadence is that by the time I receive the monthly dividend and reinvest it, I know it’s only going to be a few more weeks until I get the next one.  Even better, JEPI boasts a massive dividend yield -- currently just under 12%. Think of it this way -- each month, you are essentially receiving 1% of your investment in dividend payments. According to the internal revenue service (IRS), the average tax return so far in 2023 has been $2,933. If you put that $2,933 ETF into JEPI at its current price with a yield of 11.8%, you could expect to earn about $29 a month in dividend payments over the course of the next year, making this the gift that keeps giving. Furthermore, by reinvesting these dividends (which many online brokerages allow you to do automatically) and adding more fresh capital over time, you can compound the size of your dividend portfolio and watch it snowball over time. What is JEPI's Strategy? JEPI seeks to generate income while mitigating volatility and downside. The ETF “generates income through a combination of selling options and investing in U.S. large-cap stocks, seeking to deliver a monthly income stream from associated option premiums and stock dividends.” JEPI also looks to “deliver a significant portion of the returns associated with the S&P 500 index ( SPX ) with less volatility.”  A Collection of Blue-Chip Dividend Stocks JEPI is a diversified ETF with 121 holdings. Its top 10 holdings make up a minuscule 17.5% of the fund. Below is an overview of JEPI’s top holdings, using TipRanks’ holdings tool, which gives investors a birds-eye view of key data about an ETF’s components.  As you can see, there are plenty of blue chip dividend stocks here, such as consumer staples giants like Coca-Cola ( NYSE:KO ), Pepsi ( NASDAQ:PEP ), and Hershey ( NYSE:HSY ). Abbvie ( NYSE:ABBV ) and UnitedHealth ( NYSE:UNH ) represent the healthcare sector within the top 10, and payment networks Visa ( NYSE:V ) and Mastercard ( NYSE:MA ) also find a home within JEPI. While there are a lot of value stocks here, even a higher-growth sector like tech is represented through the likes of Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) and Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ) (which is interesting because Alphabet is not a dividend stock).  You can really see the overall quality of JEPI’s holdings when you look at the Smart Scores of its individual components. Hershey, Visa, and Alphabet enjoy 'Perfect 10' Smart Scores, while Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mastercard, and Microsoft all boast Smart Scores of 8 or above, which is equivalent to an Outperform rating. The Smart Score is TipRanks’ proprietary quantitative stock scoring system that evaluates stocks on eight different market factors. The result is data-driven and does not involve any human intervention.  What's the Price Target for JEPI Stock? Analysts collectively have a Moderate Buy rating on JEPI, and the average JEPI stock price target of $61.43 represents upside potential of 13.8% from here. Of the 1,778 analyst ratings on JEPI, 64.51% are Buys, 31.83% are Holds, and 3.66% are Sells. TipRanks uses proprietary technology to compile analyst forecasts and price targets for ETFs based on a combination of the individual performances of the underlying assets. Further, TipRanks calculates a weighted average based on the combination of all the ETFs’ holdings. The average price forecast for an ETF is calculated by multiplying each individual holding’s price target by its weighting within the ETF and adding them all up. A Word to the Wise One important thing that investors should be aware of is that JEPI also achieves this high yield by investing up to 20% of its assets into ELNs (equity-linked notes) and selling call options with exposure to the S&P 500. This isn’t a cause for concern in and of itself, but it's something investors should be aware of. While this strategy has been very successful at generating income and it successfully preserved investor capital during last year’s downturn (JEPI lost just 3.5% while the S&P 500 lost about 20%), it will likely cap some of JEPI’s upside in an environment where stocks are soaring.  Still, JEPI has a lot of appeal as a dividend generator that can really boost the yield of your portfolio, and I own it in my IRA so that I can receive monthly payouts and not worry about taxes on them.  A Smart Way to Use Your Tax Return Using your tax return to start a dividend portfolio is a smart way to put your money to work for you. And if you're looking to kickstart a new dividend portfolio, it’s hard to beat JEPI’s double-digit yield and monthly payout. Plus, JEPI gives you instant diversification with its strong collection of over 100 stocks. While there are other monthly dividend ETFs on the market with high yields, many of their long-term track records leave a lot to be desired in terms of total returns, whereas for JEPI, things are “so far so good” since its launch in 2020. I also like that JEPI’s top holdings are largely comprised of blue-chip stocks that you can count on, like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, instead of reaching into some of the riskier parts of the market in search of yield. Disclosure

Blue chip stocks are the metaphorical gold standard of the investing world. Generally, they represent well-established, financially stable, and consistently profitable companies that have demonstrated a long track record of success. These stocks are typically issued by large-cap

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