The tech sector could even see more free cash on hand if Congress proceeds with plans to cut down capital gains on repatriated earnings or follow in President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed repatriation tax holiday policy that would encourage large multi-national companies to bring back hundreds of billions of dollars in cash to the U.S. for possible use in dividends, deals or other projects. Trump plans to levy a 10% repatriation tax on U.S. companies’ overseas profits from foreign subsidiaries, compared to the current 35% tax rate.
Looking at XLK’s chart, “Wald noted its recent breakout through five-year resistance, back to relative levels from 2002. Such a relative breakout suggests that technology, which just logged nine-straight weeks of gains, maintains its leadership throughout the course of this year, he said,” according to CNBC.
Year-to-date, investors have added almost $1.2 billion in new assets to XLK, good for one of the best totals among all sector ETFs.
Investors looking for tactical plays on chip stocks, a group that has been a key driver of tech sector upside this year, can consider the VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSEArca: SMH) and the iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NasdaqGM: SOXX).
For more information on the tech sector, visit our technology category.