Geopolitical Shock Tests Moat Strategies As Energy Surges

VanEck5.26K FollowersFollow5ShareSavePlay(23min)CommentsSummaryMoat Index fell 9.55%, lagging as zero energy exposure hurt during the sector’s rally.Fortinet and Palo Alto outperformed, showing resilience despite broader tech weakness.SMID Moat Index, declining 5.40%, kept pace with mid-cap benchmarks, supported by energy and materials exposure.SMID Moat leaders included CF Industries, Devon Energy, and EOG, boosted by rising commodity prices. mammuth/iStock via Getty Images U.S. equities fell in March as oil surged on geopolitical tensions.

The Moat Index lagged on no energy exposure, while the SMID Moat Index held up with help from energy and materials. Index performance isThis article was written byVanEck5.26K FollowersFollowVanEck is a global asset management firm offering ETFs, mutual funds, private funds, model portfolios, institutional strategies, separately managed accounts, as well as UCITS funds. Since our founding in 1955, putting our clients’ interests first, in all market environments, has been at the heart of the firm’s mission. VanEck has a long history of looking beyond financial markets to spot trends that create meaningful investment opportunities. We were one of the first U.S. asset managers to give investors access to international markets, which set the tone for identifying asset classes and themes such as gold investing in 1968, emerging markets in 1993, and exchange traded funds in 2006 that later helped shape the investment industry. The firm oversees $161.7 billion in assets as of September 30, 2025. Disclosures: http://ow.ly/SZ9450N5qTJ.