Well, that was a quick turnaround. After weeks of being a drag on the market, the so-called "Magnificent Seven" mega-cap tech stocks roared back to life on Wednesday, climbing anywhere from 2% to 5%. The catalyst? A surprise extension of the ceasefire on Iran strikes by President Trump, which dialed down geopolitical tensions and flipped the market's mood to "risk-on." And where the big tech names go, the ETFs that track them tend to follow.
Funds like the Gabelli Growth Innovators ETF (GGRW), the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS), and the Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (MGK) all jumped between 2.5% and 3% on the day. It's a sharp reversal from the recent weakness that had investors wondering if the AI trade was running out of steam. Turns out, maybe it was just taking a breather.
Macro Whiplash Fuels ETF Money Moves
So what's really going on here? According to John Belton, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds and the manager of the GGRW ETF, these wild swings are a classic case of macro factors calling the shots, at least for now.
"The stock market continues to be very macro-driven as the Middle East conflict unfolds," Belton said. He called it "a tough stock pickers market" where "risk management dynamics dominate company fundamentals."
That backdrop has direct implications for your ETF portfolio. Funds with heavy exposure to mega-cap tech—like MAGS, which holds only the seven largest AI-driven companies, or MGK, where these names make up a big chunk of the assets—are going to move sharply with every shift in investor sentiment. It's less about picking the right company and more about riding the macro wave.
Belton noted that markets are "clearly eyeing an off ramp" from the tension, but warned that if energy disruptions drag on, it could push "recession odds… in a nonlinear way," even though corporate earnings expectations are still holding up for the moment.
Valuation Reset Boosts Growth ETF Appeal
Here's the silver lining to the recent selloff: it reset valuations. And that might have just created a more attractive entry point for growth-oriented ETFs.
"Most of the Mag Seven [are] barely trading at a premium to the market now on a forward P/E basis, despite the fact that fundamentals for these companies remain very strong," Belton pointed out. "Risk/reward for these stocks looks favorable at current levels."
That dynamic is particularly relevant for ETFs like GGRW and MGK, which mix exposure to the mega-cap leaders with a broader set of growth names. It also applies to more targeted AI funds, like the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ), which was up more than 3% today and diversifies across the entire AI value chain.
Belton also highlighted some resilience within the tech sector itself. "Software… has been acting more defensively in recent weeks with valuations at historic lows," he said, adding that "most large tech companies should not face material first order impacts from the crisis." In other words, the businesses are still solid, even if the stock prices have been shaky.
AI Trade Still The Core Catalyst
Look past the macro noise, and the long-term story that got everyone excited about these stocks in the first place—artificial intelligence—is still very much intact.
Belton pointed to rapid revenue growth at companies like Anthropic as "a very encouraging data point." More broadly, he described the expansion in AI revenues as "unprecedented and extraordinary growth—and clear evidence of strong returns on AI capex."
Looking ahead, he expects more upside as innovation cycles speed up. "The next few months will feature releases of the first LLMs trained on NVDA's Blackwell infrastructure… [with] step function improvements in capabilities," he said.
For ETF investors, the takeaway might be that the recent volatility was more about macro fear than a breakdown in the growth story. "The market is just waiting for visibility," Belton concluded. "Once normal market dynamics resume… there's a lot of upside for many of these stocks." So, if you believe the AI revolution isn't over, this dip might have been your invitation to the party.
