Billionaire Israel Englander 1000X'd His Stake in a Vanguard ETF That's Been a Surefire Moneymaker, According to History
2026-07-17 10:06
•Sean Williams •The Motley Fool
• •• Axe Capital view
Why Israel Englander’s Big Bet on the S&P 500 Matters for SA Investors
A US hedge fund titan dramatically increased his stake in the S&P 500 ETF, emphasizing confidence in the US market’s long-term strength.
Israel Englander’s massive jump in Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF is a loud endorsement of the US market’s resilience. Over every 20-year stretch since 1900, the S&P 500 has delivered consistent gains—even after crashes and recessions. For South African investors, this raises a practical question: should we lean into such US exposure via USD/ZAR? The rand tends to fluctuate but generally follows global risk appetite, meaning a stronger US market usually boosts USD/ZAR, making imported dollar assets pricier locally. South Africans with exposure to globally sensitive stocks like Naspers or Prosus should keep an eye here, as their offshore earnings hinge partly on the dollar. Englander’s move suggests patience pays off and that global dominance of US tech and services remains intact. That said, currency volatility and local market dynamics—like interest rate changes—can disrupt this flow. If the rand strengthens unexpectedly or local growth stalls, purely riding US ETFs might underperform for rand-based investors. this is just my opinion and not financial advice
I would watch USD/ZAR closely and consider adding offshore ETF exposure selectively, using Naspers or Prosus as indirect play; avoid ramping up purely rand-denominated local equities for now due to unpredictable local factors.
- USD/ZAR
- Naspers
- Prosus
- Rand volatility eroding offshore gains
- Local economic or policy shocks reducing appetite for global assets
6/10
Billionaire Israel Englander of Millennium Management dramatically increased his fund's position in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF by over 1000%, from 1,011 shares to 1,016,744 shares between December 31 and March 31. The move represents a direct bet on S&P 500 growth. Historically, the S&P 500 has delivered positive returns over every rolling 20-year period since 1900, making it a reliable long-term investment vehicle.
This article was originally published by The Motley Fool and has been adapted here for Axe Capital Trading News.
Publisher: The Motley Fool
Author: Sean Williams
Categories: Equities
Tickers: VOO, SPY
Sentiment: Positive - The article highlights the ETF's exceptional historical performance with positive returns across all 107 rolling 20-year periods since 1900, ultra-low expense ratio of 0.03%, and a major billionaire investor's massive 1000X increase in position, signaling strong confidence in its future performance. Mentioned as a competitor to VOO with a higher expense ratio (0.0945% vs 0.03%), presented factually without positive or negative commentary about its performance or outlook.
Keywords: S&P 500, ETF, index fund, Millennium Management, billionaire investor, long-term returns, expense ratio
Insights:
- VOO: Positive: The article highlights the ETF's exceptional historical performance with positive returns across all 107 rolling 20-year periods since 1900, ultra-low expense ratio of 0.03%, and a major billionaire investor's massive 1000X increase in position, signaling strong confidence in its future performance.
- SPY: Neutral: Mentioned as a competitor to VOO with a higher expense ratio (0.0945% vs 0.03%), presented factually without positive or negative commentary about its performance or outlook.