The question of what is ETF in investing is vital as gold ETFs saw $8B inflows in April, the fastest pace in over a year. Geopolitical tensions continue to push precious metal ETFs higher, possibly testing $2,500/oz gold levels by Q4 Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . For public companies, one of the simplest ways to communicate financial stability to shareholders is through cash dividend payments. The most established companies often share a portion of their profits with investors, rewarding them with cash dividends . For investors, dividends provide a steady stream of passive income . In the current market, understanding what is ETF in investing is crucial as global ETF inflows hit $130B in Q1 2024, according to Bloomberg. Sector rotation is driving strong demand for AI, semiconductor, and energy ETFs, while rate cut expectations from the Fed could fuel further equity ETF rallies through Q