Stocks drifted lower to start the week as resurfacing Euro zone debt woes brought back the bears. Domestic equity indexes retreated into red territory after European leaders put pressure on Greek lawmakers to meet and accept the conditions of the proposed $171 billion bailout. Investors were spooked as worries intensified after Greek leaders failed to reach a unified agreement, further delaying the ongoing debt drama. Uncertainty in equity markets overseas paved the way higher for the U.S. dollar in the currency markets; likewise, gold prices encountered selling pressures and settled near $1,720 an ounce for the day [see ETF Insider: Will Euro Woes Rain On The Bull's Parade?].
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Stock markets kicked off the week on a fairly dismal note as Euro zone woes resurfaced over the weekend. On the home front, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq both lost 0.13% on the day, while the S&P 500 clawed its way back up, shedding just 0.04% as the trading session drew to a [...]
For advisors utilizing ETFs in client portfolios, the details matter. Whether it be the difference in product structure, weighting methodology, or degree of currency exposure, seemingly minor details often end up having a rather significant impact on bottom line returns and overall volatility. The importance of nuanced elements of product structures is particularly important when [...]
iShares, the largest U.S. ETF issuer in terms of both assets and number of funds, continued the aggressive expansion of its product lineup this week with five new products offering exposure to commodity-related stocks. Each of the new ETFs will compete with existing products offering indirect exposure to natural resources through stocks of companies that [...]
Stocks endured yet another bumpy trading session as indexes oscillated between gains and losses for most of the day thanks to mixed economic developments. On the home front, Exxon Mobil posted strong quarterly earnings, although lackluster home prices data overshadowed the energy giant’s profits. The Nasdaq proved to be most resilient, gaining 0.07% on the [...]
The GLD-Free Gold Bug ETFdb Portfolio is now available to ETFdb Pro members and those with a free 7-day trial of the Pro subscription. This new portfolio, one of more than 40 all-ETF model portfolios available at ETFdb.com, is designed for investors who wish to construct a gold-centric portfolio that rounds out exposure across various [...]
Stocks oscillated between positive and negative territory on Thursday as investors reacted to mixed economic data. Despite the early morning rally, investors gave into selling pressures following a number of disappoint earnings reports; AT&T and SanDisk both missed analyst expectations, tipping the tech sector lower for the day. Bearish sentiment was rekindled after the latest [...]
The unfriendly economic landscape from 2011 has been gradually evolving into a much more optimistic environment in the new year as confidence has improved across the board. Better-than-expected corporate earnings, manufacturing output, housing sales, and encouraging employment reports have all paved the way higher for stocks as investors are rejoicing over clear cut signs of [...]
Over the last several years ETFs have become popular tools for active investors seeking to take advantage of short-term mispricings in the market; the average daily trading volumes on many of the most popular-exchange-traded products clearly indicates that ETFs are widely used by day traders who measure their holding periods in minutes rather than years. [...]
With ETF product development off to a robust start in 2012, issuers are continuing to fill the pipeline with new ideas. Industry veteran PowerShares filed with the SEC to bring to market tw0 active ETFs while First Trust has laid the groundwork to beef up its AlphaDEX lineup. Relative newcomer FlexShares made plans for a [...]
The tug of war between the bulls and bears continues on Wall Street as investors digested yet another plateful of mixed earnings results coupled with encouraging economic data. The Nasdaq remains at the front of the pack for the week, gaining 0.67% on the day, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged behind, clinching gains [...]
