As the ETF universe has expanded dramatically over the last several years, many investors have taken advantage of this asset class to tap into international equity markets. With single-country ETFs dedicated to dozens of developed and emerging markets, accessing the major (and not-so-major) stock markets around the globe has never been easier.
When evaluating international equity ETFs–as with all ETFs–it is important to take a look under the hood and fully understand what the portfolio includes. Below, we highlight a few relatively common characteristics of international stock ETFs that might be somewhat disconcerting to investors [for more ETF insights, sign up for the free ETFdb newsletter]: [click to continue…]
This year has gotten off to a quiet start relative to the busy end that 2011 saw. But that doesn’t mean that there is a shortage of market moving events to talk about. One of the biggest stories has been the euro, which has been under enormous pressure to start off the year. Others are [...]
To say the past few months have been tough on the euro would be quite an understatement. With multiple countries suffering from crippling debt crises, the currency has been sinking to lows not seen for quite some time. Now, the threat remains that if Greece cannot obtain yet another bailout, they may be forced to [...]
Innovation has been a dominant theme in the ETF industry and this year, 2011, has shaped out to be perhaps the most exciting one yet. Growth is the other key ingredient for success and the exchange-traded universe has seen an abundance of new product launches; veteran issuers and newcomers alike have expanded their product lineups [...]
With 2011 nearly in the books, the ETF industry has set yet another record for product development and innovation. More than 300 exchange-traded products debuted this year, beginning in early January with the launch of the first VIX ETFs from ProShares and continuing through late December when RBS added another Trendpilot ETN to its lineup. [...]
As a handful of brave souls find out every four years, running for President of the United States generally involves opening up your personal life to intense examination by opponents, the media, and general public. Generally, the scrutiny focuses on personal histories–arrests, affairs, and lawsuits make for juicy reading. But being a public servant can [...]
Domestic equity indexes snapped their ugly loosing streak for the week after positive economic data paved the way higher for stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led the way higher with a modest 0.38% gain, while the Nasdaq lagged behind, clinching a 0.07% gain on the day. Better-than-expected jobless claims data along with an upbeat [...]
Markets faced a brutal start to the week as the world decided that the recent euro deal was only prolonging the inevitable and not taking a step in the right direction. The Dow sank 162 points while the S&P 500 lost 1.5%, the most of any major index. 10 year bond prices surrendered just over [...]
As some financial advisors are now well aware, the term “ETF” is often used rather liberally to refer to a variety of different exchange-traded products that generally function in the same manner from the perspective of an investor. More accurately, ETFs can be described as a type of exchange-traded product, or ETP, an umbrella that [...]
Stock markets endured yet another up-down day on Wednesday as investor anxiety over the upcoming European summit paved the way for range-bound trading. At home, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.34%, while the Nasdaq lagged behind, loosing 0.01% on the day. Uncertainty resurfaced after a German government official hinted that the nation would reject [...]
Investors came back in a buying mood after the weekend, although domestic equity indexes lost momentum after it was reported that Standard & Poor’s would put all 17 Euro zone member nations under credit review. Nonetheless, optimism continues to build on Wall Street as the Nasdaq gained 1.10% on the day, while the Dow Jones [...]
