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Issuer Spotlight: iShares

Aaron Levitt — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:13 +0000

When State Street introduced its S&P 500 index Fund–the SPDR S&P 500 ETF –back in 1993, a revolution was sparked. Since then, exchange traded funds have become the go-to fund for both retail and institutional investors. Assets in ETFs continue to grow and there are currently more than 1,400 funds available for investors. Leading the way is issuing firm iShares [see also How To Pick The Right ETF Every Time]. An Industry Veteran In response to State Street‘s popular SPY, Morgan Stanley, in cooperation with British investment bank Barclays, launched a series of ETFs called WEBS–standing for World Equity Benchmark Shares–that tracked various MSCI foreign stock market indices. Later in 2000, Barclays underwent a new branding effort designed to grow the ETF market. The bank launched over 40 new funds, with extensive education and marketing behind them, and renamed the original WEBS as iShares. During the financial crisis, as a way [...]

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Issuer Spotlight: Invesco PowerShares

Cory Mitchell — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:00:30 +0000

Since the introduction of the S&P 500 ETF in January of 1993, the ETF industry has continued to gain popularity, offering investment products in almost every imaginable segment of the global economy. There are more than 1,400 ETF products on the market in the U.S., and almost 50 ETF issuers. Invesco PowerShares is one of those issuers, playing a major role in bringing new ETFs market. Here is a look at the company and some of its most noteworthy ETFs [see also How To Pick The Right ETF Every Time]. Invesco PowerShares: A Major ETF Player With ETFs listed on multiple exchanges around the world, and with its products owned in more than 130 countries, Invesco is one of the major players in the ETF industry. It offers more than 20 investment categories to choose from, including Large Cap Value Equities, Currencies, Alternative Energy and Real Estate ETFs, just to mention a few. Invesco [...]

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2 Factors Keeping a Lid on Interest Rates

Russ Koesterich — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:06:45 +0000

Despite talk of an imminent sharp rise in interest rates, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note is back below 2%. This is more evidence that the much vaunted “Great Rotation” out of bonds has yet to occur. (Otherwise, bond prices would have fallen and yields would have gone up.) The great rotation was always more myth than reality. In fact, the fuel for the equity rally has been coming out of cash, not out of bonds being sold. We had more evidence of that last week. Fund flows for the week ending March 20th were up another $2.6 billion for stocks, a slowdown from previous weeks, while bond flows were substantially higher, up $3.7 billion on the week, according to BlackRock data. Normally, when the economy is improving – even if the pace is relatively slow – that environment should support interest rates rising. But right now there are [...]

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Comparing The Performance Of The World’s Largest ETFs

Jared Cummans — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:00:45 +0000

When it comes to ETF investing, it is no secret that a handful of funds dominate the universe. A first-mover advantage can pay dividends in the exchange traded world, and the largest ETFs list illustrates that concept. So when it comes time for many investors to add an ETF to their portfolio, size is often one of the most important factors in making their decision [see also How to Pick The Right ETF Every Time]. Of the nearly 1,500 products in the space, five funds stick out in particular. The SPDR S&P 500 , SPDR Gold Trust , Vanguard Emerging Markets ETF , MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund and the MSCI EAFE Index Fund dominate the ETF universe, collectively making up roughly 25% of the entire space. With the five largest ETFs in the world sitting comfortably on their thrones, we shed light on how they have performed over the past six years to [...]

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3 Charts That Prove ETFs Are Here To Stay

Aaron Levitt — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:00:53 +0000

Twenty years ago when State Street introduced its broad stock market tracker, the SPDR S&P 500 , many investment advisors and market professionals viewed it as a fad. When the fund was launched, the SPDR only had $6.5 million in assets; today, it has become a $123 billion juggernaut and represents about 6.4% of all ETF assets worldwide [see S&P 500 Visual History]. The simple experiment of an “index fund that behaves like a stock” has completely revolutionized investing and, today, over $2 trillion in assets sit in ETF funds covering every nook and cranny of the investable market. Much of that asset gain has come at the expense of underperforming, traditional open-ended mutual funds. For investors, ETFs are certainly here to stay and will continue to grow versus their mutual fund counterparts. Here are three charts that show why you’ll continue to invest in ETFs far into the future. [...]

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20 Must-Read Quotes About The ETF Industry

Michael Johnston — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

When it comes to investing, many look to industry experts for tips, tricks and advice on the markets. As far as the ETF industry is concerned, plenty have weighed in on these popular investment vehicles, though not all of them brought praise to the table. Below, we outline 20 of the most interesting quotes about the ETF industry [for more ETF news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter]. “The index investor doesn’t need to be touched by any of the lunacy that is going on in the ETF market. The ETF industry, which has got to be the greatest marketing idea of this age, is not the greatest investment idea of this age, I can assure you.” - Jack Bogle, Vanguard Founder. “I don’t know about them specifically, but I would think anything that causes people to think they can trade actively in stocks and do better than if [...]

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13 ETF Research Reports You Must Read

Daniela Pylypczak — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:00:44 +0000

As the ETF landscape continues to evolve, investors can now pick from a lineup of over 1,400 products, gaining cheap and easy access to nearly every corner of the investable universe. And while the space has experienced tremendous growth and success over the years, ETFs are still just scratching the surface of their potential. Since the industry is still rather young, it is important for investors and financial advisors alike to keep up with the latest research and analysis to stay ahead of the game. The following reports are must-reads for investors of all levels, as they can be instrumental in furthering your ETF knowledge as well as giving you some potentially intriguing portfolio strategies [visit our Thought Leadership Center for more of the latest ETF research reports]. 1. Exchange-Traded Funds: Tax Advantages for Shareholders by Invesco PowerShares Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of ETFs is their tax-efficient structure; exchange-traded products generally maintain lower capital [...]

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One ETF Issuer Stands Out From The Rest

Jared Cummans — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:00:18 +0000

For issuers of ETFs, it is no secret that the barriers to entry are relatively high. While many have the ability to create a new exchange-traded product, keeping it alive has proven a difficult task for many. It seems that investors have allocated their trust to the oldest and largest funds, leaving a tough road ahead for young products. But that issue does not stop at the individual fund level; it is also present among the various issuers [see also How To Pick The Right ETF Every Time]. The Biggest ETF Issuers There are approximately 1,450 ETPs active with nearly $1.4 trillion in total combined assets in the ETF world. But despite those staggering figures, they can be mostly attributed to just three issuers: iShares (BlackRock), State Street and Vanguard. Together, these three account for approximately 85% of all ETF assets. iShares: $587,383,664,000 in total assets with 279 funds. State Street: $339,911,267,000 [...]

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How Well Do The 5 Biggest ETFs Track Their Indexes?

Cory Mitchell — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:00:05 +0000

ETFs are excellent building blocks for long-term portfolios given the inherent cost-efficiency and transparency benefits associated with this product structure. Nonetheless, like every other financial instrument, ETFs are far from perfect; tracking errors commonly occur, leaving investors wondering why they got one return, when the underlying index had another [Download 101 ETF Lessons Every Financial Advisor Should Learn]. An ETF, according to its prospectus, attempts to replicate an underlying index. How the fund chooses to replicate the index can vary from ETF to ETF, and may include investing in the underlying index, certain stocks, bonds and commodities, or creating a synthetic portfolio. Some ETFs also attempt to replicate the “daily performance” of an index—if the index is up 1 percent then the ETF will also be up very close to 1 percent–and while the fund fulfills this mandate, management fees, trading errors, hedging strategies, cash handling or poor management decisions [...]

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17 ETF Friendly Professors

Daniela Pylypczak — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:00:39 +0000

Since the dawn of financial innovation, legendary gurus have always held the spotlight, as these individuals helped shape and develop the market we know today. Though their contributions are certainly significant, there is one group of sometimes overlooked individuals who have continually played a major role in the world of finance and economics: professors. And with the ETF industry continuing its rapid development and expansion, academics are getting on board [see Visual History Of The S&P 500]. These professors are reshaping the curriculum, teaching extensively about exchange-traded funds, which, until recently, were rarely covered in the coursework of many major universities. Some of the names on this list have even translated their academic theories into investment results, helping create some of the most intriguing ETFs out there. For those wondering who exactly is behind the ETF evolution, we highlight several well-accomplished ETF-friendly professors (in no particular order): [If you're an ETF-friendly professor, drop us a line and let [...]

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ETF Database » ETF Industry

Issuer Spotlight: iShares

Related Posts:

Issuer Spotlight: Invesco PowerShares

Related Posts:

2 Factors Keeping a Lid on Interest Rates

Related Posts:

Comparing The Performance Of The World’s Largest ETFs

Related Posts:

3 Charts That Prove ETFs Are Here To Stay

Related Posts:

20 Must-Read Quotes About The ETF Industry

Related Posts:

13 ETF Research Reports You Must Read

Related Posts:

One ETF Issuer Stands Out From The Rest

Related Posts:

How Well Do The 5 Biggest ETFs Track Their Indexes?

Related Posts:

17 ETF Friendly Professors

Related Posts: