At times, it seems as if the number of ETFs available to U.S. investors will soon exceed the number of stars in the sky. That might be overstating things a bit, but the pace of expansion in the ETF industry has truly been impressive over the last several years. With multiple products seemingly debuting every week and very few shutting down (despite countless predictions to the contrary), the size of the ETF lineup has effectively doubled in a relatively short period of time. And there’s no indication that the product development front is going to be slowing down any time soon; issuers continue to file for both innovative and duplicative products, producing a pipeline full of hundreds of funds that could debut at some point in the next several months [see also 3 ETFs For A Euro Zone Double-Dip]. [click to continue…]
The ETF industry has been routinely praised for its innovation over the last several years, which is no doubt a contributing factor to the surge in interest and assets. Generally, reference to such innovation relates to the growth in the product lineup, as issuers of all sizes have launched a number of creative, first-to-market products [...]
Energy has long been a popular destination for all types of investors, ranging from smaller individuals to sophisticated billion dollar hedge funds. It wasn’t that long ago that the strategies for investing in energy were relatively simple and straightforward: buy ExxonMobil (XOM). But thanks in part to the ETF boom, there are now options aplenty [...]
One important question that is often overlooked when discussing the price of oil is asking who exactly profits (aside from seasoned futures traders) when fossil fuel prices rise. As you might have expected, the answer to the previous question has more than a handful of correct responses; one of these in particular may offer investors [...]
Innovation remains a dominant and exciting theme in the ETF universe, although as with any financial instrument, with growth and evolution also comes increasing complexity and newly discovered nuances. The towering lineup of over 1,400 exchange-traded products is probably intimidating for many investors who are new to industry and aren’t exactly sure where (or how) [...]
The ongoing expansion of the ETF industry continues to bring previously hard-to-reach corners of the global financial market at the fingertips of mainstream investors and institutional money managers alike. However, with innovation also comes the introduction of new complexities, and for many, the towering lineup of over 1,400 exchange-traded products can seem a bit intimidating at first glance. [...]
Investors have seemingly brushed aside looming debt woes on both sides of the Atlantic ocean as improving growth expectations have helped pave the way higher for equity markets around the globe. Bullish momentum has undoubtedly prevailed on Wall Street thus far in 2012, although many are fearful that a steep market correction is just around the corner. [...]
The evolution of the ETF industry has brought forth a host of strategies previously out of reach for mainstream investors. With over 1,400 products to choose from, investors can tap into an array of asset classes while enjoying the full benefits of the exchange-traded product structure such as ease of use, transparency, and enhanced tax [...]
Exchange-traded funds offering exposure to Commodity Producers Equities have become a popular tool for those looking to make an indirect play on natural resource prices. These funds offer investors the ability to easily tap into the lucrative commodities market through a diversified basket of companies, while still reaping the cost efficiency benefits associated with the exchange-traded [...]
As far as the majority of the ETF industry is concerned, size is everything. Institutions and financial advisors often have minimum AUM requirements for investing; a pre-screen that many ETFs fail due to their smaller size. Even individual investors are quick to write off a fund with low assets, as they assume its low popularity [...]
Apple (AAPL) has been one of the best performing stocks of the last several years, and has also become one of the most widely followed companies ever. The stock has been climbing sharply higher, recently piercing through the $600 level–a feat that just a few years ago would have seemed impossible. Given the red hot [...]
