A wild week on Wall Street came to a sour end on Friday, as reduced activity ahead of a long weekend saw stocks trade lower as the final bell approached amidst ongoing anxiety. Volatility seemed to have temporarily subsided, though a VIX north of 21 indicates that there is plenty of lingering anxiety among investors. Attention has generally turned to Spain, where financial giant Bankia is appealing to the government for what could be the largest bailout in the history of the country. Along with lingering concerns about Greece’s future in the euro zone, these developments helped to send European stocks lower and continue to cast a cloud over the region [see also 101 ETF Lessons Every Investor Should Learn].

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Why You Need a Preferred Stock ETF

by on May 25, 2012

With interest rates frozen at near-zero levels for the next two years, investors have been scrambling to find sources of income for their portfolios. As such, dividend investing has become increasingly popular in the past few years, as investors have been quick to adopt the benefits offered by securities that pay out a steady cash distribution. Though some go for bonds and others may hone in on a particular equity sector, preferred shares represent one of the most enticing plays in today’s environment [see also 25 Things Every Financial Advisor Should Know About Commodities].

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iShares Plans LatAm Bond Fund, First Trust Files For Futures ETF

May 25, 2012

This has shaped out to be another volatile week as investors continue to juggle looming uncertainties from overseas and mixed economic data releases on the home front. Amidst the flurry of trading on Wall Street, activity on the product development front has picked up after cooling off last week. ProShares rolled out the first-to-market covered [...]

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Friday’s ETF Chart To Watch: SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT)

May 25, 2012

Stock markets have endured an up-down week thanks to looming Euro zone debt woes plaguing investors’ confidence. Volatility levels remain elevated as the threat of Greece exiting the euro appears to have intensified. On the home front, economic data releases have been largely positive; new home sales data beat expectations, along with stronger-than-expected durable goods [...]

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AdvisorShares Launches Global Echo ETF (GIVE)

May 24, 2012

AdvisorShares has made another addition to its lineup of actively-managed ETFs, recently debuting a fund that will focus on the concept of sustainable investing. The new Global Echo ETF (GIVE) will be structured as a core allocation that will seek out sustainable investment-themed opportunities across various asset classes, including fixed income, equities, and alternatives. The [...]

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UBS Launches 2x Dividend ETNs (DVYL, SDYV)

May 24, 2012

UBS continues to develop a suite of exchange-traded notes that appeal to yield-focused investors, recently expanding its lineup with a pair of ETNs that offer monthly leveraged exposure to dividend-paying stocks. Both of the new ETNs will be linked to indexes that currently serve as the basis for extremely popular dividend ETFs; the new UBS [...]

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Thursday’s ETF To Watch: Germany Small-Cap ETF (GERJ)

May 24, 2012

As the global economy continues to bounce back and forth, the majority of the world has their gaze fixated on Europe, as their next move will dictate much of the future performance for international benchmarks. Some are calling for Greece to abandon the euro and revert to their former currency, while others feel that this [...]

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Daily ETF Roundup: GDX Soars With Gold, VXX Creeps Lower

May 23, 2012

Equity markets took investors for a roller-coaster ride today as selling pressures in the morning were eventually overturned by bullish fever in the afternoon. On Wall Street, the Nasdaq charged ahead, gaining 0.39% on the day, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average just barely missed the green, settling 0.05% lower as the trading session drew [...]

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101 ETF Lessons Every Financial Advisor Should Learn

May 23, 2012

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have burst on to the scene in the last few years, raking in hundreds of billions of dollars in assets and prompting a major shift towards indexing strategies in the process. ETFs have empowered financial advisors (FAs), registered investment advisors (RIAs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), money managers, and retail investors to take [...]

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ProShares Launches Covered Bond ETF (COBO)

May 23, 2012

ProShares, the issuer behind a number of the ETFs offering exposure to alternatives, has notched another first for the ETF industry this week with the debut of a Covered Bond (COBO) product. The new ETF will seek to replicate the BNP Paribas Diversified USD Covered Bond Index, a benchmark that includes dollar-denominated covered bonds that [...]

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Wednesday’s ETF Chart To Watch: Japan Small Cap Fund (DFJ)

May 23, 2012

Equity markets appear to be regaining their footing in the first few trading days following last week’s dismal sell-off. Bargain buyers have stepped in as major stock indexes are holding above key support levels. Keep in mind however that the bounce higher can quickly turn into another leg-lower if Euro zone debt drama makes its [...]

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Daily ETF Roundup: VXX Springs Higher, EWZ Gives Up Gains

May 22, 2012

Domestic equity markets got off to an encouraging start, only to give into profit-taking pressures in the final hours of trading. Major indexes ended up in red territory as escalating worries that Greece would exit the euro weighted on investors’ confidence. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 Index came out on top, clinching a gain [...]

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