U.S. markets are on the move again as merger and acquisition news are spurring buying euphoria even after last week’s stellar run-up. Stocks are off to a strong start this week as news of Yahoo! buying blogging giant Tumblr is helping to keep confidence levels afloat while a clear data front in the first half of the week is further helping to keep profit taking pressures at bay [see also How To Take Profits And Cut Losses When Trading ETFs].

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Exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) have become an invaluable tool for investors looking for exposure to every corner of the market. While ETFs provide investors with diversified exposure, stock options are a great way to further hone their effectiveness. In this article, we’ll take a look at how one such strategy can be used to capitalize on sideways markets [see also ETF Call And Put Options Explained].

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Foreign Currency Risk 101: What Investors Need To Know

May 20, 2013

While investors continue to utilize exchange-traded products to add geographic diversity to their portfolios, few have considered the impact of currency fluctuations on their foreign, non-U.S. dollar-denominated investments. Martin Kremenstein, Americas Head of Passive Asset Management at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, recently took time to discuss with us key points investors should know about foreign [...]

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ETFdb Weekly Watchlist: XHB, TLT, XLI Hinge On Housing, Durable Goods And Bernanke

May 20, 2013

Last week, Wall Street digested a slew of mixed economic data, which had equities struggling to hang on to bullish momentum. Initial jobless claims and benefits, housing starts, industrial production and manufacturing activity all came in below expectations; however, building permits, small business optimism, retail sales, and consumer sentiment did manage to top analysts’ expectations. Investors [...]

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ETF Pop Quiz: Brazil, Banks, and Buy/Write

May 19, 2013

After another week in the global market, the ETFdb pop quiz returns with another round of questions about Brazil, Banks, and Buy/Write. As always, all answers can be found using the suite of free tools at ETFdb.com, including the ETFdb Categories, ETF screener and the ETF Analyzer.

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ETF Insider: Bull Run Continues, Short Trade Gets Stopped Out

May 18, 2013

The party continued on Wall Street this past week as bullish euphoria carried equity indexes further into uncharted territory; the S&P 500 Index cruised past the 1,650 level while the Dow Jones Industrial Average settled above the 15,300 mark. On the data front, potential signs of weakening fundamentals began to resurface after industrial production and weekly jobless [...]

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4 Reasons To Still Hold High Yield

May 17, 2013

By Russ Koesterich, CFA iShares Global Chief Investment Strategist As a number of market watchers have pointed out recently, high yield doesn’t look so junky anymore. High yield spreads are historically tight, at levels not seen since the fall of 2007 as the chart below shows, meaning there’s currently a much smaller difference in yield between [...]

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Daily ETF Roundup: YCS Pops On Strong Dollar, XLE Rallies

May 17, 2013

During the final hour of trading, U.S. equities rallied higher with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 hitting fresh highs and all three major averages posting their fourth-straight weekly gain. Bolstering stocks were a pair of domestic economic reports. The University of Michigan’s  consumer sentiment index for May rose to its highest level [...]

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Homebuilder ETFs In Focus After Housing Data

May 17, 2013

U.S. equity markets struggled to maintain bullish momentum as several mixed economic reports hit the streets. Industrial production, manufacturing activity and initial jobless claims all came in below expectations, while U.S. retail sales and small business optimism beat analysts’ forecasts. Meanwhile, investors paid close attention to commentary from legendary hedge fund manager David Tepper, who stated that he [...]

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Index IQ Plans Actively Managed ETFs, WisdomTree Files With Vident Financial

May 17, 2013

After yet another strong week in the market, ETF issuers Index IQ and WisdomTree both filed paperwork with the SEC, looking to introduce some new funds into their already huge portfolio. While Index IQ is looking to reach deeper into the actively managed space, WisdomTree’s new partnership with Vident Financial has led to one of the [...]

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Friday’s ETF Chart To Watch: FXC Looks To Continue Rebound After Inflation Data

May 17, 2013

Major equity benchmarks posted mixed results on Thursday as profit taking pressures inevitably resurfaced following the stellar run-up seen earlier this week. Mixed economic data releases on the day only added to the bull’s sense of urgency to lock-in profits ahead of the weekend; housing starts and weekly jobless claims came in worse-than-expected while inflation worries subsided after [...]

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Daily ETF Roundup: IGN Pops After Cisco Earnings, XLV Slumps

May 16, 2013

U.S. equities ended near session lows after several disappointing economic reports curbed bullish momentum today. The Labor Department reported a surprise uptick in jobless benefits, which posted the biggest one-week increase since November. Meanwhile U.S. building permits topped analysts’ expectations, while housing starts for April declined, posting its weakest reading since November. The Federal Reserve [...]

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