With three quarters of 2011 officially in the books, it is now safe to say that the year has not played out as many investors had hoped it might. After coming flying out of the gates–most major benchmarks were solidly in positive territory after the first quarter–a perfect storm of negative developments has conspired to hammer valuations of risky assets, leaving many portfolios drenched in red ink. Most equity indexes are down considerably in 2011, with many recently testing new lows on renewed concerns about debt woes in Europe and the frustrating lack of job creation in the U.S.
While the vast majority of equity ETFs are now deep in negative territory for the year, some have, of course, been hit harder than others. A handful of funds have piled up year-to-date losses that exceed 35%, with several losing almost half of their value since the start of the year. For those with positions in these products, the abysmal performance can of course be frustrating. But for those with capital waiting to be deployed, a review of the dogs of 2011 can perhaps generate some intriguing opportunities. [click to continue…]
Over the past few years it has become increasingly clear that China is now the most important economy in the world. Though second to the U.S. in total size, China accounts directly for a significant portion of global GDP growth and has contributed indirectly to expansion in developed and emerging markets around the globe–particularly resource [...]
Once upon a time, exposure to the Chinese stock market was a binary decision for U.S. investors–they either had it or they didn’t. Thanks in part to increased flexibility in cross-border listings and in part to the proliferation of exchange-traded funds, investors now have countless options for exposure to the world’s second largest economy.
As Western nations’ economies continue to crumble, many are beginning to see the benefits of a well diversified economy which has a robust industrial base. Countries with these economies have held up better than most no matter what stage their development as industrial jobs stay in demand thanks to growing Asian economies. Resource-rich nations such [...]
The impact of the recent global economic slowdown was first felt by consumers around the world who were forced to cut back on purchases in order to endure the recession. While some consumer segments such as the wealthy, have begun to spend again, the events of the last two years have also had a profound, [...]
Although equity markets generally headed higher in the first quarter of 2010, there were a few funds that were not so lucky and became the early leaders in the Laggard of The Year race. The S&P 500 finished the quarter up close to 6%, but European markets stumbled in the wake of an on-and-off crisis [...]
Markets have been off to a rough start in 2010 with most major benchmarks falling more than 5% year-to-date and sparking fresh fears over a double-dip recession. Relatively few asset classes have gone unscathed as equities, both domestic and international equities have dropped in tandem with commodities. While some see this as a long-overdue downward [...]
Last year saw more than 100 new product launches, ranging from plain vanilla equity and bond funds to ETFs offering exposure to exotic new investment strategies and asset classes previously available only to a limited slice of the investing community. The innovation that has made ETFs a popular alternative to mutual funds seems ready to [...]
After adding more than 100 new funds and taking in nearly $120 billion in cash in 2009, it seemed that the ETF industry would be hard-pressed to match that impressive pace in 2010. But an action-packed January that saw more than a dozen new funds, setting a pace that would shatter last year’s expansion. The [...]
Global X, the issuer behind funds offering exposure to the economies of Colombia and the Nordic region, announced the launch of its newest sector-specific China ETF today. The China Materials ETF (CHIM) will be the latest addition to the line of ETFs offering targeted exposure to the economy of China, which already includes five sector [...]
New York-based Global X Funds, the issuer behind the first U.S.-listed ETFs offering exposure to Colombia and the Nordic region, announced the launch of two new funds focusing on China on Tuesday. The Global X China Industrials ETF (CHII) and China Consumer ETF (CHIQ) are the first funds to offer sector-specific exposure within the China [...]
