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) to start looking for a product that suits their investment objective and risk tolerance [see Free Report: How To Pick The Right ETF Every Time].
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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. [...]
For many investors, March 9, 2009 was a major turning point; on that day the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed below 6,550, capping a disastrous stretch that had erased billions of dollars from portfolios around the world. Fortunately, that proved to be the low point of the recent recession; the next day markets rallied, and [...]
With more than 40% of the U.S. market, iShares has long been the leader in the U.S. ETF industry. But in recent years the competition has been gaining ground, thanks in part to more cost efficient products. According to the ETF Industry Association, Vanguard led all ETF issuers with almost $36 billion in cash inflows [...]
Our bearish suspicions proved incorrect last week as bullish euphoria on Wall Street was bolstered by a string of better-than-expected economic reports. On the home front, construction spending, motor vehicles sales, and jobless claims all beat analyst expectations. The big story was Friday’s employment report, which tipped stocks higher to close out the week after [...]
As the lineup of exchange-traded products has expanded dramatically in recent years, financial advisors have found themselves with more tools at their disposal than ever before. The extreme granularity of many of the equity products out there allows for cheap, low maintenance targeting of specific corners of the investable universe, while the development of some [...]
After an up-down performance across equity markets last week, investors will look to revive bullish momentum on Wall Street as earnings season continues full speed ahead. The spotlight will also turn to Fed Chair Ben Bernanke as he is set to testify before Congress on Thursday, an event that usually comes away with a detailed [...]
iShares added to its already robust lineup of emerging markets this week with two new regional products designed to deliver targeted exposure to companies in the developing world. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Latin America Index Fund (EEML) will target an index consisting of stocks in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, while the iShares [...]
ETF investing has surged in recent years as the industry has experienced exponential growth in nearly all aspects of the universe. Now, there are over 1,400 products with more than $1 trillion in combined assets to offer exposure to just about every corner of the market an investor could ever want. But while these products [...]
It is no secret that the ETF industry is dominated by just a handful of products. The majority of the $1 trillion plus assets are confined to roughly 100 funds, leaving the other 1,300 ETFs in the dust. But as growth in the industry continues to pick up, more and more funds are entering elite [...]
Vanguard, the Pennsylvania-based provider of ETFs and mutual funds known for its low management expenses, has further enhanced the cost efficiency on its lineup of sector-specific ETFs. The company announced that the expense ratios on a handful of its sector funds have been cut to 0.19%, making them slightly cheaper than the popular lineup of [...]
