If investors weren’t already aware of the tremendous “growth gap” between the developed and emerging markets of the world, a report Tuesday out of New Delhi served as a nice reminder. India’s gross domestic product grew by 8.8% in the quarter ended June 30, roughly in line with analyst estimates for expansion in the world’s largest democracy. That marks the fastest GDP growth in more than two years, outpacing the 8.6% clip from India’s fiscal first quarter ended in March. Coming just days after the U.S. revised its GDP growth estimate for the same period downward to 1.6%, India’s pace of expansion is truly remarkable. [click to continue…]
As emerging markets have raced ahead of their developed counterparts in the last two years, investors around the globe have begun to tilt portfolios more heavily towards securities that many have historically perceived to be excessively risky. The inflows into equity ETFs serve as one piece of evidence of this trend; through the first seven [...]
With the advanced economies of the world struggling with rising debt burdens, rising unemployment, and slumping consumer confidence, more and more growth-minded investors have turned their attention to emerging markets in recent years. Thanks to ongoing urbanization and relatively small debt burdens, developing economies have managed to generate positive GDP growth in an environment that [...]
When referring to the impressive rise of the ETF industry or discussing the benefits of ETF investing, many investors use the term “ETF” incorrectly. While the majority of the 900-plus exchange-traded products listed in the U.S. are true 1940 Act exchange-traded funds, there are dozens of securities structured slightly differently, including exchange-traded commodities and currency [...]
Most of what’s written about ETNs is cautionary in nature, focusing on the credit risk inherent in any debt security. And with good reason; the risks of ETN investing are very real. While most exchange-traded notes are issued by major financial institutions with lofty credit ratings, the last few years have taught investors that credit [...]
As developed economies struggled to regain their footing in the wake of the recent economic downturn, many investors have been drawn to the potential for meaningful growth offered by emerging markets. While recovery efforts in the U.S., western Europe, and Japan have been slow to gain traction and deliver meaningful economic expansion, developing markets have [...]
After watching their portfolios take devastating blows in 2008, many investors hoped that a new year would bring a reversal of fortune and a recovery of lost assets. After the first two months of the year tested resolve, things finally took a turn for the better in March, and long climb upwards began. Most equity [...]
India reported surprisingly strong GDP growth for the third quarter, posting 7.9% growth in the July through September period. These numbers surprised both analysts and government officials: the growth was higher than even the most bullish analyst forecast, and the Reserve Bank of India said that it will likely revise upward future forecasts. According to [...]
Barclays Global Investors announced on Friday the launch of the iShares S&P India Nifty Fifty Index Fund (INDY), a new ETF tracking an index composed of the 50 largest and most liquid Indian securities listed on the National Stock Exchange of India. INDY will compete with several existing India exchange-traded funds, including products from iPath, [...]
India ETFs, which have already enjoyed tremendous gains this year following well-received election results in May, surged again on Monday, this time as a result of several landmark agreements sealed during U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s first visit to the South Asian nation. While disputes over how to address climate change have cast a [...]
Even the most vocal supporters of passive management and indexing have to admit that certain investor track records are far too stellar to attribute entirely to luck. While I’ve frequently disparaged the concept of active investing, I’m still eager to hear what trends legendary investors are following. The Wall Street Journal’s Gregory Zuckerman recently compiled some [...]
