Now that we have the first full trading week of the year under our belt, let the speculation begin about how 2012 will turn out. Some feel that last year was a minor bump in an otherwise prosperous path, while others feel that this year has the potential to be even worse than 2011. One thing is for certain, the ETF industry will continue its growth and offer some of the most inventive and simplistic ways to gain exposure to your favorite asset classes. With a tumultuous end to last year, 2012 hit the ground running, as we already have a busy week lined up. Below, we outline three funds to watch as this week unfolds [see also Three ETFs Crushed By BAC’s 2011 Freefall]. [click to continue…]
Last week shaped out to be yet another range-bound trading frenzy, dominated by fear induced selling in the early part of the week, and ending with a modest rally on Friday as investors cheered on the developments at the summit in Brussels. Gold drifted lower towards $1,700 an ounce amidst the uncertain backdrop. The precious [...]
Stock markets endured yet another up-down day on Wednesday as investor anxiety over the upcoming European summit paved the way for range-bound trading. At home, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.34%, while the Nasdaq lagged behind, loosing 0.01% on the day. Uncertainty resurfaced after a German government official hinted that the nation would reject [...]
This past week was marked by strong markets that sent November out with a bang. The good news started with strong Black Friday sales despite worries that a slow economy would scare consumers away from using their discretionary income. Next came the news that leaders of the euro zone were hard at work for a new plan [...]
Equity markets finished in green territory on Tuesday as investors overseas rejoiced over optimistic-speculations that the new Italian Minister, Mario Monti, would bring order and ensure stability in the debt burdened nation. Investors had a reason to smile on the home front as well, after U.S. retail sales came in at 0.5%, surpassing analyst expectations [...]
After another up-down week dominated by Euro zone debt drama, domestic equity indexes managed to clinch a gain amidst the volatility. Investor sentiment swayed wildly as the anticipation of Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi’s resignation coupled with ongoing Italian debt woes sparked sell-offs one day and rallies the next, across virtually every corner of the global [...]
Since the downgrade of U.S. credit quality in August, investors have turned their attention to the debt drama taking place overseas. Several Euro zone member nations have fallen victim to mounting government deficits, which has inevitably contributed to investor worries over the health of the financially fragile currency bloc. Economic growth has also been lackluster [...]
Stocks bounced back higher on Wednesday as investors took the opportunity to scoop up beaten down securities on the cheap following Tuesday’s massive sell-off. With no news headlines from the Euro zone, trading was quite tame on Tuesday as investors turned to the FOMC decision on the home front. The Fed left interest rates unchanged [...]
Wall Street was able to close out the week in solid positive territory, although investor worries remain escalated over the uncertainty still plaguing the debt-stricken Euro zone. Waves of optimism and improvements in investor confidence, following a better-than-expected employment report at home, helped stocks climb higher last week. Gold prices remain range-bound although the yellow [...]
Stocks climbed higher on Wednesday as investors cheered a better-than-expected ADP employment report along with optimism that Europe would recapitalize its banks. “These economic data points really point toward an environment that is slow growth and not a recession, yet we’ve priced in a recession,” said Burt White, chief investment officer for LPL Financial. Many [...]
Wall Street posted yet another up-down week of performance as domestic equity indexes fluctuated and ultimately fell victim to serious profit taking as the final trading session drew to a close. Worse-than-expected U.S. consumer confidence coupled with a decline in personal income were concerning data releases that only added to the piling uncertainty weighting down [...]
