Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have burst on to the scene in the last few years, raking in hundreds of billions of dollars in assets and prompting a major shift towards indexing strategies in the process. ETFs have empowered financial advisors (FAs), registered investment advisors (RIAs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), money managers, and retail investors to take greater control over their portfolios, pushing down fees and maxing out tax efficiency in the process. While ETFs appear quite simple on the surface, these securities can be quite complex. In order to get the most out of ETFs, there’s a lot that investors need to know about the structure, opportunities, and limitations of these securities.
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Investors came back in a buying mood after the weekend following last week’s absolutely dismal performance on Wall Street. Major equity indexes managed to snap out of their losing streaks to kick-off the week; the Nasdaq soared ahead, gaining an impressive 2.46% on the day, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged behind, clinching a [...]
Today was another dismal trading day with markets selling off viciously as the session came to a close. The Dow lobbed off 156 points and the S&P 500 sank by about 1.5%. That marks 11 losing days out of the last 12 for the Dow. Benchmarks were extremely skittish today as it seems more and [...]
In recent years ETFs have become popular tools for pursuing a wide range of investment objectives. As the product lineup has become more granular in nature, investors have turned to exchange-traded products as a way to tap into narrow segments of the global stock market; the current product offerings include a number of funds that [...]
Greek drama is the name of the game. Selling forces prevailed for yet another day on Wall Street as uncertainty climbed following the latest decision to host another round of elections in Greece. On the home front, the S&P 500 Index led the way lower, sinking by 0.57% on the day, while the Nasdaq proved [...]
Equity markets took cues from overseas today as Greek elections stole the headlines, forcing investors to brush aside a pair of encouraging economic data releases on the home front. Profit taking pressures took hold of the market right from the opening bell, although major indexes did manage to regain a lot of lost ground by the end of the [...]
Equity markets started off the week on a shaky note as investors digested a plateful of mixed earnings and economic data. Major indexes were able to regain most of the lost ground from the morning sell-off by the time the trading session drew to a close. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average came out on [...]
Stocks extended their losses from yesterday as the bears stuck around on Wall Street. Selling pressures carried over as investors were quite displeased to hear from the FOMC on Tuesday that additional stimulus measures would be unlikely at this time. Profit taking continued as investors dialed back their risk appetites even further; the Nasdaq led the way [...]
Bearish pressures took hold of Wall Street on Tuesday as investors broadly pulled the sell trigger following the latest FOMC meeting. The Fed minutes revealed that central bank members “generally agreed that the economic outlook, while a bit stronger overall, was broadly similar to that at the time of their January meeting”. Equity markets were [...]
Domestic equities gave up gains from Monday’s steep rally today as disappointing economic data sparked concerns and profit taking pressures followed. Selling pressures accelerated towards the end of the trading session and major equity indexes finished the day in red territory. The Nasdaq proved most resilient, shedding 0.07% on the day, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average [...]
With the first quarter of 2012 coming to a close, investors have witnessed equity and commodity markets skyrocket as Wall Street continues to indulge their risky appetites. Stocks steamed ahead into the new year, with the Nasdaq and Dow Jones pushing into post-crisis, record breaking territory, an encouraging sign that perhaps the equity markets are well on [...]
