After the Dubai debt crisis late last year, many investors feared that the Gulf boom was quickly coming to an end. But obituaries written for the Gulf economy turned out to be premature, as Gulf States such as the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain have bounced back from that scare to post solid returns in 2010. Although Dubai continues to struggle as it flushes out the excesses of its property boom, neighbor Abu Dhabi is expected to grow its GDP by 3.8% this year, while Qatar is expected to have a world best 19.2% GDP growth in 2010. These forecasts have been boosted by increased oil prices, which have more than doubled from their lows last April. The soaring price of oil has helped to fuel the economies of the Gulf region while Qatar looks to benefit from expanded production of its vast natural gas reserves which could stimulate the region for years to come. But the improved economic outlook is also attributable to strength in domestic demand and non-energy sectors of the economy. [click to continue…]
A number of winning streaks came to a halt on Friday, as a generally solid start to earnings season was overshadowed by reports of fraudulent behavior at Goldman Sachs. Financial ETFs plummeted on Friday as anxiety over the regulatory backlash sent the sector sharply lower. Markets will look to another wave or earnings reports next [...]
Total ETF assets grew by more than $240 billion in 2009, as funds continued to flow from traditional actively-managed mutual funds and issuers introduced more than 100 new products. Despite some suggestions that the a saturation point is nearing (or has perhaps even been passed), the ETF industry is poised to continue its rapid expansion [...]
Value investing is one of the oldest and most popular equity strategies, mastered by legendary investors like Warren Buffett and Benjamin Graham and embraced by countless professional money managers and individual investors. The rise of the ETF industry has presented investors in pursuit of superior dividend yields dozens of options, each offering a unique twist [...]
In 2009, crude oil prices have surged from about $35 per barrel to nearly $80, making this a good year for many in the oil business. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has been one of the main beneficiaries of a recovering global economy, as a return in demand for crude has translated into [...]
When U.S. investors returned from a Thanksgiving break last month, they were greeted by chaos in Dubai, as the government moved to restructure Dubai World, its corporate flagship, and temporarily halt debt payments to certain creditors. The announcement threw up red flags around the world, with the most bearish of investors speculating that Dubai would [...]
The beginning of December brought more good news for the ETF industry, as cash continued to flow in and innovative new products continued to gain traction with investors. It was an active week on Wall Street as well, with a pleasant surprise from the jobs front wrapping up a week that saw continued rises in [...]
Although U.S. markets were quiet on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday, an unexpected development halfway across the globe is likely to send domestic markets sharply lower when investors return from their brief vacation. The Dubai government said on Thursday that it would restructure Dubai World, its corporate flagship, and begin a six-month halt on debt [...]
Many investors who had the resolve to keep their equity holdings in place as global markets plunged to new lows in the first few months of 2009 were the beneficiaries of a familiar gift from an old friend. Emerging markets, which have regularly enhanced investor returns in recent years (well, prior to 2008 at least) [...]
Gulf States ETFs, which had been enjoying sustained rallies in recent months, paused last week as turmoil in Iran intensified and tremendous uncertainty looming over the entire region. While few ETFs on the market maintain any direct holdings in Iranian companies, the fallout over presidential elections held earlier this month threatens to destabilize the entire [...]
