Investors can’t seem to catch a break from volatile trading on Wall Street as financial woes in Europe and debt ceiling drama at home are putting significant pressure on equity markets across the globe. Politicians in Washington D.C. have been struggling to compromise on a viable plan for modifying the debt-ceiling as well as outlining a plan to reduce the towering deficit and only recently, in the 11th-hour, did they finally reach an agreement. Likewise, investors have been flocking to “safer” corners of the market since the gloomy outlook for the U.S. and much of the euro zone has prompted growing fears of inflation and general uncertainty. Many have turned away from traditional fixed income holdings, instead opting for commodity exposure, in an effort to protect their portfolios against volatility and defend against inflation.
Most investors seeking exposure to commodities as protection against inflation typically focus on gold and oil. But in recent years, agricultural commodities have become increasingly popular choices, as increases in population and the scarcity of land create a compelling case for investment. As the world’s population continues to grow and farm land becomes more valuable, demand for agricultural commodities is expected to continue to rise, inevitably pushing food prices higher. [click to continue…]
The latest ETF industry data from the National Stock Exchange is out, and after a small step back in May, exchange-traded products resumed their upward trajectory in June. Total ETP inflows totaled more than $8 billion last month, after May saw about $800 million in outflows–attributable in large part to big outflows from the S&P [...]
The expansion of the ETF industry over the last several years has been truly impressive, as the product lineup has grown to more than 1,200 exchange-traded products and assets have passed the $1 trillion mark. But May marked a small step backwards, as ETF assets dipped slightly as a result of both weak equity market [...]
Global X, the New York-based ETF behind a number of funds offering exposure to various subsets of the global food industry, announced the latest expansion to its product lineup today with the launch of the Global X Farming ETF (BARN). The product marks the 34th fund in total from the company and follows on the [...]
Global X notched another ETF industry first on Thursday, debuting a fund that focuses on companies globally that are engaged in some aspect of the fertilizer industry. The Global X Fertilizers/Potash ETF (SOIL) seeks to replicate the Solactive Global Fertilizers/Potash Index, a benchmark that includes about 29 companies from both developed and emerging markets.
Direxion rolled out the latest additions to its lineup of leveraged and inverse ETFs today, introducing products that offer 3x daily exposure to Russian equities and the global agribusiness sector. The new ETFs include:
Stock markets have broadly come back so far in 2011, as optimism over growth in emerging nations and some portions of the developed world has outweighed geopolitical concerns in the Middle East and a nuclear disaster in Japan. While a number of sectors have led this charge higher, undoubtedly one of the most important is [...]
One of the biggest stories so far in 2011 is undoubtedly the strength of commodity prices across the board. While oil and precious metals have hogged much of the spotlight thus far, key staple products ranging from corn and wheat to sugar and cocoa, have also gained a tremendous amount so far this year. This [...]
Global X, the New York City-based ETF issuer known for its various country and sector-specific products, continues to be active on the product development front; the firm recently filed details with the SEC for two new niche ETFs. The filing was light on details such as tickers or expenses, but did shed some light on [...]
IndexIQ, the ETF issuer best known for its lineup of hedge fund replication and county-specific small cap ETFs, announced the launch of a new fund today targeting an increasingly popular and relevant corner of the global equity market. The Global Agribusiness Small Cap ETF (CROP) will track the IQ Global Agribusiness Small Cap Index, a [...]
The relatively peaceful revolution that has played out in Egypt over the last several weeks has come across to the developed world as a push for democracy in a country that has floundered under the nearly three decades long rule of a president determined to hold on to power. While frustration with what was effectively [...]
