For investors looking to generate current returns from the equity portion of their portfolio, there is no shortage of exchange-traded products offering attractive dividend yields in the current environment. From ETFs linked to dividend-weighted indexes to those that focus on companies with stellar distribution histories to simply sector-specific funds in high yield corners of the market, there are dozens of options to choose from. Below, we profile 25 dividend ETF options [for more ETF ideas, sign up for our free ETF newsletter]: [click to continue…]
Sector rotation techniques have been around for decades, a relatively simple strategy often used by investors seeking to capitalize on short-term mispricings in order to generate alpha. In its most basic form, sector rotation involves segmenting the equity universe by industry, and moving into and out of various sectors depending on relative attractiveness from a [...]
Despite a reasonably strong start to the day, American equity markets finished the day slightly below where they started. The Dow was off by a single point while the S&P 500 finished down by 0.1% and the Nasdaq slumped by 0.5% as broad weakness in the semiconductor segment helped to make the tech-heavy index the [...]
Though the recent tax agreement between the Obama administration and Congressional Republicans was hailed as an historic compromise, there is no shortage of politicians and organizations–from both the left and the right–expressing frustrations with the accord. In addition to extending the Bush-era tax cuts for an additional two years, the deal signed into law last [...]
As U.S. equity markets continue to trend sideways, investors have moved towards traditional safe havens such as bonds and gold in order to protect their assets from the financial storm. Many have also embraced more recession prove industries as well for their equity exposure, with funds focused on the consumer staples and utility sectors standing [...]
U.S. equity markets had a rocky Thursday as solid earnings figures were overshadowed by uneasiness over tomorrow’s crucial GDP report to send all the major indexes slightly lower for the day’s trading. This uncertainty helped to boost the demand for commodities which saw broad strength with oil and gold both jumping higher on the day. [...]
U.S. equities rose modestly ahead of another week full of key earnings reports, as the Dow and S&P 500 both gained 0.6% and the Nasdaq jumped higher by 0.9%. Investors jumped back into the volatile markets and sold off enough of their Treasury holdings to push the ten year note up to 2.97%, as memories [...]
As evidenced by the volatile stock in recent months, many investors are unsure of exactly what to expect heading into the second half of the year. Stubbornly high unemployment levels have some predicting a double dip back into a recession, while strong earnings and expectations for continued low interest rates have given others hope that [...]
Recent weeks have highlighted the “new normal” in the investing world, as concerns of a debt crisis in Europe have rippled throughout the global economy. On Wall Street, developments in the streets of Athens and the German Bundestag have trumped more local economic indicators, as U.S. markets have taken their cues from across the pond [...]
So much for a smooth month of May. Recent weeks have taken investors on a roller coaster ride, with the Dow dropping more than 1,500 points last week before skyrocketing higher yesterday. Things have not been any better abroad; the Nikkei lost over 7%, while France’s CAC 40 sunk more than 8% last week week. [...]
ETFs were originally embraced by buy-and-hold investors as an optimal, low-cost vehicle for inclusion in a long-term retirement portfolio. But in recent years they have become popular among more active traders who value their liquidity and efficiency in providing exposure to various asset classes. Once used primarily by beta grazers, ETFs have become a favorite [...]
