This past year has shaped out to be nothing short of a roller coaster ride for investors. Confidence in the global economic recovery was rattled after disaster struck in Japan; waves of uncertainty spread across financial markets as the economic superpower coped with one of the worst earthquakes in its history. On the home front, investors struggled to regain confidence in the economic recovery after Standard & Poor’s downgraded the United State’s credit quality, adding to the cloud of uncertainty looming over financial markets. With no time to catch a break, the bad news seemed to pour out all at once; resurfacing European debt woes paved the way for volatile trading as lawmakers continue to struggle to ensure stability in the financially fragile currency bloc [see Three Long/Short Ideas For Euro Zone Debt Drama].
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The last five years have seen a tremendous expansion of the ETF industry, as assets have skyrocketed and the number of products available to U.S.-based investors has multiplied. That same period of time has also been a period of tremendous volatility in global financial markets; the last five years have witnessed an unprecedented financial crisis, [...]
The competitive landscape of the ETF industry has evolved rapidly over the last several years, with several new players–both big and small–making a push into the space. From financial giants such as RBS and Citi to relative unknowns such as Javelin and Precidian, the roster of active ETF issuers has grown to nearly four dozen. [...]
The first half of 2011 is officially in the books, and many investors find their portfolios in approximately the same place as they were to start the year (though a furious rally in the final week of the quarter gave a nice boost at an opportune moment). Most major equity indexes are up slightly on [...]
As the size of the ETF lineup has ballooned to nearly 1,300 products, there has been some criticism over the increased granularity and sophistication that is characteristic of many of the latest additions. Many of the ETPs that have hit the market over the last few years probably have very little appeal to the vast [...]
The first quarter of 2011 is officially in the books, and the last three months have been a stretch marked by instability both domestically and abroad. Significant uncertainty remains, as investors are still divided on the outlook for interest rates, further stimulus measures, and the ability of emerging markets to continue driving global GDP growth. [...]
Last year was a good year for most asset classes, as investor portfolios continued to recover from the recent recession. The difference in performance between many comparable funds was significant, and many of the best performers of 2010 are relatively small funds that maintain considerably smaller asset bases than their more popular competitors. Below, we [...]
With the new year just around the corner, it seems as if 2010 will go down as a generally positive year for investors. Despite numerous and somewhat serious lingering concerns over the health of the global economy, most asset classes have posted impressive gains on the year as the odds of a “double dip” have [...]
When most analysts and investors refer to the ETF industry, they frequently use the term to apply to all exchange-traded products that are traded like stocks. In reality, the landscape is not quite that simple, and the term “ETF” is used a bit too liberally. ETFs must receive an order from the SEC that gives [...]
As ETFs have transitioned from a closet industry to a mainstream investment vehicle, a growing number of investors has become familiar with the exchange-traded structure and the nuances of of the industry. Most advisors now recognize the “super tickers”–SPY, GLD, EEM, etc.–and have a good feel for the size and scope of the industry. But [...]
When analyzing the ETF industry, investors love to know which fund has the lowest expense ratio (SCHB and SCHX both come in at 0.08%), most assets, or highest trading volume (both of these honors belong to SPY). Another record holder in the ETF space is the B2B Internet HOLDRS (BHH), although its distinctions are perhaps [...]
