Ongoing worries of a global economic slowdown coupled with Euro zone debt woes have prompted many investors to reallocate capital to safer corners of the market in recent months. U.S. large cap stocks have been a popular destination, largely considered a “safe haven” amongst equity investors, as this asset class has staged an impressive comeback since earlier in October of this year. However, investors looking to further diversify the equity portion of their portfolio ought to take a closer look at mid cap U.S. equities. Mid caps are often overlooked, although research suggest that this asset class can offer an appealing risk/reward profile relative to large cap stocks [see 25 Things Every Financial Advisor Should Know About ETFs].
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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 [...]
iShares announced the latest addition to its ETF lineup on Thursday, rolling out a fund that seeks to deliver exposure to U.S. companies that have consistently delivered relatively high dividend yields. The iShares High Dividend Equity Fund (HDV) will seek to replicate the performance of the Morningstar Dividend Yield Focus Index, a benchmark that includes [...]
The universe of U.S.-listed exchange-traded products has grown at an impressive rate over the last several years, bringing the industry to a point where there are more than 1,100 products with aggregate assets exceeding $1 trillion. According to the ETF screener, there are nearly 800 equity ETFs available, an impressive total that allows investors to [...]
The rapid growth of the ETF industry in recent years has altered the investment landscape in more ways than one. The low expense ratios offered by most exchange-traded products have brought increased scrutiny on active managers and called into question their ability to add value to client portfolios. The immediate diversification offered by a basket [...]
Advisors and individuals who favor a tactical asset allocation to investing have historically analyzed broad macroeconomic trends and statistics to identify asset classes and sectors poised deliver strong returns. In the early days of the ETF industry, this meant homing in on a certain sector or style and picking the fund that tracked that segment. [...]
