ETF Database » EWP

101 ETF Lessons Every Financial Advisor Should Learn

Michael Johnston — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:06 +0000

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have burst on to the scene in the last few years, raking in hundreds of billions of dollars in assets and prompting a major shift towards indexing strategies in the process. ETFs have empowered financial advisors (FAs), registered investment advisors (RIAs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), money managers, and retail investors to take greater control over their portfolios, pushing down fees and maxing out tax efficiency in the process. While ETFs appear quite simple on the surface, these securities can be quite complex. In order to get the most out of ETFs, there’s a lot that investors need to know about the structure, opportunities, and limitations of these securities. Below we outline just about everything you need to know about ETFs, from the basics to the more sophisticated aspects of these products. 1. ETFs Are Tax Efficient One of the biggest advantages of ETFs is their tax-efficient structure; [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Thursday’s ETF To Watch: MSCI Spain Index Fund (EWP)

Jared Cummans — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000

The second quarter has been plagued with resurfacing euro fears as a number of nations in the currency bloc have fallen prey to this crisis. At the head of it all is Greece, who has been in financial trouble for several years and has needed not one, but two austerity packages from groups like the EU and IMF. But recent months have seen other countries emerge as having similar issues, leading many to believe that a secession from the euro for several nations is not too far off. Of those who have been struggling, Spain has been one of the hardest hit [see also 5 Things To Watch Out For In International Equity ETFs]. At the end of last month it was confirmed that Spain had officially slipped into a recession, as it had contracted by 0.3%. “Still reeling from the collapse of a property market bubble, Spain is seeking to enact [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Three ETFs To Watch This Week: EWP, IYE, XLK

Jared Cummans — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:00:36 +0000

After another choppy trading week, investors will be looking forward to earnings from a number of blue chip firms that have yet to throw their hat in the ring. This past week was another frustrating one, as investors dealt with a mix of data and earnings that pushed and pulled at the market. Of course, the overarching issue came form worries over Spanish debts and the viability of the euro-zone, a problem that never seems to go away. With a busy week on the horizon, we outline three ETFs to keep a close eye on as the coming trading days unfold [see also Defensive Equity ETFs For Earnings Season]. MSCI Spain Index Fund (EWP) Why EWP Will Be In Focus: EWP has been relatively volatile lately given the concerns over its debt policies as well as news concerning its bond offerings. Predicting its path for the week is highly improbable, [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

5 Things To Watch Out For In International Equity ETFs

Michael Johnston — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:00:36 +0000

As the ETF universe has expanded dramatically over the last several years, many investors have taken advantage of this asset class to tap into international equity markets. With single-country ETFs dedicated to dozens of developed and emerging markets, accessing the major (and not-so-major) stock markets around the globe has never been easier. When evaluating international equity ETFs–as with all ETFs–it is important to take a look under the hood and fully understand what the portfolio includes. Below, we highlight a few relatively common characteristics of international stock ETFs that might be somewhat disconcerting to investors [for more ETF insights, sign up for the free ETFdb newsletter]: 1. Major Sector Biases Many international equity ETFs feature some big tilts towards certain sectors of the economy, giving heavy weightings to certain types of companies while overlooking others altogether. That can result in concentrated risk for investors, especially when ETFs highlight sectors such [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Ten Unexpected Observations On YTD ETF Returns

Michael Johnston — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:00:16 +0000

With the finish line in sight, it’s fairly safe to say that 2011 will be remembered by most investors as a wild, back-and-forth year that brought plenty of both hope and despair. A hot start raised optimism of a continued recovery after a generally impressive 2011, but the summer months were anything but relaxing; major indexes suffered some of the worst losses since the recent recession. In examining the year-to-date performances for the 1,000+ ETPs that have been around since the beginning of the year, there are a number of interesting figures that jump out, including both pleasant surprises and bitter disappointments–and some that are just plain confusing [the complete, sortable, document is available in ETF Edge--sign up for a free 7-day trial to get full access]. 10. Commodities Holding Up This year has been a tumultuous period for risky assets, especially over the last several months. So I was [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Eric Dutram Discusses ETFs And The European Debt Crisis On BNN

Michael Johnston — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:00:10 +0000

Earlier today, Eric Dutram, Analyst and Head of Editorial at ETF Database, was on BNN discussing ETFs that have been heavily impacted by the European debt crisis. In the interview, Eric gave his outlook for the European situation as well as some funds to avoid should events deteriorate further in the euro zone. Additionally, Eric also highlighted some products that could benefit from further turmoil in the region and even some safe haven picks that could be great choices for investors in this risky environment. See the full interview at BNN’s website or see all of the ETFs in the Europe ETFdb Category here. Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.Related Posts:World Cup Of ETFs: Plays On All 32 CountriesDaily ETF Roundup: VGK, EWZ SurgeInside The Europe ETF That Hasn’t PlummetedETF Plays For The End Of Europe’s RecessionEurope ETFs: All Over The Board

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Highlighting The PIIGS ETFs

Michael Johnston — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:00:45 +0000

While reports of jobless rates in the U.S. or the pace of inflation in China occasionally pop to the top of the headlines, the last several months have seen the spotlight focused on European markets as the continent continues to battle a debt crisis that has threatened to derail a fragile economic recovery. While the fiscal woes have been felt throughout Europe, the impact has not been felt evenly. Some of the more financially stable markets, such as Germany, have held up quite well; the euro’s weakness has actually given a boost to export-driven markets whose goods have become more attractively priced to foreign buyers. At the opposite end of the risk spectrum from the relatively stable Germany, is the PIIGS group of economies that has emerged as a threat to bring down the entire euro zone. This group, which includes Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain, are all facing [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Three ETFs To Watch This Week: EWP, XLI, EWC

Eric Dutram — Mon, 23 May 2011 08:00:13 +0000

U.S. equities finished the week pretty much flat as losses in Monday and Tuesday trading were soon erased by solid performances out of the blue chips later in the week to push the S&P 500 back to roughly breakeven for the five day period. International markets didn’t fare much better on the week, and in many cases declined for the period as many investors sought out safe havens instead of risky international equities. Thanks to this slowly rising fear, gold did manage to once again break through the $1,500/oz. level finishing the week above $1,510. Meanwhile, oil was extremely volatile as the vital commodity declined to about $96/bbl. before surging higher in the mid-week timeframe only to end up at the $100/bbl. mark to end the week. In other news, LinkedIn, the business networking site, IPO’ed on Thursday, creating a wave of euphoria in the markets for everything ‘web 2.0′. [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

ETF Insider: Buying Opportunities After Panic Selling

Stoyan Bojinov — Sun, 22 May 2011 19:55:03 +0000

Weekly Recap Last week proved to be quite bumpy for investors, as asset classes from stocks to commodities–and everything in between–swayed between gains and losses for the last several trading days on Wall Street. Volatility was abundant across all markets and domestic equity indexes ended the week relatively flat, much like crude oil and silver futures. Gold, on the other hand, manged to stage a comeback and assert its appeal as a safe-haven asset class, ending the week higher and closing at $1,513 an ounce. Despite the weak performance of equities for much of the week, the U.S. dollar failed to gain ground versus major currencies, perhaps suggesting that this weeks losses were merely a sign of profit-taking versus a more meaningful shift in fundamentals. Weekly Outlook The coming week features a number of key earnings reports, bank meetings, and political events that should give markets direction as May winds [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Thursday’s ETF To Watch: iShares MSCI Spain Index Fund (EWP)

Eric Dutram — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:00:39 +0000

The impact of the Middle East protests has reverberated around the world, with a sudden spike in oil prices threatening to pull the globe back into a recession. While crude has soared here in the U.S., events have been even more dramatic in Europe where Brent crude, the benchmark for the EMEA region, has skyrocketed to near $117/bbl. due to North African disruptions. Elevated energy prices are now a major threat to the still-fragile recovery, threatening to pinch consumers and businesses across the continent. As a result of the run-up in oil and inflationary pressures in other commodities as well, many economists believe that the ECB may be forced to hike rates sooner rather. For investors concerned about this scenario, today’s European Central Bank meeting in Frankfurt should help to shed some light on the situation and how Europe will proceed in coming weeks and months. While the European economy [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.