International investing has earned its place in portfolio construction, as both academic studies and real-world experience have supported the idea that investing outside the United States can improve returns and actually reduce risk and volatility. Investors have a wealth of choices when it comes to using ETFs for international exposure, as there are over 400 equity ETFs that focus on non-U.S. investments [Download How To Pick The Right ETF Every Time]. [click to continue…]
For the first time in years, a U.S. ETF was one of the highest yielding of the year, as Dow Jones US Construction Index Fund (ITB) surged ahead of the pack. While home-building in the United States is the first sign of a recovery in the domestic market, elsewhere in the world there were positive [...]
ETFs continue to find their way into countless portfolios as investors of all styles have embraced these innovative tools for executing long-term strategies. Although the diversification benefits offered through the exchange-traded product structure are extremely valuable, many investors often times overlook the fact that even the most diversified portfolio is susceptible to rampant volatility. The integration of global financial [...]
While the correlations of various asset classes have increased significantly over the past decade, emerging market investing is nevertheless likely here to stay. Even if foreign market returns are now more correlated with U.S. returns, the higher growth of emerging markets is still appealing in its own right. For investors looking for a convenient vehicle which [...]
Eurozone concerns intensified today, forcing stocks into a global sell off as investors flocked to their favorite safe haven investments. Markets have shown a strong if not unique resilience over the past few sessions, as a slew of recent bad global economic data was seemingly ignored by investors, who put their hopes in both a [...]
While most investors remain focused on the seemingly never-ending debt drama in the eurozone or the sluggish U.S. economic recovery, few are paying attention to Mexico, which has actually turned out to be a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economic environment. Brazil has long been the talk of the town when it comes to Latin [...]
The bears had their heyday on Wall Street today, as yesterday’s stimulus hopes seemingly disintegrated, forcing investors to face the heightened probability of a less than cheery future for the global economy. An onslaught of lackluster economic data on the homefront and from abroad bombarded the markets, sending U.S. equities into a nosedive. While many had relied on [...]
U.S. stocks were once again buoyed by the idealistic notion of hope today, as equities surged ahead in anticipation of tomorrow’s Federal Reserve announcement. Euro Zone fears subsided after Spanish yields finally eased off of all-time highs, allowing European markets to rally to their biggest single-session gain in weeks. As investors cling onto the possibility of [...]
Slow and steady economic growth at home coupled with a looming debt crisis in the European currency bloc have promoted investors of all walks to seek out safe havens and uncorrelated returns amidst this uncertain backdrop. Many have turned to emerging markets in search of more lucrative growth potential, although uncertainties across developed markets have [...]
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 [...]
Domestic equity markets got off to an encouraging start, only to give into profit-taking pressures in the final hours of trading. Major indexes ended up in red territory as escalating worries that Greece would exit the euro weighted on investors’ confidence. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 Index came out on top, clinching a gain [...]
