ETF Database » EWZ

AdvisorShares Rolls Out Global Opportunities ETF (ACCU)

Michael Johnston — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:33:22 +0000

AdvisorShares added to its rapidly-growing lineup of active ETFs today with the debut of the Accuvest Global Opportunities ETF (ACCU), which utilizes country-specific ETFs with the goal of generating excess returns relative to benchmarks such as the MSCI All Country World Index. Accuvest, the portfolio manager of the new ETF, utilizes a proprietary country ranking model that considers nearly 40 different factors to rank countries from least attractive to most attractive. The new ETF will consist of the five or six country ETFs representing the most attractive markets on a monthly basis [see also Global Titans ETFdb Portfolio]. ACCU is the first ETF to implement that type of “country rotation” strategy. “In an environment where disciplined investors and advisors are searching extensively for alpha, we believe the turmoil in global markets is providing opportunity at a country level,” said David Garff, CIMA, co-Portfolio Manager of ACU. “Our benchmark agnostic approach of using the [...]

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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 [...]

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UBS Launches Risk On / Risk Off ETNs

Michael Johnston — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:00:49 +0000

UBS, the issuer behind one of the broadest lineups of ETNs available to U.S. investors, continued the aggressive expansion of its product lineup this week with the introduction of two unique offerings. The company rolled out a pair of blunt instruments designed to be used in high level “risk on / risk off” trades, a term that has become popular in recent months as risky assets have exhibited strong correlations with one another and so-called “safe havens” have thrived whenever uncertainty pops up. The new ETRACS Fisher Gartman Risk On On ETN (ONN) will seek to replicate the Fisher-Gartman Risk Index, a benchmark that includes long positions in various risky asset classes such as stocks and commodities and short positions in traditional safe haven investments such as sovereign bonds. The index consists of 150% long positions combined with 50% short exposure, resulting in a net 100% long portfolio: Sector Long [...]

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Ten Best ETF Performers Over The Last Five Years (Including A Few Surprises)

Michael Johnston — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:00:44 +0000

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, one of the most severe recessions in history, and a remarkable recovery in both 2009 and 2010. A look back at the performance of exchange-traded funds over the last five years (ending October 31) highlights the tremendous growth of the ETF industry as well as the challenging realities of recent history. Though there are now more than 1,350 ETPs, only 330 or so were launched before November 2006. Of those that are still in existence, about half have delivered negative returns over that period–a remarkable testament to the impact that the volatility of recent years [...]

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25 Things Every Financial Advisor Should Know About ETFs

Michael Johnston — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:29:08 +0000

The rapid expansion of the ETF industry has been one of the most important developments of the last several decades to financial professionals; as the lineup of exchange-traded products has surged past 1,300, financial advisors now have more tools in their toolkits than ever before to help construct client portfolios. With these new financial products comes a responsibility to understand the various risk factors and nuances of exchange-traded products, and as the industry has expanded rapidly the amount of information to digest has swelled as well. While ETF education must be an ongoing process, there are a number of basics that can enhance overall understanding, identify opportunities and limitations, and generally promote a better experience with ETFs: 1. Volume ≠Liquidity Many advisors and investors like to implement what can best be described as “liquidity screens,” refusing to consider products that don’t have a certain average daily trading volume (25,000 shares [...]

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For ETF Investors, Currency Exposure Matters (More Than You Might Think)

Stoyan Bojinov — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:00:39 +0000

Equity markets have taken investors for a wild ride over the past three months with chaotic trading dominating virtually every nook and corner of Wall Street. Amidst the volatility, investors have been seeking out refuge and fleeing to “safer” asset classes; although rational, this approach inevitability overlooks certain corners of the market that may in fact be a lot less riskier than most investors might think. Currency exposure in particular is often times overlooked, especially when stock markets are unfriendly, due to preconceived notions about the risks and rewards associated with this misunderstood asset class. When picking an ETF investment, many advisors don’t give a whole lot of thought to currency exposure, often times deeming it as far too risky or complex for their portfolio’s needs. In fact, many investors may not have a strong opinion on the Brazilian real, Japanese yuan, or the Australian dollar [see Currency ETFs Of [...]

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Daily ETF Roundup: EWZ Gains On Real Strength, VXX Falters On Market Win

Jared Cummans — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:00:07 +0000

Monday marked the second straight major winning day for equities, as a number of earnings reports and good news from overseas propelled markets forward. “Five shares rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange” write Stan Choe and David K. Randall. The S&P 500 posted gains of 1.3% while the NASDAQ beat that figure by 100 basis points. Though major indexes fared well, oil was the big winner on the day, as crude jumped nearly 5% to finish well above $91 per barrel. The death of Moammar Gadhafi and the possibility of getting Libya’s oil production back on track has big oil chomping at the bit and is sending WTI surging. Finally, gold posted a nice 1% gain as the metal settled in around $1,650/oz [see also ETF Insider: Bulls In Drivers Seat]. It was a busy day in the U.S. corporate world, as a wealth [...]

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Wednesday’s ETF Chart To Watch: iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund (EWZ)

Stoyan Bojinov — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:00:47 +0000

Stocks drifted higher on Tuesday following a positive home-builders confidence report along with better-than-expected earnings from Bank of America. The real story of the day, however, was the impressive last-hour rally on Wall Street, fueled one again by optimism over the euro zone debt situation. Stocks surged on high-volume just an hour before the closing bell after news that Germany and France had reached an agreement to end the crisis hit the street. The news report announced that Germany and France have reached an agreement on a €2 trillion rescue fund which is roughly five times bigger than the current bailout program, which looks to be more than enough to prop up most of the weakest members in the bloc. In after-hours trading, shares of Apple sank more than 5% after the iconic consumer-electronics manufacturer missed analyst earnings expectations. Gold prices sank down to $1,628 an ounce after the opening bell, [...]

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Daily ETF Roundup: VXX Soars On European Uncertainty, EWZ Slumps On Inflation Forecast

Eric Dutram — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:45:42 +0000

This week started on a down note as investors once again reassessed the likelihood of a European contagion, pushing equities broadly lower in the process. The Dow finished the day lower by about 2.1% while the broader benchmarks turned in slightly better performances as the tech heavy Nasdaq fell by about 2.0% in comparison while the S&P 500 slumped by 1.9%. Losses were pretty widespread on the day but the heaviest declines seemed to be in the financial, and basic materials sectors while some in the services and utilities space managed to hold their ground in Monday trading. Commodities also saw some degree of weakness as the headliners of gold and oil both fell slightly on the day. Most of the other resources trended lower on the session with energy products leading the way on the downside, closely followed by the riskiest of soft commodities as well as industrial metals. Wheat, corn, [...]

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Alternatives To The 20 Most Popular ETFs

Michael Johnston — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:45:07 +0000

The impressive pace of expansion in the ETF industry over the last several years has been well documented; continuous product development has resulted in the launch of more than 250 so far in 2011, and there are now more than 1,300 names in the ETF lineup. But while the depth of the ETF space has increased, the industry remains quite top-heavy; a relatively small number of products accounts for the lion’s share of total assets. Most of the largest ETFs are also among the oldest; their impressive asset bases are perhaps more attributable to their seniority than the appeal of the underlying methodologies. In fact, impressive innovation in the industry has given investors plenty of alternatives to the “super tickers” that dominate the space. The largest ETFs have become so popular for a reason; they generally offer cheap, liquid exposure to core asset classes. But for investors willing to dig [...]

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ETF Database » EWZ

AdvisorShares Rolls Out Global Opportunities ETF (ACCU)

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5 Things To Watch Out For In International Equity ETFs

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UBS Launches Risk On / Risk Off ETNs

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Ten Best ETF Performers Over The Last Five Years (Including A Few Surprises)

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25 Things Every Financial Advisor Should Know About ETFs

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For ETF Investors, Currency Exposure Matters (More Than You Might Think)

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Daily ETF Roundup: EWZ Gains On Real Strength, VXX Falters On Market Win

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Wednesday’s ETF Chart To Watch: iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund (EWZ)

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Daily ETF Roundup: VXX Soars On European Uncertainty, EWZ Slumps On Inflation Forecast

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