Much to the bears’ surprise this week, equity markets pulled off another green streak as euphoria levels remained strong. The bulls had few reasons to take profits as markets digested several upbeat earnings reports from big-name financials along with much better-than-expected weekly employment and housing starts data. Amid the improving outlook, the S&P 500 Index managed to set a five-year high and peer past the 1,475 level, settling just above the 1,480 mark on Friday [see Free 7 Simple & Cheap All- ETF Model Portfolios].
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As the bull parade continues on Wall Street, bearish pressures are mounting right around the corner with major equity indexes sitting on hefty gains since the new year began. After muted activity last week, economic data releases return to the home front this week alongside more earnings results from industry bellwethers, including Goldman Sachs, Ebay, and General [...]
When it comes to diversifying a portfolio, many investors turn toward emerging market equities for their lucrative potentials. And while BRIC and other popular Asian nations are usually investors’ top picks to achieve this key exposure, investors may benefit from taking a closer look at an often overlooked opportunity: Africa. Though known for its geopolitical [...]
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 [...]
After a lackluster climax to last week’s Jackson Hole speech, investors finally got a dose of the stimulus that the markets have been craving. Major equity benchmarks staged a massive rally this past Thursday as investors rejoiced over the European Central Bank’s announcement of the “outright monetary transaction” plan, which aims to beef up the government bond-buying [...]
And so it begins. Regarded by many as perhaps the most dismal month for the stock market, investors on Wall Street welcomed September with a sell-off. Aside from historical performance pointing to tumultuous trading in the weeks ahead, investors’ confidence remains plagued by the looming debt drama in Europe. Furthermore, political debates are heating up on the [...]
Major equity indexes drifted lower throughout the week as resurfacing worries over Europe brought back the bear on Wall Street. Nonetheless, U.S. markets managed to end the week on a very positive note as better-than-expected durable goods orders data bolstered equity benchmarks higher. FOMC minutes surprisingly rattled the bulls despite talks of more stimulus to come; this [...]
Rain clouds gathered over the bull parade this weekend as Germany’s Bundesbank reiterated its concerns over the European Central Bank’s proposal to buy back government bonds. Profit taking pressures kicked off trading as uncertainty returned back to the markets after seemingly fading away in the last two weeks. Overseas markets will look for a definitive [...]
Stocks kicked off the week to a strong start although profit-taking pressures swept over in the second half just as we warned investors in our Monday edition of ETF Insider. Interest rate cuts from the European Central Bank as well as China’s prompted a surprisingly bearish reaction in the markets; investors gave into selling pressures in the [...]
Equity markets are holding above key technical support levels while developments in Europe and mixed data on the home front continue to pave the way for back-and-forth trading; the S&P 500 Index is once again flirting with resistance near the 1,370 level after bouncing off 1,310 last week. U.S. Treasuries and gold continue to trade [...]
The growth of the ETF industry has spawned numerous tools that bring forth previously difficult-to-reach corners of the market at the fingertips of mainstream investors. The evolution of the exchange-traded product structure has not only become the preferred vehicle for investors looking to achieve cost-efficient diversification, this instrument has also struck a chord with active traders. ETFs [...]
