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Five ETFs For Doomsday Capitalism

Stoyan Bojinov — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:00:03 +0000

The world is always ending, according to someone out there. The current environment is full of those who think the end is nigh–at least for the robust global economy to which we’ve grown accustomed. Let’s suppose that our economy is about to fall off a cliff, resulting in general chaos, what’s the average investor supposed to do? The answer is a bit of an oxymoron: profit from doomsday capitalism. Even the most pessimistic of the bunch can appreciate the investment options available at their fingertips which could pay off big time if (when?)our political and financial systems deteriorate [see Doomsday Special: 7 Hard Asset Investments You Can Hold In Your Hand]. Although most apocalyptic scenarios are dismissed for obvious credibility reasons, one financial expert proposes a compelling theory. Barton Biggs, former chief global strategist for Morgan Stanley for 30 years, is a renowned hedge fund manager who also bears the reputation as a doomsday [...]

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Tax Loss Harvesting With ETFs: 6 Ideas To Lower Client Liabilities

Stoyan Bojinov — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:00:33 +0000

Innovation across the exchange-traded universe has brought forth a host of investment strategies to mainstream investors, allowing for access to previously difficult to reach corners of the global financial market. Aside from the well-know benefits of ETFs, like ease-of-use and transparency, the structure of these investment vehicles holds several, often times overlooked, tax benefits as well. Recent volatility in the markets has likely taken a toll on investors’ portfolio; however, some declines in asset values might have a silver lining, as they present the opportunity for financial advisors and self-directed investors alike to exercise effective tax management and make prudent use of unrealized losses [see 25 Things Every Financial Advisor Should Know About ETFs]. Market downturns provide the unique opportunity for investors to take advantage of losses to lower their tax liabilities. There are potential benefits of selling a “losing” security; investors can use the unrealized losses to offset realized [...]

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Ten Worst Performing ETFs Of 2010

Michael Johnston — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 12:00:54 +0000

In general, 2010 has been a pretty solid year for most portfolios. Despite lingering concerns about unemployment and mounting debt burdens, most global equity markets have moved higher on the year. Commodity markets have been red hot, with prices of many natural resources climbing to new highs thanks to strong demand from emerging markets and a shaky dollar. And while bonds have shown exceptional volatility during the last 12 months, many fixed income securities have managed to deliver at least modest gains as well. But there have, of course, been some disappointments this year as well. Below, we offer up some potential inspiration for contrarian investors: a list of ten of the worst performing ETFs of 2010. Performance data is as of December 21, and this list excludes all leveraged and inverse funds, as well as any ETFs that began trading during the year: 10. iPath EUR/USD Exchange Rate ETN [...]

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Wind Energy ETFs Sink On Weak Outlook For Developed Markets

Eric Dutram — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:43:59 +0000

Through nearly eight months, 2010 has been an extremely rough year for energy ETFs, including both traditional oil and gas-focused funds as well as “greener” alternative energy products. Traditional energy ETFs have plummeted thanks in large part to the fallout from the Gulf oil spill, which has limited demand for many oil service firms and painted an uncertain regulatory picture. Meanwhile, alternative energy ETFs have seen generous subsidies cut by cash-strapped governments across the world as “austerity” became a new buzz word. Both sectors have also been battered by weak overall economic outlooks; the grim forecasts have helped to moderate oil prices, which in turn has taken some of the urgency out of the hunt for alternative fuel sources. Some alternative energy ETFs are down as much as 30% on the year. Unfortunately for wind power-focused funds in particular, this downward trend looks likely to continue well into the fall [...]

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Earth Day Special: Definitive Guide To Clean Energy ETFs

Eric Dutram — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:00:48 +0000

Alternative energy remains a fast growing market segment not only in the world of ETFs, but in terms of total investment as well. Since 2005, investment in clean energy increased by 230% to $162 billion in 2009. Echoing similar trends occurring throughout the global economy, emerging markets have stepped up their push to become leaders in the development of alternative energy technologies. Last year alone, China invested $34.6 billion in clean energy, while the U.S. added $18.6 billion. In addition, the World Bank recently released a report saying that the six major East Asian economies will together need roughly $80 billion in investment per year in order to stabilize their greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. Despite these large numbers, clean energy only produces 6% of the world’s power suggesting that there is still plenty of room to run for this up-and-coming industry. While there are a multitude of clean energy [...]

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Ten Of The Worst Performing ETFs Of The First Quarter

Eric Dutram — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 21:03:04 +0000

Although equity markets generally headed higher in the first quarter of 2010, there were a few funds that were not so lucky and became the early leaders in the Laggard of The Year race. The S&P 500 finished the quarter up close to 6%, but European markets stumbled in the wake of an on-and-off crisis in Greece. Moreover, cuts by cash-strapped governments to certain subsidies weighed on alternative energy industries. Below, we offer a list of equity funds that turned in less-than-stellar performances in the first quarter of the year. For investors looking to scoop up some value funds (as well as the contrarians out there), this list could give provide some inspiration. 1. Claymore/MAC Global Solar Energy Index ETF (TAN) TAN, a fund tracking the global solar industry, was the biggest loser for the first quarter of 2010, sinking by 16.3%. The loss can be attributed to weakness in [...]

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Three Alternative Energy ETFs To “Go Green” For St. Patrick’s Day

Eric Dutram — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:00:54 +0000

So far in 2010 one of the worst-performing sectors has been alternative energy, with some ETFs on pace to post double digit losses in the first quarter. This sharp downturn is due to a variety of factors that have combined to yield one of the worst stretches for the industry in recent memory. First, trouble in Europe has led to a strengthening of the dollar, which has helped to keep crude oil prices in check (until recently at least). With oil below $80 for most of the early part of the year, cries for development of alternative energy sources have been quieted. Furthermore, large budget deficits in many developed markets have forced some governments to drastically scale back solar and wind power subsidies to plug budget holes. Spain and Germany, two of the largest alternative energy producers in the world, have either cut or are planning to severely cut subsides [...]

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This Week In ETFs: February 5th Edition

Eric Dutram — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:35:03 +0000

ETFs started February on a down note, with most equities slumping to finish the week. The euro sank to a new eight-month low against the dollar as sovereign debt concerns, specifically from Greece, continue to hang over the economic bloc. Meanwhile in the U.S., the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 9.7% despite losing 20,000 jobs in January. Below, we offer our picks for the week’s most important and interesting ETF stories from around the Web: If Consumption Is King, India ETFs May Reign Supreme at ETF Expert: With over 300 million people in its middle-class, India is fast becoming a consumer powerhouse. In addition to having more than twice as many people in its middle-class than China, Indian businesses are owned by Indians instead of state-run corporations as is usually the case in China. So for investors who are bullish on the growing consumer power of people in the BRICs, [...]

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Solar ETFs Off To A Not-So-Bright Start

Michael Johnston — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:32:07 +0000

After surging out of the gates to start the new year, many ETFs have sharply reversed course, now finding themselves in the red for 2010 as January draws to a close. The S&P 500 SPDR (SPY), which was up nearly 3% after the first six trading sessions, is now down almost 2%. The shift in fortunes for more risky assets has been even more severe: the iShares Emerging Markets Index Fund (EEM) has already slipped 9.5% from its 2010 high. But no sector has been hit harder than solar energy, as the risks of relying on government support during tenuous economic times have come to light in recent weeks. The primary factor driving solar energy ETFs lower in recent weeks comes from Germany, a major hub of solar energy activity and producer of solar panels. Responding to a plan to wean the still nascent industry off of government subsidies, some [...]

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Will Climate Deal Boost Alternative Energy ETFs?

Michael Johnston — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:22:33 +0000

Over the past two years, the primary focus of world leaders has been the series of economic crises that have threatened to erase years of progress and growth. With all available resources dedicated towards avoiding a prolonged downturn, many social and environmental issues have been moved to the back burner. Now, with a seemingly stable recovery underway, issues that had been pushed aside are returning to the forefront. One of these such issues is climate change. Various initiatives have been discussed in a variety of different settings, but these efforts have produced more frustration than progress, as heads of both developed and emerging markets have failed to agree on any actionable next steps. Disagreements over the contributions of China and India to a comprehensive deal have been one of the major sticking points preventing meaningful progress. These emerging markets have reportedly expressed a willingness to slow the rate at which [...]

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ETF Database » GEX

Five ETFs For Doomsday Capitalism

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This Week In ETFs: February 5th Edition

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