ETF Database » NFO

Direxion Launches Insider Sentiment ETFs

Michael Johnston — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:21:21 +0000

Direxion, one of the largest issuers of leveraged and inverse ETFs, announced the launch today of a pair of non-leveraged funds that will utilize insider sentiment indicators to achieve exposure to domestic equities. The new ETFs will seek to replicate indexes that filter the universe of U.S. equities using quant-based strategies to eliminate stocks with aggressive accounting. The methodology behind the new ETFs will analyze public company filings related to frequency of trades, purchases of stock and increases in holdings by “insiders,” as well as positive earnings analysis. The companies with the highest “insider sentiment” scores are included in the funds. The two new ETFs are: Direxion All Cap Insider Sentiment Shares (KNOW): This ETF is linked to the Sabrient Multi-Cap Insider/Analyst Quant-Weighted Index, which consists of 100 stocks that are included in the S&P 1500. The underlying index is “quant-weighted,” meaning the top 50 stocks are weighted exponentially (the [...]

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

AdvisorShares Launches Float Shrink ETF (TTFS)

Michael Johnston — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:37:00 +0000

AdvisorShares, the firm behind one of the largest lineups of actively-managed ETFs, brought its latest idea to market on Wednesday. The most recent addition is the TrimTabs Float Shrink ETF (TTFS), the result of a partnership with a firm known for innovative research on the connections between stock liquidity and long-term performance. The TrimTabs methodology is based on the idea that stocks perform best when the total number of outstanding shares has decreased over the past four months or so. The rationale for this criteria is pretty straightforward; with the same amount of money chasing a declining number of shares, there should be upward pressure on share prices. If corporate insiders have more complete information than the general public, their timing of repurchases should be indicative of a bullish outlook on the prospects of their business. The portfolio manager for the active ETF takes other factors into consideration as well: [...]

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

May ETFdb Category Kings: Best Performing ETFs

Michael Johnston — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:00:43 +0000

The month of May was a generally disappointing stretch for investors, as both international and domestic equity markets struggled to overcome obstacles new and old. Commodities, which had been a nice source of absolute returns for much of the last year, fell on hard times as well; precious metals went into a brief freefall, and most other natural resources saw price declines as well. May demonstrated the importance of a meaningful allocation to fixed income within any long-term portfolio, as most bond ETFs turned in nice gains during the month. The following tables highlight the best performers from each ETFdb Category during the month of May [ETFdb Pro members can download spreadsheets showing performance and expense data for the entire ETF universe]. Equity ETFs Though most equity ETFs finished May in negative territory, there were a handful of bright spots among the hundreds of ETFs that slice and dice the [...]

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

Dividend ETF Investing: Mid Cap Options

Michael Johnston — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:00:35 +0000

The universe of U.S.-listed exchange-traded products has grown at an impressive rate over the last several years, bringing the industry to a point where there are more than 1,100 products with aggregate assets exceeding $1 trillion. According to the ETF screener, there are nearly 800 equity ETFs available, an impressive total that allows investors to slice and dice global stock markets in a number of different ways. Many of the most popular equity ETFs are broad-based “plain vanilla” products that offer exposure to benchmarks such as the S&P 500, Russell 1000, or the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. But the ETF product lineup also includes various options that deliver more targeted exposure, allowing investors to fine tune equity allocations by gaining access to various sectors, countries, and weighting methodologies [see Do You Need A RAFI ETF?]. There are also ETFs offering exposure to numerous investment strategies and methodologies, including funds that [...]

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

Claymore Changes Name To Guggenheim Funds

Eric Dutram — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:02:26 +0000

As the ETF world continues to expand at an impressive pace, a number of companies have sought to bring their own lineup of funds to the market in order to grab a piece of this rapidly-increasing pie. However, some have taken a different approach to gaining an ETF foothold, preferring to buy up existing issuers with established product lines. That’s the strategy used by Guggenheim, which has purchased both Rydex and Claymore over the last year. Earlier today, the company announced that it was rebranding Claymore’s ETF products under the Guggenheim Funds name. All of the ETFs will retain their ticker symbols and CUSIP numbers; only the name “Claymore” will change. “Taking on the Guggenheim name is a significant milestone as we continue to develop our U.S. retail effort,” said Steven A. Baffico, Senior Managing Director at Guggenheim in an e-mail. “From the outset, Claymore has been a first-to-market provider [...]

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

Four Alpha-Seeking ETFs Crushing SPY

Michael Johnston — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:05:08 +0000

One of the hottest topics in the industry at present is the future of actively-managed ETFs. The issue is also a very divisive one; some expect that widespread adoption of active ETFs is only a matter of time, while others believe mutual funds will continue to be the vehicle of choice for those interested in active management. So far, the flows into active ETFs have been little more than a trickle, although a few funds have seen spikes in assets in recent weeks (see Three Active ETF Gamechangers). The steady surge in popularity of “enhanced” or “intelligent” ETFs has received far less publicity, but has been an interesting development in the ETF industry over the last year. While the majority of ETF assets are found in products that replicate traditional cap-weighted benchmarks (such as the S&P 500, Russell 1000, or MSCI EAFE Index), alternative indexing strategies have become increasingly popular [...]

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

ETF Exclusive: Guggenheim Partners Buys Rydex

Michael Johnston — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:39:15 +0000

A group led by financial services firm Guggenheim Partners, which bought Lisle, Illinois-based ETF issuer Claymore last year, has reached a deal to acquire Security Benefit Corp., the parent company of ETF issuer Rydex SGI.The group led by Guggenheim will make an investment of approximately $400 million for a controlling interest in Security Benefit. According to a press release (PDF), the deal is expected to close in the third quarter. Using the figures from the latest industry snapshot from the National Stock Exchange, a combined Claymore/Rydex ETF family would have total assets under management of about $8.4 billion, making it the seventh largest ETF issuer by AUM. The combined firm would maintain a market share of about 1% of the ETF market. The marriage of the two ETF firms seems to be a pretty good fit from a product line perspective. Rydex’s ETF products focus around four key areas, including [...]

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

Insider ETF Wraps Up Solid Year

Michael Johnston — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:25:00 +0000

In the beginning of the ETF industry, there was SPY. From there, the initial wave of expansion included primarily “plain vanilla” equity funds offering exposure to widely-followed benchmarks, such as the Dow, Nasdaq, and even sector-specific indexes. But innovation and product development in the ETF world didn’t stop there. The last five years have seen ETFs expand from a closet industry to a mainstream investment option. And as the popularity of these funds has increased, so too has the available product line. ETFs now provide access to nearly every corner of the investable universe, from fixed income to commodities to hedge fund strategies. One area of the ETF industry that has seen considerable growth is the “quantitative indexing” space, a concept that begins to blur the line between active and passive management. Many indexes (and therefore ETFs) utilize market capitalization to determine which companies will be included and the allocation [...]

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

The Ten Best ETFs You’ve Never Heard Of

Michael Johnston — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:05:30 +0000

Just as there are various “celebrity stock tickers” that every investor recognizes instantly (GOOG, MSFT, F, JNJ), there are some ETFs that everyone knows. Generally, these ETFs, such as SPY, GLD, and QQQQ, reflect the most widely-known investment strategies and asset classes. And while the 25 largest funds that account for more than half of total ETF assets, there is a lot more to the ETF universe than these mega funds. With nearly 900 exchange-traded products available today, there are several funds flying under the investment radar that present compelling investment cases and have delivered strong historical returns. The following ten ETFs are our picks for funds that haven’t received nearly the attention they deserve from investors (for more actionable ETF plays, sign up for our free ETF newsletter). In addition to a unique investment thesis, each of these funds meets the following criteria: Less than $150 million in AUM [...]

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

ETF Database » NFO

Direxion Launches Insider Sentiment ETFs

Related Posts:

AdvisorShares Launches Float Shrink ETF (TTFS)

Related Posts:

May ETFdb Category Kings: Best Performing ETFs

Related Posts:

Dividend ETF Investing: Mid Cap Options

Related Posts:

Claymore Changes Name To Guggenheim Funds

Related Posts:

Four Alpha-Seeking ETFs Crushing SPY

Related Posts:

ETF Exclusive: Guggenheim Partners Buys Rydex

Related Posts:

Insider ETF Wraps Up Solid Year

Related Posts:

The Ten Best ETFs You’ve Never Heard Of

Related Posts: