Over the past few years, many investors have taken a closer look at emerging markets in order to power their portfolios in a sluggish economic environment. A great deal of interest has been seen in the major BRIC economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, while smaller markets in Asia and Latin America have also seen high levels of investment inflows as well. While this increased attention to emerging markets has no doubt helped to diversify investors’ portfolios, many have overlooked the surging region of central Europe and the increasingly important economic center in Poland. [click to continue…]
After watching rival Vanguard roll out more than a dozen domestic equity ETFs earlier this month, iShares continues to focus its attention on international stock markets, rolling out three new ETFs on Wednesday. The new funds include the MSCI Philippines Investable Market Index Fund (EPHE), MSCI Small Cap Brazil Index Fund (EWZS), and MSCI Small [...]
As the world population continues to expand at a tremendous pace, investors have begun to see the impact of this growth on a host of finite resources, including food, water, and other assets critical to modern life. With the world population increasing by nearly one billion people every 12 years (it stood at just 5 [...]
There is no denying that the ETF boom is in full swing, as billions of dollars continue to flow into the industry every month despite a difficult economic environment. As individual investors and advisors alike become more informed on the nuances and potential benefits of ETFs, usage has surged. Part of the impressive surge in [...]
One of the most interesting developments in the ETF market over the last several years has been the extent to which investors have embraced these securities as opportunities to add commodity exposure to traditional stock-and-bond portfolios. Within the commodity space, no single fund has enjoyed a more impressive rise than the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), [...]
With the second quarter quickly coming to a close, uncertainty looms large on the investing horizon. The odds of a sovereign debt crisis in Europe are constantly in flux. Conflicting data reports on the state of the U.S. economy have clouded expectations for domestic equity markets. And the latest developments out of Beijing are just [...]
Two months after a tragic plane crash on Russian soil claimed the lives of Poland’s president and several top government officials, voters will head to the polls on Sunday to choose between two candidates with drastically different plans for the country’s future. Bronislaw Komorowski, a member of the pro-market Civic Platform party, maintains a moderate [...]
With the developed markets of the world crippled by mounting debt, stagnant growth, and suddenly severe political risk, investors have undeniably begun allocating a larger portion of their portfolios to emerging markets. Boosted by ongoing urbanization, flexible and cheap manufacturing, and an abundance of natural resources, the developing economies have emerged as the leaders of [...]
Van Eck announced today plans to reduce the expense caps on three of its international equity ETFs, effective immediately. The three ETFs that will be impacted include:
How many Poland ETFs does it take to satisfy investors? At least two. The latest addition to the iShares line of ETF products began trading on Wednesday as the company launched the MSCI Poland Investable Market Index Fund (EPOL). The new ETF, which tracks the MSCI Poland Investable Market Index, is the second to offer [...]
As sovereign debt issues drag down the once mighty euro, markets around the world have slumped as speculation continues to swirl over which countries are likely headed towards default. Decades of wild spending have compounded with a shaky economy and costly bailouts to put many countries on the brink of fiscal catastrophe. While the $1 [...]
