ETF Database » SPY

The Truth About Alternative Weighting Methodologies (And ETFs)

Michael Johnston — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:53 +0000

As indexes have been essentially transformed into investable assets in part because of surging interest in ETFs, many advisors and investors have begun to take a closer look at the details of the methodologies behind the construction and maintenance of these benchmarks. Cap weighting, where the largest weights are afforded to the largest companies, has remained by far the most popular option–thanks in no small part to the low costs and low maintenance requirements associated with this approach. But alternative weighting strategies have been growing in popularity as well, emerging as opportunities to generate excess returns by simply tweaking the manner in which weights are assigned to individual securities [see also The Ten Commandments of Commodity Investing]. There has been a significant amount of debate on the merits of these weighting methodologies, including at a panel last month at the Inside ETFs Conference presented by Index Universe. Many view the [...]

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Tuesday’s Chart To Watch: SPDR Gold Trust (GLD)

Stoyan Bojinov — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:10 +0000

Stocks drifted lower to start the week as resurfacing Euro zone debt woes brought back the bears. Domestic equity indexes retreated into red territory after European leaders put pressure on Greek lawmakers to meet and accept the conditions of the proposed $171 billion bailout. Investors were spooked as worries intensified after Greek leaders failed to reach a unified agreement, further delaying the ongoing debt drama. Uncertainty in equity markets overseas paved the way higher for the U.S. dollar in the currency markets; likewise, gold prices encountered selling pressures and settled near $1,720 an ounce for the day [see ETF Insider: Will Euro Woes Rain On The Bull's Parade?]. With no major economic data releases on the home front this week, investors will likely turn their attention back to developments in the debt burdened currency bloc. Gold prices have been quietly inching higher alongside equity markets these past few weeks, however, [...]

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RSP vs. SPY: 2011 At a Glance

Jared Cummans — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:30:01 +0000

SPY has long been the king of exchange traded products. Hitting the market in 1993, this fund has amassed nearly $100 billion in assets making it not only the largest ETF in the world, but also one of the largest funds available to investors. Its ultra low expenses and massive daily volume have allowed it to be both a trading instrument as well as an integral part of long term portfolios. But for the past few years, the fund has been in a stiff competition with its equal weighted counterpart, the S&P Equal Weight ETF (RSP) [see also 12 High-Yielding Commodities For 2012]. Rivalry The rivalry between these two funds can be traced back since RSP debuted in 2003. While SPY has won the battle in some years, others have seen RSP wipe the floor with the ETF top-dog. For those unfamiliar with RSP’s strategy, the fund is comprised of the [...]

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The 10 Most Actively Traded ETFs In The World

Jared Cummans — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:00:31 +0000

ETF investing has surged in recent years as the industry has experienced exponential growth in nearly all aspects of the universe. Now, there are over 1,400 products with more than $1 trillion in combined assets to offer exposure to just about every corner of the market an investor could ever want. But while these products had originally been designed for more traditional, “buy and hold”, investors in mind, they have evolved into trading instruments as well. Many traders utilize exchange traded products for exposure given their transparency, ease of trade, and low expense structures [see also 12 High-Yielding Commodities For 2012]. When it comes time to find the perfect trading instrument, many will start with average daily volume and then work their way through the fund’s holdings. Now it should be noted that ADV and ETFs do not necessarily align; because ETFs can undergo creation, a fund with a low [...]

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ETFs: The $10 Billion Club

Jared Cummans — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:03 +0000

It is no secret that the ETF industry is dominated by just a handful of products. The majority of the $1 trillion plus assets are confined to roughly 100 funds, leaving the other 1,300 ETFs in the dust. But as growth in the industry continues to pick up, more and more funds are entering elite status with hefty assets and trading volumes to go with it [see also Top 5 Commodity ETFs Of 2011]. Investors who are still a bit squeamish about buying into some of the smaller and more hypertargeted products, have a wealth of options available to them. A number of advisors and institutions have minimum requirements for assets under management for the products that they can buy. Along with assets restrictions there are often regulations on age and average daily volume. But for those looking for a fund that meets such strict demands, combing through the entire ETF universe [...]

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2011 Recap: Another Big Year For ETFs

Michael Johnston — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:45:14 +0000

The ETF industry finished 2011 with assets of about $1.06 trillion according to data recently released by the ETF Industry Association. Total assets grew by about 5% over the previous year, when the industry stood at $1.01 trillion. Net cash inflows for the year totaled about $117.6 billion, a slight decrease from 2010 when the industry took in $118.7 billion. In 2009, total ETF inflows tallied about $119.4 billion, meaning that creations have been remarkably consistent over the last three years. December was one of the best months of the year from a cash inflows perspective; approximately $16.2 billion, or about 14% of the annual total, came in during the final month of the year. U.S. equity ETFs accounted for about $41.3 billion in inflows, or approximately 35% of the industry total. But the real growth came in the fixed income arena; bond ETF assets grew from about $129 billion [...]

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Ten New Year’s Resolutions For ETF Investors

Michael Johnston — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:00:07 +0000

For most investors, 2011 was a frustrating year; after some strong early gains seemingly pointed to a continuation of the recovery that took root in 2010, the appearance of some major obstacles sent many major indexes back towards negative territory. The impressive late December rally closed the year on a high note, but there is no doubt room for improvement in 2012 as many attempt to return their portfolios to pre-recession valuations. The continued innovation and growth in the ETF industry in 2011 has given investors more tools in the toolkit than ever before, and it has made easier to maintain portfolios of all degrees of sophistication using only exchange-traded products. For those looking to take more control over their portfolios in the new year, we highlight ten tips that can enhance your ETF experience and help you get the most out of the robust lineup of exchange-traded products [sign [...]

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Thursday’s ETF Chart To Watch: SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Stoyan Bojinov — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:00:48 +0000

Traders sprang into risk-aversion mode as the Italian bond auction overseas rekindled worries and sparked a sell-off on Wall Street, ending the five day bull-run for domestic equity indexes. “A good test of the appetite for Italian debt will be tomorrow’s bond sales that have maturities past three years,” said Peter Boockvar, equity strategist at Miller Tabak. Weakness in the euro paved the way higher for the U.S. dollar, which created major headwinds for the precious yellow metal in the futures market as traders took profits left and right . Gold dipped below $1,560 an ounce while crude oil prices settled around $99.50 a barrel as the trading day drew to a close. The final weekly jobless claims report for 2011 will take center stage later today as investors digest year-end economic data. The ultra-popular State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is on our radar screen for the day [...]

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10 Equity ETFs That Surged In 2011 (And Might Do The Same In 2012)

Michael Johnston — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:00:27 +0000

This time last year, investors were generally thrilled with the performances of their portfolios, which had continued to bounce back nicely from the devastating recession that hit in 2008. Unfortunately, few are feeling the same sense of accomplishment as 2011 draws to a close; this year has been frustrating in that a few large, swift sell-offs erased any gains that had accumulated, leaving many risky asset classes in negative territory for the year [see also Checking In: Top 5 Equity ETFs of 2010]. Continued concerns about the fiscal health of Europe have weighted on markets around the globe, demonstrating once again just how intertwined global markets are and how struggles in one corner of the globe can translate into difficulties elsewhere. Through December 20, the S&P 500 SPDR (SPY) had managed to squeeze out a small gain on the year–which was considerably better than popular international equity ETFs. Emerging markets, [...]

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The Top 10 Cheapest And Most Expensive ETFs

Jared Cummans — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:00:03 +0000

One of the founding principles of the ETF industry was cost competitiveness; after being charged upwards of 150 basis points for their favorite mutual funds, investors had grown tired of surrendering a substantial portion of their gains to the managers of big name funds. Now, there are ETFs that charge as low as 5 basis points; on a $1 million dollar investment, that means just $500 annually. Investors can now build an effective portfolio while minimizing their expenses using some of these ultra-efficient funds. But for all of cheap options that the ETF industry offers, it certainly has a fair amount of products on the other side of the equation. Below, we outline the top ten cheapest and most expensive funds for investors looking to better manage their costs [for more, see our ETFdb Cheapskate Portfolio]. The Most Expensive Given the low costs that many funds offer, some of the fees on this list [...]

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ETF Database » SPY

The Truth About Alternative Weighting Methodologies (And ETFs)

Related Posts:

Tuesday’s Chart To Watch: SPDR Gold Trust (GLD)

Related Posts:

RSP vs. SPY: 2011 At a Glance

Related Posts:

The 10 Most Actively Traded ETFs In The World

Related Posts:

ETFs: The $10 Billion Club

Related Posts:

2011 Recap: Another Big Year For ETFs

Related Posts:

Ten New Year’s Resolutions For ETF Investors

Related Posts:

Thursday’s ETF Chart To Watch: SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Related Posts:

10 Equity ETFs That Surged In 2011 (And Might Do The Same In 2012)

Related Posts:

The Top 10 Cheapest And Most Expensive ETFs

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