The ETF industry has grown quickly in recent years; there are now more than 1,300 products. In many cases, investors and advisors find themselves with several choices for exposure to a desired asset class or investment strategy. While the options may be generally similar, there are nuances to each that impact the risk profile and ultimately the returns realized [see For ETF Investors, The Details Matter].
One corner of the domestic economy that is a core holding in many portfolios is the energy sector. Whether as a hedge against higher oil prices or on strong global activity, the U.S. energy market can be an appealing investment for a number of different reasons. A number of events such as the oil spill in the Gulf and the European debt crisis have caused some volatility for the energy sector in recent years, with this market swinging between big gains and steep losses. [click to continue…]
With oil prices once again surging, investors are looking to some of the world’s largest oil companies to help power portfolios gains. Now that earnings season is upon us, many are looking for clues from some of these big names to see if the price of crude has helped to spur these firms to record [...]
As the growth of the ETF industry has accelerated in recent years, the chorus of praises for the exchange-traded structure has become deafening in some corners of the investing world. Credited with reducing expenses, improving tax efficiency, and offering increased transparency, ETFs have received an overwhelmingly positive reception from investors both big and small.
Most markets inched higher last week, but hit a bit of road bump on Friday after investors digested news of declining consumer sentiment for January and a worse-than-expected GDP report. Gold and oil both traded lower during the week, but both commodities were able to stage a small rallies on Friday amidst all the uncertainty [...]
As the ETF industry has continued to gain traction in recent years, indexes have been transformed from hypothetical performance benchmarks into essentially investable assets. As such, investors have become increasingly familiar with many of the indexes that are linked to the most popular exchange-traded products and the methodologies used in the construction and ongoing maintenance.
Last week, BP PLC announced the discovery of a “giant” new oil field about 200 miles off the coast of Louisiana. The oil field is an an area that was once known as the “Dead Sea” in the oil industry, but has since witnessed several discoveries of massive reserves and become one of the most [...]
Exxon Mobil, the Texas-based oil giant, reported early Thursday that its second quarter profit fell a larger-than-expected 66% as a result of weak demand, shrinking margins, and lower fuel prices. Excluding one-time items (such as a $140 million charge related to punitive damages in the Exxon Valdez case), earnings fell from $2.27 per share last [...]
