The ETF universe has undeniably grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years, but even more impressive are some of the funds’ stellar track records since the depths of the most recent financial crisis. In light of the U.S. bull market turning five years old in March of 2014, we’ve been taking a look back to the market bottom in 2009 and reviewing how major assets have performed since the dust settled.
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As yield has become a major investing theme in recent years, ETF issuers have started to develop intricate strategies to help investors capture handsome dividends. Introducing leverage to the dividend world allowed for a number of issuers to put out products that yielded in excess of the double digit mark, with one even breaking through […]
Despite appreciating more than 10% over the past year, home prices still look reasonable and housing affordable. However, while there is little risk of another housing bubble, a significant pickup in interest rates could dampen housing activity and by extension, the recovery.
Over the last three years, Wall Street has witnessed a tremendous shift in the investment environment. Investors are slowly adopting riskier appetites as they continue to recover from the 2008 financial crisis, allowing bullish momentum to become a more dominant force in the markets. But while most asset classes have fared relatively well over the […]
For retail investors, the exchange traded fund boom has opened up a plethora of opportunities for portfolio construction. From simple indexing approaches to more complex strategies, ETFs are quickly becoming the go-to investment vehicle. Nowhere is that more prevalent than the world of real estate. Overall, the continued evolution of the ETF industry has allowed investors […]
After suffering tremendous losses during the 2008 housing bubble, real estate investments have managed to claw their way back and are showing promising signs once again. As investors’ fears over housing have abated, interest in this corner of the market has come to the forefront once again, as this asset class offers key diversification benefits […]
Even as U.S. Markets continued to stumble back Thursday morning, still processing the news that Ben Bernanke and the Fed will continue their aggressive buying strategy for now, there was one major force pulling investors back into the green. New home sales from April have improved for the third month in a row, reaching a […]
U.S. stocks have rebounded with full force since the housing market crisis simmered, with major equity indexes sitting at, or nearing, all-time highs. While many on Wall Street have undeniably enjoyed stellar returns since the bottom in 2009, the ultra-low interest rate environment at home and around the globe continues to pose a major challenge for income-seeking investors of all types [see 101 […]
The ETF boom has made it easier for regular retail investors to add various new asset classes, sectors and markets to their portfolios with a single trade. Features like intraday tradability, low expenses and access to foreign issued shares make them a great way for investors to build market beating portfolios. Overall, the use of […]
This year has proven to be a rather successful yet volatile year on Wall Street; equities managed to come out on top after tumultuous rounds of eurozone debt drama, fiscal cliff talks and spotty economic data. Despite the bumps in the road, many investors were rewarded quite handsomely, as certain corners of the market exhibited […]
Real estate has long been a popular asset class as it tends to offer excellent long-term returns with relatively low correlation to equities and can also serve as a viable hedge against inflation. One of the best things about the expansion of the ETF universe is the extent to which it has spawned numerous vehicles for […]