One of the most attractive advantages of the exchange-traded fund industry is the ability for investors to easily tap into foreign equity markets. Prior to ETFs, mutual funds were the only vehicles available for individual investors to gain broad, diversified exposure to stocks outside of the U.S.. Thankfully, there are now plenty of low-cost ETF options that offer investors access to not only particular regions, but also to specific countries. [click to continue…]
Since the financial crisis of 2008, the global economy has faced several significant headwinds. Though the U.S. has showed signs of economic progress–as exemplified by the Fed’s decision to begin tapering–the eurozone continues to recover from its debt-crisis. In 2013, however, the eurozone finally managed to log in its first positive GDP reading after 18 months of […]
Over the past few years, the world economy has undeniably struggled against significant headwinds after the unprecedented financial crisis rocked the markets in 2008. But while the U.S. has seemingly stayed on track to economic recovery, the eurozone has struggled to overcome its debt burdens. Until recently, most investors have remained understandably bearish on the […]
Exchange-traded products are ubiquitous in the world of investing. The more than 1,600 products have accumulated billions of dollars, and are widely used by all types of investors, from individuals with relatively small accounts and simple strategies to sophisticated hedge funds managing billions. So it may be hard to believe that the ETF industry is […]
One of the most anticipated and watched sporting events in the world, the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship kicked off late last week. Euro 2012 marks a milestone for first-time host countries Ukraine and Poland, and many are hoping that the soccer tournament brings prosperity and inspires hope in the debt-burdened continent. There are competing […]
As most investors are painfully aware at this point, Europe is not in the best of fiscal shape at present. The continent is in the midst of a prolonged debt crisis that is now threatening the continued existence of the euro, and has transformed the region into a form of portfolio Kryptonite; most investors won’t […]
The last three years has been a troublesome time for financial equities around the world, as numerous crises struck different regions of the globe one by one. Starting with the recession in 2008, various regions quickly fell prey to many of the same problems that anchored the U.S., and now a new issue threatens our […]
The Fed’s new quantitative easing plan was recently unveiled; a $600 billion dollar injection into the U.S. bond markets in hopes of jump-starting our struggling economy. While some U.S. officials, like Fed Chair Ben Bernanke have stood behind the plan, it would appear that many of the leaders from around the world are not so […]
A third week of earnings saw both good and bad reports but left the markets virtually where they started with the S&P 500 losing just 12 points on the rocky week. Markets stayed flat for much of the week as traders awaited the GDP growth for the United States in the second quarter. When the […]
One of the biggest stories from the first half of the year in the world of finance has been the sharp decline in the value of the euro. Once regarded as one of the strongest currencies in the world, the monetary unit has fallen on hard times as some of its weaker southern European users […]
The 2010 FIFA World Cup final will take place this Sunday with the match being between Netherlands and Spain. In light of this major sporting event, we compare and contrast the two ETFs tracking the respective countries to see who would win a match on the financial pitch.