Much to the bears’ surprise this week, equity markets pulled off another green streak as euphoria levels remained strong. The bulls had few reasons to take profits as markets digested several upbeat earnings reports from big-name financials along with much better-than-expected weekly employment and housing starts data. Amid the improving outlook, the S&P 500 Index managed to set a five-year high and peer past the 1,475 level, settling just above the 1,480 mark on Friday [see Free 7 Simple & Cheap All- ETF Model Portfolios].
[click to continue…]
As the bull parade continues on Wall Street, bearish pressures are mounting right around the corner with major equity indexes sitting on hefty gains since the new year began. After muted activity last week, economic data releases return to the home front this week alongside more earnings results from industry bellwethers, including Goldman Sachs, Ebay, and General […]
The Mining Boom ETFdb Portfolio is now available to ETFdb Pro members with a free 7-day trial of the Pro subscription. This new portfolio, one of more than 50 all-ETF model portfolios available at ETFdb.com, is designed for investors who wish to overweight exposure to the mining industry through the equity and bond markets, excluding any investments in physical metals. This investment strategy […]
In recent years interest in exposure to natural resources has surged, thanks perhaps in part to the ease of access afforded by the exchange-traded structure. While commodities have always been popular with active traders, they’ve caught on in recent years among those investors with a longer time horizon. The impressive performances turned in during a […]
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have burst on to the scene in the late 2000s and early 2010s, raking in hundreds of billions of dollars in assets and prompting a major shift towards indexing strategies in the process. ETFs have empowered financial advisors (FAs), registered investment advisors (RIAs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), money managers, and retail investors […]
With more than 40% of the U.S. market, iShares has long been the leader in the U.S. ETF industry. But in recent years the competition has been gaining ground, thanks in part to more cost efficient products. According to the ETF Industry Association, Vanguard led all ETF issuers with almost $36 billion in cash inflows […]
iShares, the largest U.S. ETF issuer in terms of both assets and number of funds, continued the aggressive expansion of its product lineup this week with five new products offering exposure to commodity-related stocks. Each of the new ETFs will compete with existing products offering indirect exposure to natural resources through stocks of companies that […]
As a handful of brave souls find out every four years, running for President of the United States generally involves opening up your personal life to intense examination by opponents, the media, and general public. Generally, the scrutiny focuses on personal histories–arrests, affairs, and lawsuits make for juicy reading. But being a public servant can […]
Global X, the relatively new ETF issuer that has already gathered more than $1 billion in assets, announced that it will close eight of its ETFs in the first quarter of 2012. Each of the ETFs to be closed has struggled to build assets during relatively short times on the market; they all launched at […]
Better late than never. E*TRADE, the online brokerage that is perhaps best known for its commercials starring infant trading whizzes, has begun offering commission free trading on a lineup of exchange-traded funds. ETFs issued by Global X, WisdomTree, and db-X (Deutsche Bank) will be eligible for commission free trading on the E*Trade platform. That lineup […]
Direxion laid the groundwork for several new products in a recent SEC proposal, including a handful of sector ETFs as well as an international equity offering. The Boston based issuer detailed plans to potentially ramp up its product lineup with four new 3x leveraged bull-bear pair ETFs. Triple-exposure products are the bread and butter of […]
