Commodity Indicator, ETN Buck the Downtrend
November 19, 2008 – Commodities are still in a major correction period, so it is especially interesting when there’s any fund, index or indicator that’s not only outperforming, but is up year-to-date by double digits. The S&P Commodity Trends Indicator... Continue Reading »

Short ETFs Popular Now, But Be Cautious
November 13, 2008 – Long-short exchange traded funds (ETFs) are attracting more interest than ever it seems, especially on days such as this one where the markets are poised to break through new lows. Investors still want to earn... Continue Reading »

Active Mutual Fund Investors Head for Exits to ETFs
November 5, 2008 – According to one study, It appears that the actively managed mutual fund is out and other investment tools such as structured notes, 130/30 funds, separately managed accounts and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are in. Financial Research... Continue Reading »

Triple Leverage ETFs Maximize Market Directions
November 5, 2008 – If you need or want more leverage in your exchange traded funds (ETFs), today you’re going to have the choice. Direxion has launched eight ETFs that are leveraged bull and bear funds designed to seek 300%... Continue Reading »

‘Use With Caution’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Avoid’ With Leveraged ETFs
November 1, 2008 – Many new exchange traded funds (ETFs) come in the short and leveraged variety, designed to help out educated investors. But the latest results have found that individual investors have had more trouble with leverage than... Continue Reading »

ETF Assets Surge While Mutual Funds’ Leak
October 28, 2008 – If you think that exchange traded funds (ETFs) have been hemorrhaging assets along with mutual funds, you’d be completely wrong. The kind of inflows and trading volume ETFs have received this year might be enough... Continue Reading »

ETFs With a BuyWrite Strategy Gain Popularity
October 27, 2008 – As the markets have turned, many investors are looking at possible opportunities and different strategies to approach the market with exchange traded funds (ETFs). A BuyWrite fund is a strategy that has been most commonly utilized... Continue Reading »

ETF Outlook After Markets Recover Is Positive
October 24, 2008 – As bulls stormed through the markets, exchange traded funds (ETFs) were right there with them, delivering big returns and becoming something of a household name. At the end of 2007, there were 629 domestic ETFs with... Continue Reading »

UltraShort Oil ETF Offers Opportunity As Price Falls
October 22, 2008 – Oil keeps heading lower most days, but that doesn’t mean investors don’t have a change to profit with exchange traded funds (ETFs). Oil is heading toward $50 per barrel and there’s sentiment that any OPEC production... Continue Reading »

ETFs Are Changing the Investment Landscape
October 17, 2008 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) first came to the public in 1993 in an effort to transform the typical, everyday monotony of the mutual fund. And the ETF came to us in a perfectly bundled basket of... Continue Reading »

Emerging Market ETFs Take Lumps In Slowdown
October 14, 2008 – The recent financial crisis may have beaten down markets both here and abroad, but there is still a way to strategize with short exchange traded funds (ETFs). The decreased demand in commodities has also come during... Continue Reading »

ETFs Feel the Fall Chill In September
October 13, 2008 – The chill in September that was felt among the markets also filtered into exchange traded funds (ETFs). Citigroup Global Markets conducted the research and found that the average ETF was down 9.3%, while the S&P 500... Continue Reading »

Short ETFs One of the Few Movers This Week
October 11, 2008 – As the market continues its sharp declines, there is still a way that investors can profit from exchange traded fund (ETF) investing. Short-selling, or betting against the market, has become a strategy for many who... Continue Reading »

Short ETFs Were Monday’s Winners
October 1, 2008 – Short exchange traded funds (ETFs) are especially of interest right now, given the market conditions and circumstance. Short ETFs give investors the opportunity to profit in down markets, and they also allow maximization of returns in... Continue Reading »

September ETF Performance Report
September 30, 2008 – Today brings to a close one of the most volatile months and quarters for exchange traded funds (ETFS) in stock market history. Several of the country’s largest financial institutions failed, some others merged and others... Continue Reading »

Central Banks Pull Together to Give Markets, ETFs An Assist
September 18, 2008 – After three days of staggering volatility, all eyes remain on financials and the sector’s exchange traded funds (ETFs) to see what they’ll do next. The Federal Reserve and the world’s other major central banks stepped up... Continue Reading »

With ETFs, There Are Ways to Play Lower Industrial Output
September 15, 2008 – Industrial output has broad implications for the economy and exchange traded funds (ETFs), so it isn’t good that it plunged by the largest amount in three years. Output fell by 1.1% last month, and economists were... Continue Reading »

MacroMarkets Tries Their Hand At Housing Market With ETFs
September 13, 2008 – MacroShares, the name behind a series of paired exchange traded funds (ETFs) tied to the price of oil, is now going to get into real estate. S&P said it has now licensed MacroMarkets to create products... Continue Reading »

Global Currencies and ETFs: They All Tie Together
September 12, 2008 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) dealing in currencies have given investors exposure to this area of the market that was previously a challenge to gain access to. Many investors, however, lack familiarity with the mechanics of the... Continue Reading »

For Financial ETFs, This Week Could Have Been Worse
September 12, 2008 – Given the troubles with Lehman Brothers (LEH), Washington Mutual (WM), Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) this week, things could have been a whole lot uglier than they actually have been for financial exchange... Continue Reading »

Inverse ETFs See the Silver Lining In Markets’ Cloud
August 28, 2008 – Inverse exchange traded funds (ETFs) played out well in 2008, as market conditions did a reverse and let these types of funds play their part. These types of funds are merely two years old, and the... Continue Reading »

Of the Top Ten Funds In July, Seven Were ETFs
August 28, 2008 – July was a notoriously troubled month for the markets, but not all exchange traded funds (ETFs) were suffering. John Spence for MarketWatch notes that there were 708 U.S.-listed ETFs in July, with 24 managers at the... Continue Reading »

Bad News for Global Economy Is Good News for the Dollar, ETFs
August 26, 2008 – The global economy is putting on the brakes, leading to a surge in the dollar and its exchange traded funds (ETFs). The greenback is at a six-month high against the euro on speculation that as the... Continue Reading »

Short, Financial ETFs Stand Tall As Investors Back Away From Oil, Commodities
August 24, 2008 – The last week notwithstanding, there has been a trend away from commodities and the exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track them as the price of oil takes a step back. It’s led to a rebound for... Continue Reading »

Drought Has Cut Iran’s Wheat Production, Growing Our ETFs
August 22, 2008 – Agriculture and grains-focused exchange traded funds (ETFs) could get a lift from a new customer buying wheat from the United States: Iran. After a 27-year break, the country has started buying our wheat again. It’s a... Continue Reading »

Platinum ETFs In for a Challenge In Market Recovery
August 21, 2008 – Platinum exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be in for some tough times ahead. Platinum Today reports that the metal, along with other precious metals, could face challenges as the market begins to recover and the dollar... Continue Reading »

Mild Weather a Double-Edged Sword for Crops and ETFs
August 12, 2008 – Some nice weather could mean lower prices for certain crops, but it might not do anything to add to the performance of agriculture exchange traded funds (ETFs). After flooding this summer, farmers in the Midwest staged... Continue Reading »

Precious Metal Holdings and ETFs Decline Amid Selloff
August 11, 2008 – As the commodities pullback continues, investors are pulling their money out of precious metals and sending related exchange traded funds (ETFs) lower. ETF Securities says the amount of metal it holds to back its physical platinum... Continue Reading »

New ETN Provider Jumps In With A 130/30 Stratgey
August 2, 2008 – A new exchange traded note (ETN) provider has popped up: WealthNotes, from Westport, CT. Their first offering is a play on the 130/30 strategy. So far in 2008, the ETN industry has been outpacing the ETF... Continue Reading »

Europe to Follow U.S. Trends in Leveraged and Inverse ETFs
July 30, 2008 – Leveraged and inverse exchange traded funds (ETFs) are two sectors in the U.S. ETF market that have experienced a boom over the past couple of years. According to a report on “ETF Liquidity Trends” filed by... Continue Reading »

Short and Leveraged ETFs Are Beefing Up
July 30, 2008 – Some investors like to say short and ultra short exchange traded funds (ETFs) are similar to steroid use - bulking way up on an unnatural time scale. For instance, the ProShares Ultra Oil and Gas (DIG)... Continue Reading »

Crunching the Numbers With Financial ETFs
July 29, 2008 – As financials continue to struggle, related exchange traded funds (ETFs) may feel the repercussions. Yesterday, financials continued to decline as Merrill Lynch (MER) shares dropped almost 10%, bringing the entire sector lower amid fears over credit... Continue Reading »

Bears And Short ETFs Out Roaming For The Summer
July 29, 2008 – Despite the appearances of the last few weeks that included some strong days, there are still some hungry bears roaming in the marketplace and looking for some exchange traded funds (ETFs) to snack on. ETFGuide reports... Continue Reading »

A Regulation Of Short ETFs In The Works?
July 26, 2008 – How likely would congress be to ban short exchange traded funds (ETFs), in particular funds that aim to short the financial industry? As of today, the ban on naked short selling of 19 protected financial stocks... Continue Reading »

How To Weather The Economic Storms With ETFs
July 24, 2008 – It’s been a challenge in the markets and exchange traded fund (ETF) realm lately, to put it mildly. Things have picked up some in recent days, but as today illustrates: we’re not out of the woods... Continue Reading »

SEC Takes Aim at Naked Short-Selling
July 16, 2008 – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is taking aim at illegal short sellers, but it might have little impact on exchange traded funds (ETFs). The practice of short-selling is all well and good, but “naked” short-selling... Continue Reading »

Down Market Doesn’t Delay ETF Liftoffs in June
July 10, 2008 – Despite a month in which we officially entered a bull market, exchange traded funds (ETFs) continue to sprout up. According to Simon Maierhofer for ETFGuide, the number of ETF and exchange traded note (ETN) launches is... Continue Reading »

Pairing Up ETFs May Be a Way To Head Off Volatility
July 4, 2008 – In an attempt to stave off market volatility, trading in pairs of exchange traded funds (ETFs), or pairs trading, can be an option for investors who want to hedge market downturns. Pairs trading is... Continue Reading »

Dollar Up, Dollar Down: There’s An ETF for That
July 1, 2008 – Morgan Stanley has made a bold prediction that, if true, could help the bullish dollar exchange traded fund (ETF). The strategist said that we’re in the waning period of the dollar’s decline against most of... Continue Reading »

New Up/Down Oil ETFs Open for Business
July 1, 2008 – Just as two exchange traded funds (ETFs) tied to the price movements of oil reached their termination triggers and closed on June 25, two more will be entering the market space to replace them. MacroMarkets... Continue Reading »

June ETF Performance Report
June 30, 2008 – Today, the markets wrap up a month, a quarter and the first half of the year and it was a rocky June for exchange traded fund (ETF) investors. The Dow Jones industrial average lost... Continue Reading »

Hedge Funds Adding Leveraged ETFs Into the Mix
June 28, 2008 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are one of the most popular investment tools, and hedge funds are picking up on them - especially the leveraged type. That’s making some of the hedge funds more risky because... Continue Reading »

ETN Gives First Exposure to Carbon Credits Market
June 27, 2008 – iPath this week launched an array of exchange traded notes (ETNs), and one of the most interesting is the first such note linked to carbon credits. The iPath Global Carbon (GRN) is designed to provide investors with exposure... Continue Reading »

John Bogle Questions Sector and Leveraged ETFs
June 27, 2008 – Noted exchange traded fund (ETF) critic and Vanguard Group founder John Bogle recently shared his thoughts about sector and leveraged funds. At a meeting before the Financial Planning Association, he praised ETFs for their endorsement... Continue Reading »

When It Comes to ETFs, Keep Your Eyes Open
June 27, 2008 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) can have a number of objectives for the investor, aside from the immediately obvious ones. Beyond the goal of building wealth for the investor, ETFs have several other functions, suggests Peter... Continue Reading »

A Triple-Threat in the Markets Makes Short ETFs Popular
June 26, 2008 – Is there are triple crisis threatening to hurt the economy, Wall Street and exchange traded funds (ETFs)? Martin D. Weiss for Money And Markets reports that he warned us one week ago about a... Continue Reading »

Keeping Your Eye On the Double Inverse ETF
June 23, 2008 – Does a double inverse exchange traded fund (ETF) give clues to which direction the market sentiment will go? Trading volume was on the thin side last week, although it was time for options to expire,... Continue Reading »

PowerShares, Deutsche Bank Team Up With Oil, Base Metal ETNs
June 19, 2008 – PowerShares and Deutsche Bank are teaming up again to launch eight base-metal and crude oil-linked exchange traded notes (ETNs). The notes will be linked to the performance of industrial metals and crude oil, through a... Continue Reading »

When Outperformance Isn’t Enough, The 130/30 ETN Can Take You Beyond
June 19, 2008 – A strategy that’s popular with hedge fund investors is now being applied to an exchange traded note (ETN). JP Morgan Chase & Co. ETN 130/30 (JFT) tracks the First Trust Enhanced 130/30 Large Cap Index and... Continue Reading »

Financial Moving and Shaking Doesn’t Rattle ETFs
June 16, 2008 – Financial exchange traded funds (ETFs) are breaking even so far in trading today after lots of news spilled out from the sector: Lehman Brothers (LEH) announced a loss of $2.8 billion, which was right in line... Continue Reading »

MacroShares ETFs Dip Into Housing Market
June 13, 2008 – MacroShares is taking another swing at the up/down market movement, this time with exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track the upward and inverse movement of U.S. home prices. MacroShares Major Metro Housing Up (UMM)... Continue Reading »

Hedge Against Oil’s Wild Swings With New Long/Short ETFs
June 12, 2008 – Is the time nigh for some exchange traded funds (ETFs) that short oil and gas? The answer seems to be mixed - while oil prices have retreated some today, down to $132 a barrel, gas... Continue Reading »

When the Bears Come Out, the Short ETFs Aren’t Far Behind
June 12, 2008 – Are you feeling a bit bearish on your exchange traded fund (ETF) bets because of the market turmoil? You’re not alone. Some of the strongest funds in trading yesterday were the shorts, including ProShares UltraShort... Continue Reading »

Rydex Proposes Leveraged ETFs For The Market
June 10, 2008 – Rydex Investments is planning to add to its family of leveraged exchange traded funds (ETFs), this time with sectors. They’re scheduled to begin trading Thursday. The move is in hopes that it will put... Continue Reading »

First 130/30 ETN Launches - Will It Take Off?
June 1, 2008 – JP Morgan is the first to market with a first-of-its kind exchange traded note (ETN). The First Trust Enhanced 130/30 Index (JFT) is a modified equal-weighted total return index that offers 130% long and 30%... Continue Reading »

Short And Leveraged ETFs Pave A Two-Way Street In April
May 27, 2008 – The market’s performance in April soaked short exchange traded funds (ETFs), which highlights the caveats of these types of funds. However, on a week such as the one we just had, the benefits can come... Continue Reading »

Short ETFs Stand Tall on a Rough Market Day
May 23, 2008 – While the Dow Jones industrial average and other major indexes sank in trading today, exchange traded funds (ETFs) that short the markets reaped the rewards. The strongest 20 ETFs in trading today were all funds... Continue Reading »

Proposed Leveraged ETFs Put the Pedal to the Metal
May 23, 2008 – An investment manager has plans for a new type of exchange traded fund (ETF) that may give Speed Racer a run for his torque. Direxion Funds has proposed the first turbocharged portfolio, that includes an... Continue Reading »

Leveraged ETFs Take Center Stage Of Industry
May 20, 2008 – Leveraged exchange traded funds (ETFs) are taking center stage of the industry as one of the fastest-growing segments. Although investor sentiment is generally moving away from these high performance products, they’re being offered at... Continue Reading »

As ETFs Have Evolved, So Have Investors
May 14, 2008 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are such phenomenal investing tools they are actually changing the way investors invest. They’ve come a long way since they first landed on the scene in 1993. Billy Fisher for The Street... Continue Reading »

Morgan Stanley’s New ETNs Go Long Or Short On The Euro
May 8, 2008 –   Morgan Stanley has joined the exchange traded note (ETN) game, with the announcement of two new notes, based on the euro. They’re both now trading on the NYSE Arca. The new notes are: Market Vectors Double Short Euro... Continue Reading »

Investors Might Take a Shine to New Platinum ETNs
May 8, 2008 – Investors have been salivating for an exchange traded product that gives access to platinum, and now UBS is granting it with two new exchange traded notes (ETNs). The E-TRACS UBS Long Platinum (PTM) and the... Continue Reading »

It’s Anybody’s Guess Which Way Oil Will Go and Which ETFs Will Benefit
May 8, 2008 – If you believe oil is in an increasingly fragile bubble that’s fixin’ to burst, there is an exchange traded funds (ETFs) out there for you. On Wednesday, oil nearly hit a record $124 a barrel,... Continue Reading »

ProShares Wins The Race To Market With Inverse Bond Fund
May 4, 2008 – ProShares wins the race to be the first inverse bond exchange traded fund (ETF) in the world. Deutsche Bank was hot on their heels, after announcing plans a day earlier to issue a new... Continue Reading »

Is Three Times Performance Going to Be a Charm for New ETFs?
May 2, 2008 – A firm better known for its leveraged index mutual funds has filed for 36 exchange traded funds (ETFs) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that raise the stakes. The ETFs from Direxion Funds would... Continue Reading »

Oil Down ETF Moves Up On Oil Price’s Slide
May 1, 2008 – As oil prices head south, one exchange traded fund (ETF) shot way up. MACROshares Oil Down (DCR) closed up 10.6% in trading today after oil speculators pulled out of the market. Crude settled at $112.52,... Continue Reading »

Four New ETNs Hit The Market, Thanks to Deutsche Bank
May 1, 2008 – Deutsche Bank launched four new exchange traded notes (ETNs) with a twist, coming out ahead of rivals such as ProShares. The new broad-based ETNs focus on agriculture and commodities, but come in long, double-long,... Continue Reading »

The Long and Short of Long and Short ETFs
April 18, 2008 – Everyone knows about short and leveraged exchange traded funds (ETFs), but some might be wondering "How do they do that?" Michael Sapir, CEO of ProFunds, gave us a call and explained it. "The best way... Continue Reading »

Menu of Agriculture ETFs and ETNs Expands
April 17, 2008 – Some crops might not be growing, but lots of agriculture-focused exchange traded funds (ETFs) and exchange traded notes (ETNs) are sprouting up. Deutsche Bank launched a smörgåsbord of ETNs this week, just in time for the... Continue Reading »

Feeling Bearish or Bullish? There’s An ETF For Every Mood
April 11, 2008 – Last week’s stock surge has caused a pullback for some of the leveraged and inverse exchange traded funds (ETFs), the same funds that were earning traders so much money. David Penn for Trading Markets explains... Continue Reading »

Plop-Plop, Fizz-Fizz - Can You Handle Short and Leveraged ETFs?
April 8, 2008 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) that use leverage and short-selling have the ability to reward investors with high profits, but they can also hit them hard with big losses. They are meant for investors with a... Continue Reading »

Leveraged and Short Telecom ETFs Can Maximize Exposure On Both Sides
March 27, 2008 – Year-to-date, the iShares Dow Jones US Telecom (IYZ) and the iShares S&P Global Telecommunications (IXP) exchange traded funds (ETFs) are down 20.8% and 13.7%, respectively. So, it’s probably a good time for the new... Continue Reading »

As Gold Price Dips, Short ETNs Let Skeptics Capitalize
March 24, 2008 –   Commodity prices corrected after a lengthy rally driven by the Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, sending exchange traded notes (ETNs) that short gold up 7% in two days. DB Gold Double Short ETN (DZZ) gained 7% as... Continue Reading »

Chinese ETFs - Yin Yang For The Market
March 24, 2008 – The China bubble is continuing to correct itself if its exchange traded funds (ETFs) are any indication. With the Olympics just around the corner, many felt that the growing country’s performance would stay solid... Continue Reading »

Rydex Puts ETFs to Work In a New Mutual Fund
March 20, 2008 – Rydex is proving that it’s possible for mutual funds to be creative in how they use exchange traded funds (ETFs). The provider is launching a new long-short index mutual fund that takes a fund-of-funds approach,... Continue Reading »

Sign of the Times: UltraShort QQQ ETF Is Top Fund So Far This Year
March 20, 2008 – One sign of the turbulence in our markets: the top performing fund year-to-date is an ultra short. The ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID), which holds some of the biggest stocks in the Nasdaq 100, is... Continue Reading »

Leveraged ETFs Can Help You Keep Earning, But Don’t Come Up Short
March 19, 2008 – Investors are increasingly less content do just sit there holding cash while the market tumbles, giving short exchange traded funds (ETFs) a measure of popularity. The trend has been especially popular this year as... Continue Reading »

Bear Stearns’ Collapse Is Felt Throughout Market and ETFs
March 17, 2008 – The Bear Stearns (BSC) implosion is causing shock waves throughout Wall Street, global markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs). While Bear’s stock sank 86% in intraday traded, financial and broker-dealer ETFs took hits, too: iShares... Continue Reading »

February Was a Strong Month for Natural Resource ETFs
March 17, 2008 – February turned out to be the month of energy and natural resources exchange traded funds (ETFs), beating out the juggernaut that is precious metals. Richard Widows for The Street says funds that included an... Continue Reading »

Which ETFs Are On First Today?
March 11, 2008 – After a big day for the markets, you can’t help but wonder which exchange traded funds (ETFs) stood out head and shoulders above the rest. If you scroll through ETF Screen’s breakdown of fund performance,... Continue Reading »

Going Ultra Short With ETFs Can Protect In a Down Market
March 9, 2008 – Trading volume has been exploding with short and ultra-short exchange traded funds (ETFs). With the state of the market, it’s no surprise: many investors are investing short to ensure their long-term survival while they... Continue Reading »

Short ETFs Can Help If Handled With Care
March 6, 2008 – In a down market, short exchange traded funds (ETFs) gain popularity, but they need to be used with caution and education. ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) is one of the more popular ETFs of this... Continue Reading »

Deutsche Bank Launches Three Gold ETNs as Metal Hits Record Prices
February 28, 2008 – Three more gold-focused products are hitting the marketplace - this time in the form of exchange traded notes (ETNs). Deutsche Bank’s new line of ETNs are linked to the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index - Optimum... Continue Reading »

UltraShort S&P ETF Doubles Up in Downward Trend
February 17, 2008 – Short exchange traded funds (ETFs) are meant to head up as the market heads south - something it seems to have been doing a lot of lately. The ProShares UltraShort S&P 500 (SDS) and Rydex... Continue Reading »

China’s ETFs Are Irresistible; Here’s How To Deal
February 15, 2008 – China and its exchange traded funds (ETFs) might occasionally bring back memories of that dramatic high school relationship: volatile and full of high highs and low lows. Just look at the 2007 performance of... Continue Reading »

Some ETFs Experience a Reversal of Fortune
February 12, 2008 –   It isn’t all doom and gloom: some exchange traded funds(ETFs) are experiencing a reversal of fortune during these trying economic times. The performance for the past month of these lucky ETFs are listed: ProShares UltraShort... Continue Reading »

Transportation ETF Flying High
February 12, 2008 – The transportation exchange traded fund (ETF) is on a roll, as it was a leading issuer for the week. Dow Jones Transportation Average (IYT) issued $500 million or 74.8% of assets. Runners up were... Continue Reading »

Long-Short Funds Prove Their Skills
February 6, 2008 – Long-short exchange traded funds (ETFs) have outperformed any other fund analyzed by Morningstar so far this year. Long-short funds combine traditional long or bullish bets with short or bearish ones that allow fund managers... Continue Reading »

Chile ETF Warms Up This Week
January 31, 2008 – One of the top-performing exchange traded funds (ETFs) over the last week might come as a surprise after all the talk about short ETFs amid market turmoil. It’s the iShares MSCI Chile (ECH), launched in... Continue Reading »

More ETF Volatility Anticipated
January 31, 2008 – Exchange traded fund (ETF) investors beware: there is more volatility looming on the downside as the carry trade and proprietary traders continue to unwind profitable trades. Any current strength the market is experiencing is because... Continue Reading »

Shorting ETFs Without The Risk
January 28, 2008 – Now that exchange traded funds (ETFs) have proliferated, investors have a lot of room to consider their options, one of which is short ETFs. Most short sellers have found over the past 20 years... Continue Reading »

Tax Loss Harvesting With ETFs
January 25, 2008 – In the current market conditions there is something worthwhile to try other than shorting stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs). Mitch Tuchman for Seeking Alpha reports that studies show big market moves happen quickly and... Continue Reading »

Asian Stocks and ETFs Hear The Roar
January 24, 2008 – The Asian indexes officially entered a bear market this week, taking the related exchange traded funds (ETFs) and stocks down. A recent spread of short positions led to panic sell-offs, possibly because of hedge... Continue Reading »

Short ETFs Shining Bright
January 22, 2008 – These days, it’s all about the short exchange traded fund (ETFs). Scroll through the list of top-performing funds year-to-date on Morningstar and you’ll see the proof: the top 33 performing funds so far this year... Continue Reading »

Hedging the Tumbling Housing Market with ETFs
January 17, 2008 – Very few exchange traded funds (ETFs) could get a lift from the housing report issued this morning. Martin Crutsinger for the Associated Press reports that the housing slump has hit new lows. The Commerce Department... Continue Reading »

Inverse ETFs Can Cover Investors on the Flip Side of the Markets
December 23, 2007 – For many exchange traded funds (ETF) designed to go up when its underlying index goes up, you can often find a corresponding ETF designed to go up when the underlying index heads south. They’re known... Continue Reading »

ETFs Caught in the Middle of Japan’s Economic Forecast Tug-of-War
December 20, 2007 – It looks like there’s some disagreement about the future of Japan’s economy and the exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track it. Yesterday, we wrote a post saying that Japan’s economic council sees the economy... Continue Reading »

ETFs Could Get Their 130/30 Fund Entry Via ProShares
December 13, 2007 – One of the fastest-growing segments of the financial market now has an exchange traded fund (ETF) entry. According to Matthew Hougan at IndexUniverse, ProShares has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a... Continue Reading »

Manage Your Portfolio Like a Hedge Fund With ETFs
November 29, 2007 – Investors are always looking to turn a profit on their portfolio, whether it is with stocks, bonds or exchange traded funds (ETFs).  By following the trends and watching fundamentals in the economy and globally,... Continue Reading »

Inverse and Leveraged ETFs Go Mainstream
November 21, 2007 –   Inverse and leveraged exchange traded funds (ETFs) have gained the spotlight this year amid the market volatility, as they’re designed to appreciate in value when the index they track loses money. Some of these... Continue Reading »

Tom Lydon on CNBC This Morning Discussing Currency and Short/Inverse ETFs
November 20, 2007 – I did a quick ETF segment on CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning. Carl Quintanilla and I talked about: The growth in popularity of ETFs, how many ETFs there are and what the current assets look... Continue Reading »

The Top Five ETFs This Past Month Are All Shorts
November 15, 2007 – With all of the recent market volatility, we looked to see which exchange traded funds (ETFs) are holding up.  In looking at the performance over the past month, ETFscreen shows the UltraShort ETFs as... Continue Reading »

China Ultra Short ETF Now Available
November 10, 2007 – ProShares launched an exchange traded fund (ETF) that moves opposite of an index that trades shares of Chinese companies trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The Ultrashort FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (FXP) seeks... Continue Reading »

Rydex’s Long and Short Leveraged ETFs Set To Launch
November 5, 2007 – The first mutual fund company to introduce long and short leveraged conventional mutual funds will now be offering long and short leveraged exchange traded funds (ETFs). "Rydex Investments…plans to introduce six "leveraged" exchange traded... Continue Reading »

Playing Emerging Markets From Any Angle
November 5, 2007 – The emerging markets exchange traded funds (ETFs) and indexes have outperformed domestic markets recently. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index has outperformed the S&P 500 by 134.46% over the past three years. Many investors are... Continue Reading »

Shorting International Markets With ETFs
October 31, 2007 – Last week ProShares launched the first two of six proposed exchange traded funds (ETFs) that are of the short international exposure. ProShares Short MSCI EAFE (EFZ) tracks the inverse of the daily moves of... Continue Reading »

ProShares Has Leveraged Commodity and Currency ETFs in the Works
October 26, 2007 – ProShares has recently filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch 48 new exchange traded funds (ETFs) tied to commodities and currencies. The commodity funds will track the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index and related... Continue Reading »

ProShares Releases New Leveraged ETFs
October 25, 2007 – ProShares announced today the launch of the first short international exchange traded funds (ETFs) designed to go up when a foreign market goes down. The six new ProShares ETFs to be listed on the... Continue Reading »

Hedging with ETFs in a Declining Market
October 22, 2007 – Anytime there’s a hiccup in the market, ETF investors look for ways to protect themselves on the downside. Last week, the market volatility index (VIX) closed at 22.96, its highest level since Sept. 17.... Continue Reading »

ETF Investors Likely to Be Strapped for Cash
October 18, 2007 – As houses are going down in value and unemployment is rising, exchange traded fund (ETF) investors have less money to spend in other areas. In fact, unemployment stats show it has risen from 4.5%... Continue Reading »

An Array of Funds Join ETFs
October 8, 2007 – Mutual fund companies are trying to grab some of the exchange traded fund (ETF) success by launching alternative investment options. Ian Salisbury for The Wall Street Journal dissects the latest offerings: BRIC funds that... Continue Reading »

First Leveraged Commodities ETFs Coming Soon
September 30, 2007 – PowerShares is planning to leverage three of its commodity futures exchange traded funds (ETFs) to provide 200% of the daily return of the underlying indexes. If they are approved, these will become the first... Continue Reading »

Expensive ETFs
September 28, 2007 – Some of the most expensive exchange traded funds (ETFs) have an expense ratio of 0.95%. These ETFs generally serve a different, more specific need than most inexpensive, broad-based funds, such as SPDRs (SPY) or... Continue Reading »

Ups and Downs with Leveraged ETFs
September 23, 2007 – While we know exchange traded funds (ETFs) are popular and expedient investment tools, some come with a twist to make investing more exciting. These renegade ETFs are known as leveraged funds. The leveraged ETF... Continue Reading »

ProShares ETFs Hit $7 Billion Mark
September 10, 2007 – ProShares exchange traded funds (ETFs) are mainly associated with leveraged ETFs. These ETFs offer three different investing strategies: ultra, short or ultrashort. Ultra - The ultra tries to produce twice the returns of an index,... Continue Reading »

5 New ETFs That Deserve Attention
September 5, 2007 – It’s an exciting time to be investing in exchange traded funds (ETFs) as new products launch practically every day. With so many newbies on the market, Matt Hougan for Index Universe offers his opinion... Continue Reading »

Short ETFs Benefit from Market’s Decline
August 21, 2007 – In the midst of the subprime mess there can be a positive side for some exchange traded funds (ETFs): Falling stocks have increased the use of short positions on ETFs. Short positions or short... Continue Reading »

ETFs Put to the Test
August 20, 2007 – The recent turbulent markets have given many new exchange traded funds (ETFs) their first performance test. ETFs that track broad stock-market indexes performed as expected. Narrowly-focused ETFs and ETFs that use complex strategies to... Continue Reading »

ETF Lemonade
August 19, 2007 – When the markets throw you lemons, make lemonade, as the situation has soured and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are plentiful enough to take advantage of a bearish situation. Since ETFs trade like a stock... Continue Reading »