Financial Crisis Leaves Few Countries, ETFs Untouched
October 10, 2008 – As the global credit crisis deepens and touches every corner of the markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs), the pressure is on the world’s leading economies to stage a major confrontation. This morning, President Bush spoke... Continue Reading »

Yen, Gold ETFs Surge While Commodities Tumble
October 6, 2008 – The tide has turned for the Japanese yen as the credit market collapse is sending the currency way back up, and exchange traded funds (ETFs) will follow. This same credit market collapse that sent Lehman Brothers... Continue Reading »

Europe, Asia ETFs Begin To Feel the Infection
October 6, 2008 – The financial bailout in the United States has infected the markets in Europe and Asia, sending shares and exchange traded funds (ETFs) plummeting, and reinforcing fears of depressed global economic growth. The passage of the bailout... Continue Reading »

Some Relief In ETFs As Bailout Plan Nears Approval
October 2, 2008 – After a failure that rocked Wall Street and exchange traded funds (ETFs) earlier this week, the $700 billion bailout package seems closer to reality. The Senate approved the bill, and now it’s off to the House,... Continue Reading »

Why EAFE, ETFs Could Be Long-Term Prospects
September 27, 2008 – One of the major pathways for exchange traded fund (ETF) investors to get international exposure is by investing in the MSCI Australasia Far East Index, or the EAFE. This famous benchmark dates back to... Continue Reading »

Europe, Asia ETFs Gain Following U.S. Plan
September 22, 2008 – While the United States and exchange traded funds (ETFs) here don’t appear to be too enthusiastic about plans for a bailout, it’s a different story in Europe and Asia. Stocks on both continents rose by varying... Continue Reading »

Japanese Yen and ETFs: A Safety Net From Turmoil
September 17, 2008 – The Japanese yen may be the latest safe haven from the market turmoil, and there are exchange traded funds (ETFs) to help shelter you. Carl Delfeld for ETF XRAY has quite a few reasons why he... Continue Reading »

New NETS ETF Turns To Japanese REIT Market
September 9, 2008 – Northern Trust is launching the first Japanese REIT exchange traded fund (ETF) to be based upon the Tokyo Stock Exchange REIT Index. The NETS Tokyo Stock Exchange REIT Index Fund (JRE) launched on Monday, and brings... Continue Reading »

ETFs Around the World Sneeze After Dow Sinks
September 5, 2008 – Wall Street coughed yesterday, and Europe and Asia’s markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs) caught a cold. After the Dow Jones lost more than 340 points, Europe’s FTSE-100, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC all fell by... Continue Reading »

U.S. Dollar and ETFs Doing So Well, It Brings Out Cynics
August 18, 2008 – The dollar is regaining its health, as the rally goes on to another day, raising up the commodities markets and all focused exchange traded funds (ETFs). But despite all the recent performance, today the dollar has... Continue Reading »

Japan and ETFs May Soon Be Free of Bear’s Claws
August 11, 2008 – Japan’s economy and exchange traded funds (ETFs) may have been dormant as of late, but analysts say the sun is no where near setting for the economy in the next year. In fact, some analysts say... Continue Reading »

Recession Could Loom for Japan, Affecting ETFs
July 28, 2008 – Japan’s slowing exports could have an impact on the country’s exchange traded funds (ETFs). For the first time in four years, Japan’s exports fell year on year. The economy in Japan is dependent upon domestic consumption... Continue Reading »

Toyota Puts Pedal to the Metal on Prius and Possibly Japan ETFs
July 11, 2008 – It’s a sign of the times: Toyota is ceasing production of gas-guzzlers and ramping it up for the in-demand hybrids, which could help exchange traded funds (ETFs) that hold shares of the automaker. Auto sales in... Continue Reading »

Gold ETF Making History
July 8, 2008 – The largest gold exchange traded fund (ETF) has been a real trailblazer lately. The SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is the most actively traded call option on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, reports Sophia Grene for... Continue Reading »

Japan’s Mellow Mood Fills ETF And Outlook
July 3, 2008 – Confidence is on the down side among big Japanese manufacturers, setting a mellow mood, and low morale for related exchange traded funds (ETFs). The recent fall was less than expected, and capital spending plans... 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 »

International Real Estate ETFs Can Be Like Apples and Oranges
June 25, 2008 – Two exchange traded funds (ETFs) can sound alike, but pulling back the curtain can often reveal big differences, such as those between two international real estate funds. The PowerShares FTSE/RAFI International Real Estate Portfolio (PRY)... Continue Reading »

SSGA ETFs Are Turning Japanese
June 22, 2008 – State Street Global Advisors is reaching across the Pacific to try their luck in Japan, starting with a gold-focused exchange traded fund (ETF). By the end of 2008, SSGA plans to list some of... Continue Reading »

Japan’s ETF Shaky As Economy And Country Are Rattled
June 17, 2008 – The near future of Japan’s economy and its related exchange traded fund (ETF) are flashing mixed signals. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development states that Japan’s economy is looking better as slow domestic... Continue Reading »

New Van Eck Currency ETNs Attempt To Lure Investors With Magnification
June 11, 2008 – Currency exchange traded funds (ETFs) have helped investors to cash in on the weakness of the U.S. dollar, while giving exposure to foreign currency in the process. So far this year, the U.S. dollar... Continue Reading »

Japanese Economy and ETFs Land of the Rising Sun?
June 6, 2008 – The land of the rising sun could be in a great position as the country may be able to stave off a recession with domestic demand, helping it’s exchange traded funds (ETFs) and market... Continue Reading »

Foreign Currency ETFs, ETNs Gathering Steam and Investor Interest
June 3, 2008 – Pick a currency, any currency, and chances are there’s an exchange traded fund (ETF) or exchange traded note (ETN) to track it. Well, there are exceptions, but foreign currency exchange traded products are proliferating. John... Continue Reading »

Natural Gas ETFs Could Burn Bright In Growing Shortage
May 31, 2008 – Natural gas exchange traded funds (ETFs) certainly haven’t been shouting as loud as those for other commodities (hello, oil), but they’ve been delivering the returns. The commodity has been a standout in what has been... Continue Reading »

ETFs Get a Rise from Japan’s Stock Performance
May 29, 2008 – Japan’s stocks rose by their largest amount in two months, giving a lift to their exchange traded funds (ETFs). The jump came after orders for durable goods in the United States notched an unexpected... Continue Reading »

As Israel Grows, and So Do ETF Options
May 29, 2008 – Israel’s economy is surpassing expectations, and if it continues this way, it could deliver solid performance to its exchange traded funds (ETFs). The country saw growth in the first quarter, even though it was... Continue Reading »

Nuclear Energy and ETFs Moving On Ahead
May 29, 2008 – Nuclear energy and its related exchange traded funds (ETFs) continue moving forward, regardless of sentiment toward the sector. The latest push came last Friday, when China signed a pact with Russia for $1 billion to... Continue Reading »

All-World ETFs: Just Add Water, Instant Diversification
May 28, 2008 – All-world exchange traded funds (ETFs) are the latest industry hot spot, and providers are lining up to launch them. The two-month-old Barclays fund iShares MSCI ACWI Fund (ACWI) holds 694 stocks from the 2,736-stock underlying... 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 »

Japan’s ETF Enjoys a High From GDP Numbers
May 19, 2008 – One of Japan’s exchange traded funds (ETFs) is touching new highs after the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) numbers came out. The first quarter GDP rose 0.8% from the last quarter of 2007, which was... Continue Reading »

BRIC ETFs Could Strengthen After Countries Meet
May 16, 2008 – The BRIC countries and exchange traded funds (ETFs) might be seeing even better days as the four countries meet this week to discuss economics and international cooperation. The foreign ministers of the four BRIC countries... Continue Reading »

Everyone Is Talking About the Dollar. Let’s Talk About Currency ETFs.
May 15, 2008 – Exchange traded fund (ETF) investors are fully aware of the value of the dollar these days as they snap up products that allow them to hedge its losses. But now more than ever, even... Continue Reading »

As the Dollar Ticks Up, Picking An ETF Can Be a Challenge
May 12, 2008 – After months of a downhill slide, the dollar is making gains again and it’s benefiting some exchange traded funds (ETFs). It lost a little ground last week, but so far in trading today, it seems... Continue Reading »

Northern Trust Enters ETF Arena With First ETFs To Track Major Foreign Market Indexes
May 5, 2008 – With its new line of exchange traded funds (ETFs), Northern Trust opted to stay true to their principles while traveling around the world. Is it a sign that ETFs are slowly entering the mainstream... Continue Reading »

Gold Miner ETF Hits Low on Dollar’s Strength
May 2, 2008 – The dollar’s renewed vigor is good news for most, but not for the gold miner’s exchange traded fund (ETF). Yesterday, the Market Vectors Gold Miner (GDX) hit its lowest point since Sept. 18 of... Continue Reading »

Foreign Currency ETF Offerings to Pour In Next Month
April 25, 2008 – Exchange traded fund (ETF) providers Dreyfus and WisdomTree are teaming up to offer five actively managed foreign currency ETFs next month. They will include the WisdomTree Dreyfus Euro Fund, Japanese Yen Fund, Indian Rupee Fund,... Continue Reading »

Telecommunications ETFs on Line One
April 13, 2008 – Few sectors have taken as much of a beating as telecommunications and its related exchange traded funds (ETFs). But is a turnaround in the offing? Some analysts seem to think so. One for Citigroup upgraded telecom... Continue Reading »

Everyone, Welcome the New ETF Provider Northern Trust (Hi, Northern Trust)
April 9, 2008 – The exchange traded fund (ETF) industry has a new provider. It’s Chicago-based Northern Trust, and the launch of their funds have been anticipated since last winter. Murray Coleman for Index Universe reports gives the lowdown... Continue Reading »

Vanguard Wants to Put Its Arms Around the World With New ETF
April 3, 2008 – On the heels of iShares‘ new all-world exchange traded fund (ETF), Vanguard is trying to enter the fray with its own similar kind of fund. They’ve registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for... Continue Reading »

Playing the Waiting Game With ETFs
March 28, 2008 –   Some believe we’re in a full-blown recession, but no matter what they believe, exchange traded fund (ETF) investors shouldn’t panic. Chris Fichera for Consumer Reports suggests staying put and weathering the storm, while making some... Continue Reading »

U.S. Credit Crisis Delivers a Punch to Some Global ETFs
March 17, 2008 – The problems aren’t just here in the United States: the credit crisis is also hitting markets in other countries and taking some of their exchange traded funds (ETFs) down with it. Investors are wary of... Continue Reading »

Ugly Prices for Gold and the Dollar Are Pretty for ETFs
March 13, 2008 – Gold-related exchange traded funds (ETFs) were higher in intraday trading as gold futures seemed to be trying out for high jumping in the Olympics. April futures reached a record $1,001.50 an ounce, continuing its steady... Continue Reading »

Even In These Markets, You Can Still Find ETF Movers and Shakers
March 12, 2008 – Yesterday, the markets delivered outstanding performance and some exchange traded funds (ETFs) finished up in the double digits. But one good day doesn’t mean we’re out of the slump yet. It’s still time to take... Continue Reading »

U.S. Malaise Spreads to Malaysia’s ETFs and Beyond
March 3, 2008 – Has the economic downturn in the United States finally hit Malaysia and its exchange traded fund (ETF)? For awhile, the iShares MSCI Malaysia Index (EWM) was one of the few single-country funds exhibiting decent performance... Continue Reading »

U.S. Dollar Falls Further and Currency ETFs Rally
February 29, 2008 – It could be just what exchange traded fund (ETF) investors who are bearish on the U.S. dollar want to hear: another day, another low. After two days of setting records, the euro once again... Continue Reading »

CurrencyShares Celebrates $1 Billion In Assets For Yen Trust
February 27, 2008 – Rydex Investments announced that the exchange traded fund (ETF) tracking the Japanese yen has passed the $1 billion milestone. The year-old ETF CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust (FXY) tracks the price movements of the yen against... Continue Reading »

Malaysia ETF Looks Like a Port in a Storm
February 20, 2008 – Little Malaysia is full of big surprises, as evidenced by their single country-focused exchange traded fund (ETF). iShares Malaysia ETF (EWM) has shown strong performance to date and the small country is ranked the... Continue Reading »

Sector Rotation In A Global ETF Portfolio
February 15, 2008 –   Adapting your investment strategy with exchange traded funds (ETFs) is important when economies around the world are becoming more interrelated. Doing so will add value and increase the chance of outperforming benchmarks, reports  Carl... Continue Reading »

Japan’s Outlook Stronger, but Can the Economy and ETFs Keep It Up?
February 15, 2008 – Do Japan’s exchange traded funds (ETFs) finally have a chance to pull ahead? After a period of economic weakness in the country, Japan’s economy grew at a faster pace during the fourth quarter, at... Continue Reading »

G-7 Summit Keeps Financial Market Hopeful
February 11, 2008 – The G7 Summit meeting takes place this weekend and we’ll have to wait and see what effect decisions made there will have on the economy and exchange traded funds (ETFs). The dollar was slightly weaker... Continue Reading »

You Can’t Always Judge an ETF By Its Name
January 29, 2008 – In December, Barclays added another international exchange traded fund (ETF) to its lineup: the iShares MSCI Kokusai Index Fund (TOK).  TOK covers 1,203 holdings in 22 developed markets, minus Japan, with the United States taking... Continue Reading »

Which Way Will Japan’s ETFs Swing?
January 18, 2008 – Japan’s exchange traded funds (ETF) have been having a time of it lately. In 2007, bankruptcies rose to a 4-year high and the country was gripped by a housing slump. Corporate bankruptcies rose for the second... Continue Reading »

Investing in Dharma With ETFs
January 18, 2008 – Dow Jones Indexes, together with Dharma Investments have launched the Dow Jones Dharma Indexes to underlie exchange traded funds (ETFs). They will measure the performance of selected companies according to value systems and principles... Continue Reading »

South Korea’s ETF Market Has Strong Showing in 2007
January 11, 2008 – The exchange traded fund (ETF) market showed growth in varying degrees all over the world in 2007. Korea saw impressive change, reports Park Hyong-ki of the Korea Times. There, the net assets grew 55% to $2.6... Continue Reading »

Evolving Smartphone Techology Gives Telecom ETFs a Lift
December 26, 2007 – Even though the U.S. seems to be bringing up the rear with telecommunications technology among developed countries, related exchange traded funds (ETFs) don’t appear to be suffering. You would think with the launch of the... Continue Reading »

Digging Deeper Into International Small Cap ETFs
December 21, 2007 – International small-cap exchange traded funds (ETFs) are the latest frontier that providers have captured. There are now five choices in this space and ETFs that have the same asset class are not always the... 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 »

Japan’s Economy Could Grow - Will The ETFs Follow?
December 19, 2007 – It hasn’t been the easiest year for Japan and its exchange traded funds (ETFs). Its largest ETF by trading volume is the iShares MSCI Japan Index (EWJ), and it’s down 6.8% year to date.... Continue Reading »

Japan Seeks to List More ETFs to Boost Its Ailing Economy
December 17, 2007 – Japan’s top economic council said that the country needs to speed up reforms to its exchanges and list more exchange traded funds (ETFs) to improve the market environment. Recent turmoil has stressed the need for... Continue Reading »

ETFs in Market Segments
December 11, 2007 – Asset classes are important to most investors and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are helping progress within specific market segments. Matthew Hougan for Seeking Alpha reports that there are some areas of the market that... Continue Reading »

ETFs Reflect Japan’s Slower GDP Growth
December 10, 2007 – Third quarter growth for Japan was stunted more than anticipated causing less than satisfactory results for stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs). A downward revision in business’s capital investment fogged up the outlook for... Continue Reading »

Rising or Setting Sun for Japan ETFs?
December 2, 2007 – The Japanese markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs) have been the worst performing of the developed markets for the past two years.  So far this year, the Nikkei has lost about 3.5%.  Although the... Continue Reading »

Market and ETF Facts to Consider
November 30, 2007 – There’s a lot going on in the markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs).  Matt Hougan for Index Universe looks at 10 interesting market facts and we’ve added some ETF related information. The U.S. stock market... Continue Reading »

What Will Save Japan’s Market and Its ETF?
November 27, 2007 – Aggregate corporate earnings are aggravating Japan’s exchange traded funds(ETFs) along with the Japanese market. iShares MSCI Japan (EWJ) is down 4.1% year-to-date and iShares S&P/Topix 150 (ITF) is down 4.3% this year and is... Continue Reading »

Northern Trust Readies to Enter the ETF Marketplace
November 23, 2007 – There’s a new kid on the block of exchange traded funds (ETFs). Northern Trust is entering the  market with a big splash, by offering 19 foreign-market funds, according to Jesse Emspak at Investor’s Business... Continue Reading »

ETFs Try Their Cut At Timber
November 23, 2007 – The latest from Claymore’s exchange traded fund (ETF) family is the Claymore/Clear Global Timber (CUT), which tracks the Clear Global Timber Index. This includes 27 companies that produce wood and paper products. Companies are based... Continue Reading »

Japanese Yen Acts As ETF Investors Warning Flag
November 15, 2007 – The sentiment of global investors can be seen through the Japanese yen, and watching the stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) that follow it. It seems that if investors are getting worried, the yen... Continue Reading »

Yen Rallies High Against Dollar, Yen Currency ETF (FXY) Celebrates
November 13, 2007 – On Monday, the yen hit an 18-month high against the dollar, sending the Japanese currency exchange traded fund (ETF) up. Traders retreated from "risky" assets amid severe nervousness over the condition of the financial... Continue Reading »

Japan and ETFs Prove Misery Loves Company
November 9, 2007 – Although the Japanese yen surged against the U.S. dollar last week, the Japanese stocks tumbled to their lowest point in two months, taking the exchange traded funds (ETFs) down with them. Japan can’t seem... Continue Reading »

Asian ETFs Party on with New Highs
October 11, 2007 – Some Asian stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) set new records yesterday, indicating the economic party remains in full swing. Japan and its ETF iShares MSCI Japan Index (EWJ) received a big boost after... Continue Reading »

What’s Up with Japanese ETFs?
October 4, 2007 – Since the global market lows of Aug. 15, most world markets and their corresponding exchange traded funds (ETFs) have posted double-digit returns. Many emerging market and BRIC countries are up between 20 and 30%. However,... Continue Reading »

Barclays to Tap Japan’s Demand for Commodities ETFs
September 23, 2007 – Barclays Global Investors is seeking to list more commodities-based exchange traded funds (ETFs) in Japan because of increased demand to hedge and diversify from traditional assets. Barclay’s New-York-listed ETFs already are offered in Japan... Continue Reading »

Japan ETF Down on News of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Resignation
September 12, 2007 – Japan’s exchange traded fund (ETF) iShares MSCI Japan Index (EWJ) already has had tough couple of months. Currently, it’s down 3.7% year-to-date. News that the country’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will resign is not... Continue Reading »

Weak Dollar Helps Yen ETF Thrive
September 10, 2007 – The CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust (FXY) exchange traded fund (ETF) is one of many currency ETFs that benefit from a weak dollar. Currently, it is up 4.8% for the last three months. FXY has... Continue Reading »

Japan’s ETFs to Get a Boost from Lyxor
September 9, 2007 – In an attempt to leverage its position to be Europe’s No. 1 exchange traded fund (ETF) provider, Lyxor Asset Management will boost assets in Japan by 50% during the next five years. Lyxor seeks... Continue Reading »

ETF August Activity
September 5, 2007 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) experienced a lot of activity in August. ETF Insider’s ETF 50 Index, which represents the asset-weighted price performance of the 50 largest ETFs, accounted for 80.7% of total ETF assets,... Continue Reading »

Tokyo Stock Exchange to Offer Foreign ETFs
August 29, 2007 – The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) is planning to list a number of foreign exchange traded funds (ETFs) in response to increased investor demand and growth in trading activity. TSE has been in talks with... Continue Reading »

First Trust to Launch New International ETFs
August 28, 2007 – First Trust is coming out with two new exchange traded funds (ETFs) that are scheduled to launch Aug. 30th: the First Trust DJ STOXX Select Dividend 30 Index Fund (FDD) and the First Trust... Continue Reading »

Political Activity in Japan Could Help its ETF
August 27, 2007 – Although Japan and its related exchange traded funds (ETFs) have received a lot of attention lately because of the ups and downs with the yen carry trade, new political developments have put the country... Continue Reading »

International Small-cap ETF Could Make a Big Rebound
August 24, 2007 – For the last five years, small-cap exchange traded funds (ETFs) have outperformed large-cap ETFs worldwide. For investors looking to invest in international small-caps, one option to consider is the WisdomTree International SmallCap Dividend (DLS).... Continue Reading »

Japan Keeps Interest Rates the Same, ETF Yen Carry Trade Could Benefit
August 23, 2007 – The Bank of Japan voted eight to one in favor of keeping its interest rate at 0.5%, which could help the exchange traded fund (ETF) yen carry trade regain strength. Following the announcement, the... Continue Reading »

Could ETF Assets Surpass $2 Trillion?
August 22, 2007 – By 2011, total assets under management globally in exchange traded funds (ETFs) are expected to surpass $2 trillion, which is up from $669 billion as of June 30, according to a report by Morgan... Continue Reading »

Cash Injections Worldwide Attempt to Calm Markets and ETFs
August 21, 2007 – Central banks in Europe, Asia and the U.S. injected more cash into their country’s banking systems today to help calm the market and exchange traded funds (ETFs) concerned about the tightening credit crunch and... Continue Reading »

Will the ETF Yen Carry Trade Unravel or Grow Tighter?
August 17, 2007 – Earlier this week, we talked about how if the markets continued in their current trend, it could lead to the unraveling of the yen carry trade exchange traded fund (ETF) investment strategy. Bryan Moore... Continue Reading »

ETF Carry Trade Could Get Carried Away
August 13, 2007 – Exchange traded fund (ETF) investors that have been big on the yen carry trade could see their strategy disappear soon. Carry trade refers to the investment strategy where investors borrow money with a low... Continue Reading »

More ETFs Coming to Japan Soon
August 13, 2007 – State Street Global Advisors has plans to launch global exchange traded funds (ETFs) in Japan to boost available options for investors. As of now, ETFs have not proliferated in the land of the rising... Continue Reading »

Possibilities on Why Japanese Yen (FXY) Is Outperforming SPY
August 7, 2007 – The CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust (FXY) exchange traded fund (ETF) has pulled ahead of the major index ETFs SPDRs (SPY) recently, as Gary Gordon for ETF Expert notes. Possible reasons behind the yen’s recent... Continue Reading »

Barclays to Launch 3 New Small-cap International ETFs
August 1, 2007 – Barclays Global Investors filed papers with the SEC to launch three new small-cap international exchange traded funds (ETFs). The funds will track the recently-launched small-cap indexes from MSCI Barra, according to Matt Hougan for... Continue Reading »

Rocky Japanese ETFs Could Become More Volatile
July 30, 2007 – Japan’s economy already has been a dud compared to other Asian countries when it comes to exchange traded fund (ETF) performance, but it might get even worse. Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, endured... Continue Reading »

Will the New Japanese Gold ETF be a Boost for Japan?
July 18, 2007 – Last week almost all of the Japanese exchange traded funds (ETFs) and closed-end funds (CEFs) were up. The best performer, Vanguard Pacific Stock (VPL), which is up 9.3% year-to-date, most likely got its boost... Continue Reading »

South Korean ETF Not the Only Shining Star in Asia
July 16, 2007 – As we mentioned yesterday, the exchange traded fund (ETF) iShares MSCI South Korea Index (EWY) is a rising star. However, it looks like EWY has some company as the iShares Asia region country-based ETFs yielded... Continue Reading »

Foreign Currencies’ Effects on ETFs
June 30, 2007 – Country-specific exchange traded funds (ETFs) aren’t hedged against the U.S. dollar. As a country’s currency appreciates, you might see better returns for that country’s ETF. For example, the iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU)... Continue Reading »

Can Foreign Investment Help Japan ETF?
June 21, 2007 – Foreign investors fueled the gains for the Japanese markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs) from 2003 to 2005. Carl Delfeld for ETFXRAY.com reports overseas investors recently raised their stake in corporate Japan to record... Continue Reading »

Japanese ETF and Economy Sees Tranquility
May 15, 2007 – Although the Tokyo stock exchange is still the second largest after New York, the Japan exchange traded funds (ETFs) are struggling to keep up. iShares MSCI Japan Index (EWJ) and iShares S&P/Topix 150 Index... Continue Reading »

Barclays ETFs Rooted In Japan
April 28, 2007 – Barclays Global Investors is going to more than double the number of foreign-registered exchange traded funds (ETFs) they sell in Japan. There are 14 different iShares ETFs waiting for clearance, bringing the total number... Continue Reading »

Japanese ETFs Blossoming?
April 9, 2007 – The cherry blossoms are ready to bloom in Japan and so are the Japanese exchange traded funds (ETFs).  According to Darrel Whitten of Yeald.com the TOPIX sector performance mirrors that of the FTSE Global... Continue Reading »

Carry Trade And ETFs
March 8, 2007 – There are two currency exchange traded funds (ETFs) for investors who do not have access to a currency trading account. If you want to harness the upside of the yen, CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust... Continue Reading »

Japan ETFs-More Than Meets The Eye
March 5, 2007 – At first glance Japan’s exchange traded funds (ETFs) may not excite investors but take into consideration the MSCI Japan Index. It was up 35.5% in 2003, 14.8% in 2004, and 24.7% in 2005, with a... Continue Reading »

Japan ETF Not To Be Overlooked
February 15, 2007 – Although the Japanese exchange traded funds (ETFs) did not perform as well as other markets across the globe, Carl Delfeld for ETF XRay writes that Japan still remains a world market.  Japan trades at... Continue Reading »

Rydex Launches Japanese Yen ETF FXY
February 13, 2007 – In an effort to offer diversification beyond equities, fixed-income and cash, Rydex has launched another currency exchange traded fund (ETF) - Japanese yen. The CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust (FXY) started trading this week, the... Continue Reading »

Tokyo Stock Exchange May Offer Precious Metals ETF
February 10, 2007 – A recent MarketWatch.com update reported the Tokyo Stock Exchange is studying a plan to offer exchange traded funds (ETFs) that are linked to the price of precious metals. The proposed ETFs would include gold,... Continue Reading »

Japan ETFs-Rising Returns in 2007?
January 30, 2007 – iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund (EWJ) has more assets than the other Japanese exchange traded funds (ETFs) combined. Since its debut in 1996, it has survived two major recessions, holding 351 companies  which represent... Continue Reading »

Morningstar Touts ETFs
January 12, 2007 – Dan Culloton of Morningstar writes that exchange traded funds (ETFs) can be a good choice when there are slim pickings of mutual funds.  Morningstar reviews mutual funds and make their pick based on the... Continue Reading »

Japan Trip Planned With ETF Expert
January 8, 2007 – This will be a trip of a lifetime and will be a fascinating immersion into Japan’s stock market, economics, politics, culture and history as well as provide you with the opportunity to learn more about... Continue Reading »

Japan ETF May Rise With The Sun
January 3, 2007 – The Japanese exchange traded funds (ETFs) are geared up for 2007. Japanese markets underperformed most global markets as positive economic changes took longer than most predicted. iShares MSCI Japan (EWJ) and iShares S&P Topix... Continue Reading »

How Are The Japan ETFs Doing?
December 4, 2006 – Finally, there are more choices for investing in exchange traded funds(ETFs) for Japan. The two original Japan ETFs are iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund (EWJ) and the S&P/Topix 150 Fund (ITF). Both are trading... Continue Reading »

Single Country ETFs
November 16, 2006 – Single country exchange traded funds (ETFs) require an investor to put some time and thought into their portfolio. If one wants to go foreign without investing in one single country, there are broad-based ETFs... Continue Reading »

New Japan ETFs Launched
November 14, 2006 – State Street launched two new exchange traded funds (ETFs) today focusing on Japan.  These are the first single country ETFs State Street has launched and Polya Lesova of InvestmentNews reports they are working on... Continue Reading »

Japanese Nasdaq ETF
October 13, 2006 – With Jasdaq and Nasdaq in talks about working with Asian firms, can we expect to see a Japanese form of the exchange traded fund Nasdaq 100 Trust (QQQQ)?  Maybe JJJJ.  It’s encouraging when we... Continue Reading »

Foreign ETFs Are Back
September 6, 2006 – After a drop of 15-35% from mid-May to mid-June, exchange traded funds specialized in Europe, Latin America and Asia are back to where they were before the sell-off and close to reaching new highs. ... Continue Reading »

Japan ETF (EWJ) Benefits from Strength in Japan
August 19, 2006 – With Japan’s economic rebound halfway into its fourth year and driven by domestic demand, the IMF sad the medium-term outlook for Japan’s economy is favorable.  The forecast GDP growth could reach 2.9% this year,... Continue Reading »

ETF Trends - Japan (EWJ) Still a Bull
June 15, 2006 – Carl Delfeld of Chartwell Advisors looks at Japan and sees that the bull is still there.  At the beginning of the year, many foreign money managers were overweight Japan, which contributed to the great... Continue Reading »

Japan ETF (EWJ) - Keeping An Eye on Market Movement
May 13, 2006 – The Japanese markets followed the U.S. markets in a decline the end of this week and the strong yen also put some pressure on the markets.  The exchange traded funds were also down, iShares... Continue Reading »

Japanese Winning at Baseball and ETFs
March 22, 2006 – Japan’s win of the World Baseball Classic Championship spills over into exchange traded funds.  iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund (EWJ) is moving up the list to be the 4th largest ETF in trade volume. ... Continue Reading »

Single Country ETFs On Fire!
March 20, 2006 – ETFzone Trading Specialist, Jonathan Bernstein points out that single country ETFs have been on a fire the past two years. Many have appreciated over 50%! Some examples include: like iShares MSCI Mexico (EWW) and iShares MSCI Brazil... Continue Reading »

Japanese ETFs Decline; Time to Sell?
January 18, 2006 – The Tokyo Stock Exchange shut down early after its systems were flooded with orders on Wednesday. Japanese and Asian ETFs have all been affected by the decline but are still trading here in the... Continue Reading »

Japanese ETFs and Market Hit Highest Levels Since 2000
December 26, 2005 – Japan’s benchmark stock index topped 16,000 points Monday, reaching its highest level since October 2000. The dollar rose slightly against the yen and euro. The Nikkei 225 index rose 166.30 points, or 1.04 percent, to finish the day’s trading... Continue Reading »

Nikkei at 5-Year High - Japan ETFs to Watch
December 1, 2005 – Japan’s Nikkei blasted above 15,000 reaching a new five-year high at 15,421.60.  The market is in a bull trend and investors bought up shipping and construction companies.  Japan is the best performer among the world’s... Continue Reading »

Japanese Markets and ETFs Hitting Highs
November 2, 2005 – Here is another example of global market opportunities and how ETFs play a part. Japan’s economy is on the rebound and so are the markets.  The broadmarket TOPIX index reached a five-year high today, largely... Continue Reading »

Look to Japanese ETFs with Economy and Koizumi Back on Track
September 23, 2005 – Japan’s prime minister stuck his political neck on the line when he asked for a public vote on his idea to privatize the post office (which, by the way, is also the world’s largest financial... Continue Reading »