ETFs Have Got You Covered
August 17, 2008 – The exchange traded fund (ETF) fan club keeps on growing. Brian Neill for the Bradenton Herald says that he’s staying away from most individual stocks. Instead, he’s spending more time on ETFs, and the more he... Continue Reading »

BRIC ETFs Crumble and U.S. Is Left Standing
August 15, 2008 – The so-called BRIC countries and exchange traded funds (ETFs) were stars in 2007, but now most of those regions are finding themselves feeling a little off. Over the past month, the S&P 500 SPDR (SPY) has... Continue Reading »

Attention First Time Investors: Consider An ETF First
August 10, 2008 – If you are an investing newbie and considering buying some stocks for your first time, there is a better way to go: exchange traded funds (ETFs). First consider who you are: Are you 30 and starting... Continue Reading »

Do Emerging Market ETFs Help You Diversify?
August 6, 2008 – An interesting question has recently been brought up as to whether or not emerging market exchange traded funds (ETFs) truly help diversify one’s portfolio. Gary Gordon of ETF Expert points out that this depends on how... Continue Reading »

July ETF Performance Report
July 31, 2008 – It’s been a volatile year so far for many exchange traded funds (ETFs), and July was no exception. The Dow Jones industrial average finished exactly even. The Nasdaq lost 0.7%, while the S&P 500 fell... 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 »

An ETF Trend-Following Plan For All Seasons
July 9, 2008 – It’s hard to believe that the S&P 500 Index has been flatter than a pancake for the past nine years. It’s had its ups and downs, but when you connect the dots, it went virtually... Continue Reading »

Can NBC’s Purchase Forecast Better Days for Industrial ETFs?
July 7, 2008 – NBC Universal is gearing up to purchase The Weather Channel and Weather.com, which might help exchange traded funds (ETFs) that count NBC’s parent company, GE (GE), as a top holding. The deal is to purchase... 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 »

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 »

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 »

Mid-Cap ETFs And Stocks Are Just The Right Size
June 3, 2008 – What type of stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are not too large and not too small, and doing mostly just right in 2008? The mid-caps. Between the three cap sizes, mid-sized companies have been the... Continue Reading »

May ETF Performance Report
May 30, 2008 – Overall, May wasn’t a bad month for exchange traded fund (ETF) investors, but the economy still faces some hurdles. Two of the major indexes finished higher while the Dow Jones industrial average lost 1.4%.... Continue Reading »

ETFs As A One-Stop-Shop
May 25, 2008 – Can exchange traded funds (ETFs) with a broad-base, covering the entire globe, act as a one-stop-shop for investors? There are several ETFs that are in registration with the SEC or are available that give... Continue Reading »

PowerShares Celebrates Landmark 5 Years For PWC ETF
May 24, 2008 – PowerShares is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its first exchange traded fund (ETF) and the index upon which it is based. PowerShares Dynamic Market Portfolio (PWC) launched on May 1, 2003. Since then, PWC has... Continue Reading »

ETFs Reflect Technology Sector’s Push Past Financials
May 23, 2008 –   Winning is an elusive act, so if you change your perspective on what sector is ahead, which exchange traded fund (ETF) is actually ahead? Most investment professionals use the S&P 500 to gauge the performance... 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 »

With ETFs, Sometimes It’s Good to Be the Middle Child
May 20, 2008 – The trouble with mid-caps and their exchange traded funds (ETFs) is that they don’t get the same coverage in the financial media as the large-caps. Even small-caps get more attention as investors mine through... Continue Reading »

Things You Oughta Know About ETFs
May 18, 2008 – Are you one of the many investors who each day are discovering exchange traded funds (ETFs)? You might know about their advantages and how they work, but there may still be a lot you... Continue Reading »

How to Invest in Single-Country ETFs
May 2, 2008 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track a single country have have been a boon to many long-term investors. They allow investors to reduce their exposure to specific regional disruptions, such as the recent credit... Continue Reading »

Blue Chip ETFs or Not, Stick to the Strategy
April 14, 2008 – According to some, opportunity is knocking for blue-chip stocks and the exchange traded funds (ETFs) that count them as components. The S&P is around 14% undervalued right now, according to Morningstar Analyst Jeffry Ptak.... Continue Reading »

PowerShares Launches Its Actively Managed ETF Line
April 11, 2008 – The long-awaited actively managed exchange traded funds (ETFs) from Invesco PowerShares are here. They’re billed as the industry’s first three actively managed equity ETFs, and they began trading on the NYSE Arca today. All of... Continue Reading »

GE Earnings Reports Don’t Bring Markets and ETFs To Life
April 11, 2008 – General Electric (GE) reported disappointing profits today, dimming stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs). The reading was weaker than expected, reports Tim Paradis for the Associated Press. The report sent the markets south, as 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 »

ETFs, Stocks Sigh As the S&P Parties (Or Not) Like It’s 1999
March 31, 2008 – It’s a historical fact: there are the periodic stretches of market declines that affect stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) amid the years of steady upward climb. Every so often, the ground made up in those... 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 »

Options Trading With ETFs Gets Popular In Wacky Markets
March 11, 2008 – Options trading with exchange traded funds(ETFs) has been surging lately, with the most recent spike taking place last month. It appears people were getting defensive, according to Joe Cusick, market analyst for optionsXpress. Options... Continue Reading »

ETFs and Index Funds Are Growing Like Weeds
March 8, 2008 – Exchange traded fund (ETF) usage was recently explored by the Advisor Perspectives Universe. The data, gathered on Feb. 28, was interesting: ETFs now hold twice the assets of index funds (70.3% vs. 29.7%).  ETF assets increased from... Continue Reading »

Stocks and ETFs Suffer as Indexes Hit 52-Week Lows
March 7, 2008 – The traumatic credit market and increase in home foreclosures are touching down on all areas of the market, including exchange traded funds (ETFs). Joe Bel Bruno for Associated Press reports that the Dow Jones... Continue Reading »

New ETFs Take Innovative Approach To S&P
February 27, 2008 – A trio of new exchange traded funds (ETFs) launched on Friday, taking a different twist on the Standard & Poor’s benchmarks. They will use the same stocks as the S&P but the ETF will... Continue Reading »

Canada’s ETF Gives Exposure to Natural Resources and More
February 22, 2008 – Canada is a developed country that offers commodities exposure without all the geopolitical risk, making its exchange traded fund (ETF) that much more enticing. As a commodities play, iShares MSCI Canada ETF (EWC) has... Continue Reading »

Just Two ETFs Can Give You Diversification
February 22, 2008 – These days, the investment world is all about diversification to minimize risk, and exchange traded funds (ETFs) can help you get the necessary exposure. ETFs are a great diversification tool that can help buy-and-hold... 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 »

Municipal Bond ETFs Have Attractive Yields
February 11, 2008 – Competitive yields are suddenly giving municipal bond exchange traded funds (ETFs) a new level of attractiveness to investors. Muni bond ETFs are the new kids on the block; the first ones didn’t appear until last... Continue Reading »

Are You Doubling Up With ETFs?
February 11, 2008 – When you look at your exchange traded fund (ETF) portfolio, and consider all of the single stocks that you own, are you ever doubling up? Investing in individual large-caps is great, however, if you... Continue Reading »

January ETF Performance Report
January 31, 2008 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) and the markets got off to a rocky start in 2008. Already this year, oil has managed to top $100 a barrel, gold set new records and the Federal Reserve... Continue Reading »

Bernanke Wields the Ax Again, Boosting Stocks and ETFs
January 30, 2008 – Once again, the Federal Reserve stepped in and made a half-point rate cut, a move that Wall Street and exchange traded funds (ETFs) apparently liked. The rate cut didn’t come as a complete surprise, as... Continue Reading »

Quant ETFs And The Fed Model
January 26, 2008 – Does the "Fed Model" created by Ed Yardeni, which uses forward earnings estimates, expose exchange traded funds (ETFs) that use these estimates to added risk? Since we haven’t seen a bear market since these... Continue Reading »

ETF Investors Feel Relief at the End of a Long Week
January 18, 2008 – Investors in stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are probably shouting: "TGIO!" That’s "Thank God It’s Over." It’s been a long week, and today wasn’t much better. This morning, things kicked off looking hopeful. Madlen... Continue Reading »

ETF Investors Want Shelter
January 18, 2008 – Some may wonder if the Fed is in denial: while Bernanke calls for a "slow growth path," Wall Street is calling "recession" and exchange traded fund (ETF) investments and benchmarks are on a steady... Continue Reading »

Another Rough Day; Save Your Portfolio By Having an ETF Sell Strategy
January 17, 2008 – The markets wrapped up another ugly day for stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) this afternoon. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 2%, says Tim Paradis of the Associated Press, and it was... Continue Reading »

What’s Your ETF Sell Strategy?
January 15, 2008 – The S&P has not had a 10% correction in many months….until today. Joe Bel Bruno for the Associated Press reports that persistent fears of a recession, weak retail sales figures and disappointing results from... Continue Reading »

New S&P Inverse Index Could Trigger New ETFs
January 15, 2008 – This month, Standard & Poor’s introduced the S&P 500 Inverse Index - does this mean exchange traded funds (ETFs) will follow? The index provides the inverse performance of the widely used stock benchmark, reports... Continue Reading »

Select Sector SPDRs Assets Grow in 2007
January 13, 2008 – A family of exchange traded funds (ETFs) grew larger in 2007, money-wise. Select Sector SPDRs’ assets climbed $8.87 billion, or 51.95%, reports the Centre Daily Times. In terms of sectors, the Select Sector SPDRs Financials... Continue Reading »

Fund’s Performance May Be a Harbinger of Tough Times for Small Cap ETFs
January 10, 2008 – While two exchange traded funds (ETFs) might follow the same underlying index, discrepancies are still possible. A case in point is the SPDRs (SPY) vs. the Rydex S&P Equal Weight (RSP). Each fund has the... Continue Reading »

Fidelity is Showing Some Vigor, but What Does It Mean for ETFs?
January 9, 2008 – It appears there are definite signs of life over at Fidelity Investments, the mutual fund giant that has so far resisted throwing itself fully into the exchange traded fund (ETF) arena. Last year, many... Continue Reading »

Mutual Fund Investors Prefer ETFs
January 5, 2008 – Investors seem to favor exchange traded funds (ETFs) and investments with a foreign flair. Fidelity Investments and JP Morgan Asset Management suffered the largest net outflows from their U.S. mutual funds among their rivals,... Continue Reading »

Bargain Basement ETFs
December 19, 2007 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are popular because they offer diversification, tax efficiency, lower costs and lower expense ratios than most investment tools. ETFs trade on an exchange like a single stock, but beware that too... Continue Reading »

S&P 500 Marks Its Golden Anniversary
December 5, 2007 – This year marked the anniversary of the index on which the first exchange traded fund (ETF) was based: the S&P 500. In March 1957, the index that would become the most widely used U.S.-linked index... Continue Reading »

ETFs and the Market Dip on Bernanke’s Gloomy Economy Forecast
October 16, 2007 – The markets, and many exchange traded funds (ETFs), were down today on news from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that the housing market continues to dampen the economy. In a speech Monday night, Bernanke... Continue Reading »

Happy 5th Birthday to the ETF Bull Market
October 11, 2007 – Today, Oct. 10, marks the fifth birthday for the bull market that has blessed the markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs). The S&P 500 received official cyclical bull market status on Nov, 21, 2002,... Continue Reading »

SPDRs (SPY) ETF Rakes in the Dough
September 28, 2007 – The exchange traded fund (ETF) that tracks the S&P 500, SPDRs (SPY) added $20.7 billion in assets from Sept. 14 to Sept. 21, according to the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). There are only two other... Continue Reading »

The History of Select Sector SPDRs ETFs
August 28, 2007 – Throughout all the releases of new exchange traded funds (ETFs) one core group of nine ETFs that have been around since 1998 are the Select Sector SPDRs. These ETFs track the different sectors of... Continue Reading »

10 ETFs That Have Dropped During the Recent Market Decline
August 17, 2007 – As of market close yesterday, the S&P was 9.1% off its recent high, but some exchange traded funds (ETFs) have given back two or three times as much. Having an exit strategy helps protect... Continue Reading »

Market Update: Stocks and ETFs Drop Again
August 15, 2007 – It seems as if nothing will satisfy the markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs) that continue to drop and climb in protest of the credit tightening and housing market slump. Even another cash injection... Continue Reading »

Market Update: Stocks and ETFs Suffer Losses
August 14, 2007 – No bulls are in sight today for the markets or exchange traded funds (ETFs). The Dow Jones industrial average and it’s ETF counterpart DIAMONDS Trust, Series 1 (DIA) dropped more than 200 points, and... Continue Reading »

ETF Signs - Could It Be Bull?
August 13, 2007 – Amid the market turmoil, exchange traded funds (ETFs) still are coming out ahead. $13.2 billion of net inflow has gone into U.S. ETFs during last week through Thursday, according to TrimTabs Investment Research. Vincent... Continue Reading »

Markets and ETFs Still Indecisive
August 10, 2007 – Credit worries continued to put pressure on global markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs). Yesterday, Countrywide Financial (CFC) said that it had "unprecedented disruptions" in the secondary-mortgage market that forced it to retain a... Continue Reading »

The Fed Moves to Help ETFs and the Markets
August 10, 2007 – The Federal Reserve has intervened on the market’s and exchange traded funds’ (ETFs) behalf several times this week. It injected $24 billion in temporary reserves to the U.S. banking system yesterday and $38 billion... Continue Reading »

Major Indexes and Counterpart ETFs Have Second Biggest Drop of the Year
August 9, 2007 – The rocky road continues for the market and exchange traded funds (ETFs) as most major indexes dropped sharply today. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 380 points. It was the biggest drop... Continue Reading »

Could SPY ETF Follow Energy Commodities Lead?
August 7, 2007 – Stay alert to new energy commodity exchange traded funds (ETFs). An interesting correlation seems to exist between energy commodities and the major index S&P 500 that Fred Fuld for Stockerblog mentioned Saturday. The theory... 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 »

Market Update: Stocks and ETFs Rebound from Friday’s Losses
August 6, 2007 – As we reported Friday in our weekly Market Update newsletter, most of the major indexes and the exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track them were down: The Dow Jones industrial average ended the week... Continue Reading »

Blended ETFs Offer Cure for Indecisive Investors
August 5, 2007 – The exchange traded fund (ETF) world offers something for every investor. For those who have trouble deciding what they want in their ETFs, there are blended ETFs with a dash of "this" and a... Continue Reading »

With the Dow Jones Sale Inevitable, Murdoch’s Media Empire Will Control America’s Most Trusted Index and ETF Counterpart
July 31, 2007 – The Dow Jones industrial average and its exchange traded fund (ETF) counterpart, DIAMONDS Trust, Series 1 (DIA), will soon be under the control of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The currently controlling Bancroft family has... Continue Reading »

Thinking Global, Acting Local with ETFs
July 19, 2007 – Investing in global exchange traded funds (ETFs) has been a hot topic, as the global markets continue to outperform domestic markets. U.S. markets are reaching record highs, the DIAMONDs Trust (DIA) is up 12%... 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 »

State Street Puts Bigger Stake in ETF Game
July 9, 2007 – State Street Global Advisors is claiming a stake in the exchange traded fund (ETF) world. About two years ago, executives in the ETF group went to the head of the company and suggested they... Continue Reading »

America Rocks: Blatant Self-Promotion for U.S. ETFs
July 6, 2007 – While it’s true we promote many promising international exchange traded funds (ETFs), we want to take a minute to recognize some of our own country’s outstanding ETFs. Internet Architecture HOLDRs (IAH) - up 45% over... Continue Reading »

Large Caps Moving Up-Proof Is In ETFs
May 24, 2007 – So far this year it looks like small-caps are losing ground while large-caps are making a comeback, as evidenced by the returns on exchange traded funds (ETFs).  In recent years, large-caps trailed small-caps, but... Continue Reading »

The Mother Of All ETFs
May 13, 2007 – The history of exchange traded funds (ETFs) dates back to 1993, when the American Stock Exchange launched the "Spiders", also known as the S&P Depository Receipts, Trust Series 1 (SPY). The underlying index tracks... Continue Reading »

U.S. ETFs Assets Rise In January
February 8, 2007 – In January alone, assets of U.S. listed exchange traded funds (ETFs) rose about $5 billion, or 1.1%, to $422 billion.  Reuters reported 28 new ETFs were launched during the month, bringing the new total... Continue Reading »

Diversified ETFs
February 4, 2007 – Richard Widows of TheStreet.com helps identify 10 of the most diversified exchange traded funds (ETFs). The funds are measured by full exposure to all major sectors, including, basic materials, capital goods, communications services, consumer... Continue Reading »

“Spider” ETF Lowers Expense Ratio
February 1, 2007 – Our nation’s largest exchange traded fund (ETF), the SPDR Trust (SPY) which tracks the S&P 500 index, is lowering its expense ratio. Beginning February 1, ordinary expense ratios of the ETF, net of a... Continue Reading »

Morningstar ETFs Are Performing
January 23, 2007 – Up until recently it’s been difficult to mirror Morningstar’s recommendations in your portfolio. But now, Morningstar’s ETFs put their mouth where the money is. Exchange traded funds (ETFs) from Barclays that focus on Morningstar indexes... Continue Reading »

Emerging Markets ETFs Still Have Potential
January 18, 2007 – Michael Krause with TheStreet.com has some conclusions contrary to popular belief about exchange traded funds (ETFs). As president of Alta Vista Research he has done quite a bit of research on ETFs. Here’s what... Continue Reading »

Benchmark ETFs Up Based on Volatility Index
January 18, 2007 – The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX) closed at its lowest level recently as steady gains in U.S. stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs)seemed to put investor’s minds at ease.  Reuters reports VIX... Continue Reading »

SmartMoney’s ETF Ratings
January 16, 2007 – Rob Wherry of SmartMoney reports  exchange traded funds (ETFs) had a banner year ending with 359 ETFs and holding $417 billion in their coffers. Compared to the year before, with 201 ETFs holding $296... Continue Reading »

ETFs: Back In The Day
January 15, 2007 – The exchange traded fund (ETF) has evolved quite a bit since 1993. The first ETF launched on the American Stock Exchange was the S&P Depository Receipt, aka Spiders, SPDR (SPY). Selena Maranjian of The... Continue Reading »

ETF Components of S&P 500
December 30, 2006 – AltaVista Inependent Research reports on the outlook for S&P-based exchange traded funds (ETFs).  It’s quite interesting to look at the industries that comprise the S&P 500 and see how they did individually versus the overall... Continue Reading »

Will The Dow Do It Next Week?
September 29, 2006 – With the Dow Jones industrials coming within a breath of hitting an all-time record high this week, investors have questions. Is this large-cap market rally for real this time? And, if so, what’s the easiest... Continue Reading »

Pure Style ETFs Launched
March 8, 2006 – Rydex Investments launched six new exchange-traded funds based on S&P/Citigroup Pure Style Indices.  The stocks which make up the S&P are included based on their market capitalization.  The pure style or equal weighted approach... Continue Reading »

Equal Weight S&P 500 ETF Outperforms Classic Index
February 20, 2006 – Business Week recently reported that "All funds that track the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index are not created equal. The exchange-traded Rydex S&P Equal Weight Fund (RSP ) offered by Rydex Investments is an exception.... Continue Reading »