How Lower Mortgage Rates Could Help Housing ETFs
December 4, 2008 – A new Treasury plan to lower mortgage rates is getting some criticism, but the health of related exchange traded funds (ETFs) could change. Mortgage rates could be falling to 4.5% if the plan goes through, but... Continue Reading »

Ideas for ETF Investors While Waiting for Markets to Turn
December 3, 2008 – A fickle market has investors hiding safely behind cash, but Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist at Economic Outlook Group, looks to some exchange traded funds (ETFs) when the markets calm. (more…) Continue Reading »

Homebuilder ETFs Bottoming Out?
December 1, 2008 – With a multiday rally last week, could home builders and the exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track the sector see the light at the end of the tunnel? In an attempt to curb the faltering housing market,... Continue Reading »

Housing Market Infects Industrials ETFs
November 21, 2008 – Heavy equipment holders are selling their products at auction for less than expected, and items such as excavators, backhoes, or heavy construction machinery are being sold due to too much idle time. Sellers said they were... Continue Reading »

Gas, Housing ETFs Spill With Economy
November 19, 2008 – The United States economy remains in a state of uncertainty and this apathy is reflected in the actions of investors and their stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs). The state of the nation’s Big Three automakers... Continue Reading »

Homebuilders ETFs Can’t Build Up
November 17, 2008 – Slow consumer spending has gotten the best of Lowe’s (LOW) and homebuilder exchange traded funds (ETFs) as third quarter profits fell 24%. Nevertheless these ho-hum figures are better than Wall Street’s expectations. It is obvious many consumers... Continue Reading »

Economy Takes a Toll on Luxury Housing, ETFs
November 11, 2008 – The largest luxury homebuilder in the United States, and a major component in homebuilder exchange traded funds (ETFs), predicted a 41% drop in fourth-quarter revenue. Toll Brothers Inc. (TOL) reported preliminary results for the quarter ended Oct.... Continue Reading »

Homebuilders ETFs Await Federal Foreclosure Relief Plan
November 7, 2008 – Real estate and homebuilder-related exchange traded funds (ETFs) are left waiting in the wings while the implementation of a federal foreclosure-prevention program is worked out. Disagreements on how to structure the program are complicating the details... Continue Reading »

Obama, McCain Will Impact Market, ETFs in Different Ways
October 29, 2008 – Only one thing is this election is for certain: the outcome will have an effect on the markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs) in one way or another. This is the first time in 76 years... Continue Reading »

Consumers’ Mood, Homebuilder ETFs Continue to Suffer
October 17, 2008 – Home construction exchange traded funds (ETFs) are down this morning after a report showed the production is at its slowest pace in 17 years. The 6.3% plunge was much larger than expected, reports Martin Crutsinger for... Continue Reading »

Looking for ETF Opportunities Today and Tomorrow
September 29, 2008 – Smart exchange traded fund (ETF) investors not only look for opportunities in areas that are currently moving up, but they also look for opportunities that may develop in the future, long before they’re actually here. The... Continue Reading »

Homebuilder ETFs Resilient In Face of Housing Crisis
September 26, 2008 – The housing market crisis and its continued effect on exchange traded funds (ETFs) isn’t over yet. KB Home (KBH) is one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, and it’s not immune from the troubles: its third-quarter loss... Continue Reading »

Homebuilders ETF And Existing Sales Begin To Wilt
September 24, 2008 – The wilting housing market is showing no signs of life, as existing home prices fall and real estate- and home construction-related exchange traded funds (ETFs) stall out. As of August, the United States suffered a record... Continue Reading »

Home Construction Report Tears Down ETFs
September 17, 2008 – Home construction exchange traded funds (ETFs) are feeling some pain today after housing construction fell to its lowest point in 17 years. The building of new homes and apartments fell by 6.2% in August, a shock... Continue Reading »

ETFs Tumble After Pending Home Sales Fall, Lehman Solvency Questioned
September 9, 2008 – Wall Street and exchange traded funds (ETFs) took a step back early this morning after a few worrying developments. The stability of Lehman Brothers (LEH) came into question, sending their shares as much as 40% lower.... Continue Reading »

Homebuilders ETFs Make A Comeback, If Only For An Instant
September 6, 2008 – August was an unpredictable month for exchange traded funds (ETFs), as the funds that were from last year’s weakest sectors went through a reversal. The U.S. dollar regained its strength against other major currencies, and precious... Continue Reading »

August ETF Performance Report
August 29, 2008 – Market volatility continued in August, which led to mixed performance for major indexes and exchange traded funds (ETFs).  The Dow Jones industrial average ended the month down slightly by 0.3%, the S&P 500 was basically... 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 »

Inflation, Housing Numbers Show ETFs, Markets Still In the Thick Of It
August 19, 2008 – Life is getting more expensive these days, and exchange traded funds (ETFs) could reflect it. Wholesale prices are shooting up at their fastest clip since 1981. Inflation surged 1.2% in July, more than twice what had... Continue Reading »

High Foreclosures, Low Home Prices Don’t Detract from ETFs
August 14, 2008 – Stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are up this morning, even though the markets had a slate of bad news with coffee and a side of bacon. Foreclosures in the United States shot up 55% in... Continue Reading »

Look At Facts Before Pointing to Homebuilder ETF Rally
August 5, 2008 – Homebuilding exchange traded funds (ETFs) have been seeing a nice rally in the last month, but is it for real? One Merrill Lynch economist says there are a few factors that indicate that it probably isn’t,... Continue Reading »

Bailout Provisions Don’t Have ETFs Whooping and Cheering
July 30, 2008 – The pen might be mightier than the sword, especially if real estate exchange traded funds (ETFs) have something to say about it. President Bush signed a major housing bill that is meant to provide mortgage relief... Continue Reading »

Homebuilder ETFs Trade Nervously Lower Ahead of Earnings News
July 28, 2008 – Meritage Homes Corporation (MTH) is expected to deliver their second-quarter earnings numbers, but investors and exchange traded funds (ETFs) aren’t exuding positivity ahead of the news. Meritage is the 12th-largest homebuilder in the United States. If the... Continue Reading »

Existing Home Sales Take Down Real Estate ETFs
July 24, 2008 – Some stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are trading lower today after existing home sales fell in June. The 2.6% drop was more than twice what had been expected, reports Martin Crutsinger for the Associated Press.... Continue Reading »

Homebuilder ETFs Get a Lift From Reports, But the Numbers Are Skewed
July 17, 2008 – Homebuilding exchange traded funds (ETFs) are up sharply in trading this morning after reports that single-family home construction fell while a new law in New York gave a boost to apartments buildings. Single-family homebuilding lost 5.3%... Continue Reading »

Foreclosures and Real Estate ETFs Demonstrate Inverse Relationship
July 10, 2008 – Homebuilder and real estate focused exchange traded funds (ETFs) are feeling down today after the latest round of news about foreclosure filings came in. Filings rose 53% in June from the previous year - just another... Continue Reading »