Seven years ago, you may have opted for the SPDR Select Financials (XLF) as a moderate risk method for acquiring dividends in a “stable” economic sector. In contrast, you may have run screaming from the SPDR Select Technology Fund (XLK) or the iShares Biotechnology Fund (IBB), as “dot-coms” and “drug start-ups” were symbols of the Nasdaq [...] Continue Reading...
Technology is leading the 10 major U.S. sectors as we move forward in 2009. As the first to reach the “pre-Lehman” levels from September 2008, investors may wish to stand up and take note. Here are a variety of superb ETF features for September 22, 2009: Tech Sector Closes Above Pre-Lehman Levels - Bespoke Insurance ETF Eclipses Broad Market - Trang Ho, [...] Continue Reading...
If higher oil prices benefit “Big Oil” explorers, do stable prices favor the oil/gas service sub-segment? Some say that the answer is an unqualified, “Yes!” And what’s the latest on gold. Would a correction benefit the yellow metal? Find out in 9/22/09’s most enlightening ETF articles: Shariah-Compliant ETF: From Index To Fund - Nizam Hamid, Khaleej Times Gold Investing May Gain From Equity Flight, ETFS [...] Continue Reading...
The world’s reserve currency is full of bull. In fact, you’ll find that the start of the decade’s first bull market circa October 2002 coincided with the U.S. Dollar Index falling below its 200-day moving average. There are some other coincidences. The weakest year for the Dow in the October ‘02 – October ‘07 bull market was 2005. Ironically, [...] Continue Reading...
Created by the United States Treasury in 1997, Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, or TIPS, give the public a debt instrument directly tied to CPI inflation. Find out if linking an income stream to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a sound investment strategy. In addition, alternative energy and emerging markets sit in the spotlight for September 22, 2009: Emerging Market ETFs Defy Skeptics - Jonathan Bernstein, [...] Continue Reading...
According to Zacks, roughly 70% of companies in the S&P 500 will see their earnings per share drop by 14%. Adjusted for the market-cap weighting of the index itself, the per share profits should fall 15.4%. For the sake of irony, let’s assume that we were sitting at “fair value” on the S&P 500 at the start of [...] Continue Reading...
The Oracle of Omaha often states that he will not invest in companies that he does not understand. With the world’s population growing and with clean water supplies shrinking, can Mr. Buffett’s belief in the business of potable water translate into profits for you? We also look at some of the major institutions making the switch to ETFs, today, [...] Continue Reading...
Mortgage delinquencies on residential real estate are accelerating, not decelerating. Similarly, an estimated $3.5 trillion in commercial loans are in danger of default, with no clear path to refinancing or modification to prevent massive foreclosures. Does this spell disaster for real estate investment trusts (REITs)? Surprisingly, the answer may be… “No.” Granted, big time real estate trusts do [...] Continue Reading...
Airline traffic around the world has been increasing (Heathrow had its busiest month ever in August). J.P. Morgan upgraded UAL to overweight. And monstrous gains off stock market bottoms are giving the Airline ETF a facelift. Airline Stocks Have Been Soaring - Larry Macdonald, Globe And Mail Invesco Unit Plans ETF To Buy Build America Bonds - Christopher Condon, Bloomberg Real Estate [...] Continue Reading...
Stock ETFs, Treasury Bond ETFs, Gold ETFs: How Can This Threesome Last? Click here to listen to the show: 9-20-09 Continue Reading...
