Scott the blogger doesn’t like to give us his full name. That said, I have found his ETF screens to be a reliable source of data. For example, Scott’s served up a filter on the number of ETFs that hit new 52-week highs on Wednesday, December 15. If you incorporate leveraged funds, exchange-traded notes, as well as a [...] Continue Reading...
It may be stating the “obvious,” but… should the “obvious” be overlooked? Each human being requires air, water and food to survive. With the world population growing rapidly, wouldn’t investors benefit from ETFs geared towards the most basic survival needs? On December 16, 2009, we look at Agriculture ETFs. We’re also checking in on how population trends may affect the markets. Three ETFs For Playing Agriculture - Kevin Grewal, [...] Continue Reading...
The debate over stock buybacks — good for shareholders, bad for shareholders — is as old as the practice itself. A company may choose to repurchase shares of its own stock because they believe that the prices are depressed. Or, they may be doing it to make their “numbers” look better, since the E in [...] Continue Reading...
Some ETFs accumulate an enormous amount of assets in the brewer’s kettle. Other ETFs have taken a little more time to ferment. Still others have had plenty of yeast and plenty of time, but they haven’t found enough takers for the batch. Most notably, Index IQ delivered its first hedge fund multi-strategy tracker nearly 8 months ago, IQ Hedge Multi-Strategy Tracker ETF (QAI). [...] Continue Reading...
This year may have been one of the most schizophrenic in decades. We opened 2009 with promise after a catastrophic 2008. By early March, however, we then headed for what some believed was ”the end of the world.” Shortly thereafter, a 9-month cyclical bull market went on a rampage. Of course, some believe that the 4th quarter of 2009 has lacked [...] Continue Reading...
There’s no question that defensive sectors have led the way on a momentum basis. SPDR Select Utilities (XLU) and iShares Telecom (IYZ) amassed 8.4% and 10.5% respectively over the last 4 weeks. Yet this may have something to do with year-end yield harvesting and/or efforts to combine cash flow ETFs with growth ETFs. After all, even if the financials and energy segments have [...] Continue Reading...
With 70%+ gains in positions like Vanguard Emerging Markets (VWO) in 2009, some investors have profited handsomely. Yet there are those who believe that the magnificent emerging market run is coming to an end. See what traders in the stock option pit may be forecasting: Emerging-Market Bears Say Options Trades Signal End of Rally - Jeff Kearns, Bloomberg ETF Market Gets Religion - David [...] Continue Reading...
Copper ETFs, Gold ETFs, Most Risky ETFs Click here to listen to the show: 12-13-09 Continue Reading...
On Friday, 12/4/09, it was an unforeseen jobs report that decried unemployment had shifted from 10.2% to 10%. This past Friday, 12/11/09, it was the double-teaming of a surge in consumer confidence as well as a surprisingly robust gain for November’s retail sales. Yet the impact on stock prices has become hauntingly familiar. First, the market [...] Continue Reading...
Goldman Sachs had a major friend in Warren Buffett in 2008. Since the partnership was made, Goldman has become one of the top financial firms in the world. Meanwhile, the “Oracle of Omaha” has pocketed over $2 billion (yes, with a B) for Berkshire Hathaway. If Mr. Buffett still has a trick or two up his [...] Continue Reading...
