Archive | July, 2011

July 31, 2011 – ETF Expert Radio Podcast

Debt Deadlock ETFs, Gold ETFs, Currency ETFs, Commodity ETFs, Oil Services ETFs, Inverse Treasury ETFs Click here to listen to the show: 07-31-2011 Continue Reading...

Adjusted For Risk, Ex-Financials ETF Beat The S&P 500

Just three trading sessions ago, PowerShares NASDAQ 100 (QQQ) hit a multi-year high. So did iShares Morningstar Large-Cap Growth (JKE). It’s not that the markets were ignoring the debt deadlock. SPDR Gold (GLD) and CurrencyShares Swiss Franc (FXF) were registering records as well. It’s the fact that summertime traders were taking a barbell approach to risk allocation, loading up [...] Continue Reading...

Why Have Tech ETFs Been So Hot? Why Are Industrials So “Not?”

When it comes to earnings reports in the 2nd quarter, several things stand out. Big-time technology companies clobbered expectations, from Apple to Google to Microsoft to Advanced Micro. In contrast, a few notables in the Industrial sector seemed to come up short. Caterpillar missed. So did 3M. Industrials are typically seen as a primary gauge for the [...] Continue Reading...

Debt Disorder Takes a Toll On Dividend ETFs

Roughly one hour before bond and stock markets closed on Monday, 7/25/11, congressional Democrats expressed that the House Republican debt plan was a “non-starter” in the Senate. Wince! Six hours later, President Obama spoke to the American people about a potential catastrophe that could see interest rates on credit cards, mortgages and car loans skyrocket. [...] Continue Reading...

Muni ETFs Shine, In Spite Of Debt Ceiling and Meredith Whitney

Remember when Meredith Whitney predicted 50-100 muni debt defaults for 2011? That was her December pick… state and local governments would shout for mercy. Whitney may find herself “right” on an actual number of defaults, as 24 have occurred in 2011 so far. Yet, as Trang Ho points out, these defaults total a mere $746 million in 2011 vs. $2.29 [...] Continue Reading...

Fear ETFs and Risk ETFs Simultaneously Hit 52-Week Highs

How confident should you be about Democrats and Republicans reaching an accord on raising the debt ceiling? Confident enough. Don’t get me wrong. I always have my stop-limit orders protecting key ETF positions. It’s just that the bond market as well as the stock market both agree… a deal will get done. 10-year treasury yields are still offering a [...] Continue Reading...

Do Preferred Stock ETFs Provide Enough Yield For The Risk?

The more risk involved, the higher one should expect the dividend or interest payment to be. Then again, the media continue to describe a possibility of the U.S. defaulting on its debt… for which 10-year treasury yield investors willingly accept a paltry 3%! For other folks, investment grade treasuries and corporates simply aren’t worth the interest rate risk. The answer, then, could [...] Continue Reading...

July 24, 2011 – ETF Expert Radio Podcast

“Risk-On” ETFs, “Risk-Off” ETFs, Resource-Rich ETFs, Resource-Rich Country ETFs, Natural Resources ETFs, Copper ETFs, Coal ETFs Click here to listen to the show: 7-24-2011 Continue Reading...

Long-Term Thematic ETFs Or Near-Term Momentum?

Scores of investment gurus live on momentum and relative strength. They may advocate investing solely in those assets that have put together streaks over 4, 8 and 12 weeks (3 months). Other media darlings don’t care what happens in a shorter period. They may run with a particular theme for decades. For instance, Jim Rogers likes commodities and the China [...] Continue Reading...

Investors Stick With Healthcare ETFs In Spite Of Market Turbulence

During the health care legislative debate in 2010, Health Care ETFs served as the investments everyone loved to hate. And in 2010, as the overwhelming majority of sector ETFs notched remarkable returns, health care had been stuck in neutral. Until 2011. Suddenly, the most undervalued sector on a historical P/E ratio basis began to ignore Obamacare uncertainty. In fact, [...] Continue Reading...

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