It appears that our comments re:  junk bond ETFs over the past 6 weeks has inspired main stream media, and in particular, WSJ's Jason Zweig, to zero in on a talking point raised here last month: the logistics by which certain ETFs are 'created' and redeemed, and the potential distortion…Read More

We took the liberty of scraping an interesting note from this a.m.'s  Notes from the WallachBeth ETF Desk : "...On to Apple: Today will sure set a new tone and a new era for Apple lovers and haters; the iPad 3 (aka iPad) has been released, praised and torn down.…Read More

Yes, the equities markets are on a roll; the bulls are boisterous, and the "buy and holders" are popping champagne corks. Given this scenario, who would even suggest the idea of a fiduciary fund manager employing option-based hedging strategies that can potentially cut into upside returns?? After all, even though…Read More

Now that we've all forgotten the name of that former derivatives trader from Goldman who enjoyed his 15 minutes of "de-fame", we can now all re-focus on the brand that's causing people to line up once again for their latest product offering: Apple Inc. According to ETF Research Center, 91…Read More

Following is courtesy of ETF Database market analyst Stoyan Bojinov: Are we near the top or did the bull train just leave the station? Fundamental news has been bolstering equity markets higher since the start of 2012, although many investors are fearful that if they jump in now, the next…Read More

Lyxor has launched a new range of ETFs offering investors four different strategies aimed at providing diversified exposure to commodities. The new ETFs are listed on the London Stock Exchange. Two of the new ETFs track indices of the issuer’s parent bank Societe Generale, the Optimix Total Return and Momentum…Read More

MSCI, S&P Indices and FTSE have created a global trade body for the index industry, called the Index Industry Association (IIA). The IIA will form an official, representative body, with a remit that includes educating investors on the attributes and role of indices within the investment process and advocating the…Read More

A brief, but intriguing blog post over at SeekingAlpha--written a a self-proclaimed gear-head backed by compelling research suggests that returns using straight-forward indexing has trumped fast-money hedge fund investing for each of the past five years. As illustrated by the table below (the full article can be accessed by clicking…Read More

Someone with the handle "ETF Professor" is said to have studiously researched specific ETFs (and a few single stocks) that might bounce higher thanks to the billions that will be spent promoting, viewing, betting, and let's not forget dining and imbibing, in the course of this week's NCAA March Madness.…Read More

In a "if you can't beat 'em, poach 'em" moment, mutual fund monster Fidelity Investments has apparently thrown in the towel and will finally focus on running their own actively-managed sector-specific ETFs. At least that's the obvious conclusion being drawn by industry watchers after news of Fidelity, which still only…Read More

WisdomTree, the publicly traded New York-based ETF sponsor, today rolled out the market’s first broad-based emerging market corporate bond ETF, beating iShares and State Street Global Advisors to the punch. The WisdomTree Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund (NasdaqGM: EMCB) is an actively managed portfolio consisting of dollar-denominated investment-grade corporate bonds…Read More

It's a big bowl of alphabet soup when it comes to quenching your appetite for fixed income ETFs. On today's menu you'll find that a small smorgasborg of just these alone will get you through the first of several courses: EUO, UUP, ELD, XLU, IDU. [caption id="attachment_464" align="alignleft" width="125" caption="Ron…Read More

For those following flows, and in particular, fans of financials, a stand-out seems to be iShares' U.S. Preferred Stock Index fund (NYSE ARCA:PFF), which is currently trading to yield 7%. Preferred stocks, which are historically considered to be second-class citizens by those seeking "oomph" and predominantly issued by financial firms…Read More

Optimists are opining that consumers are on the verge of waking up from a spending slumber that, for the better part of the past 3+ years, has impeded the shift from recession to rejuvenation and kept a cap on discretionary debits to their credit card. What with gas pump prices…Read More

How can you not keep reading after that shining headline?..courtesy of Jason Kephart over at InvestmentNews.. In the category of "what will they think of next?" IndexIQ has apparently scratched a new surface--IN reports that IQ has filed to offer the first physically-backed diamond ETF. The IQ Physical Diamond Shares…Read More

Market wisdom:markets go up and prices go down. When it comes to selecting an ETF or ETN that might make you a sage when managing money for risk-sensitive,sophisticated investors, UBS ETRACS launched a twin-set product back in the dull days of December, one of which might whet your hedge-fund like…Read More

As US equity indexes search for a trading session bottom from which to bounce today, traders are slamming their phones in frustration when discovering the screen markets are as clear as a very cloudy day. Nothing new on that front..as ETF market experts will repeatedly repeat "don't expect to find…Read More

This morning's precipitous decline in major equity indexes comes as no surprise to anyone, even if its the first Triple-Digit Decline in the Dow in 3 months. Synonymous with big market moves, we think about what hedge funds are doing right now, and whether or not they're exploiting ETFs as…Read More