Savings Experiment: Snow Removal
The Money Man Behind Rick Santorum: Who Is Foster S. Friess?
NYSE Euronext (NYX) acquired American Stock Exchange (Amex) in 2008 to expand its equities, options and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) trading business. Recently NYSE announced plans to sell the majority of its stake in the Amex stock options market to seven companies -- including top banks, trading houses and brokerages. With this move, the company hopes to increase its trading volumes by giving major brokerages an incentive to bring their business to Amex. Major competitors are Nasdaq OMX (NDAQ), CME Group (CME), BATS Global and Direct Edge.
ETF posts
FeedNYSE Looks at Selling Stakes in Amex Exchange to Drive Volumes
Continue reading NYSE Looks at Selling Stakes in Amex Exchange to Drive Volumes
Betting Against Retail with an XRT Put Spread
A parade of retailers reported their January same-store sales figures on Thursday morning, and the results were actually much better than expected. The aggregate 4.2% rise in monthly sales easily surpassed analysts' expectations, leading to a solidly bullish session for the SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) exchange-traded fund (ETF).However, not everyone was won over by January's stronger-than-forecast sales data. Around midday on Thursday, one skeptical options trader initiated a long put spread on the XRT, in an attempt to capitalize on expected weakness in the retail-based fund.
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Van Eck Global Launches Rare Earth Metals ETF
Last week Van Eck Global launched Market Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals (REMX), a rare earth metals exchange-traded fund. Why was this an important move? First off, rare earth metals are indispensable to the production of such products as flat screen TVs, iPods and power sources for batteries and hybrid vehicles.More importantly, China controls 97% of the global production of rare earth metals, as reported in the Wall Street Journal. China is limiting supplies by cutting exports of the metals by 30% next year.
Continue reading Van Eck Global Launches Rare Earth Metals ETF
Power-Up Your Portfolio with the Global X Lithium ETF
Exchange-traded fund (ETF) issuer Global X Funds representatives were granted the honor of ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on the morning of Friday, Aug. 27. The event was a celebration of sorts for the company's latest bevy of recently released ETFs. One of those new ETFs has more than proven itself worthy of a celebration, and that's the Global X Lithium ETF (LIT).
The fund has been a Wall Street sensation since it began trading on Aug. 4, when it opened up at $17.29 per share. The fund closed at $19.88 on Oct. 20, representing a total return of over +15% in just 11 weeks.
Continue reading Power-Up Your Portfolio with the Global X Lithium ETF
Market's Small Gain Signals a Pause?
By Jamie Dlugosch
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have been successful for us as of late, but it appears that a pause may be around the corner.
One of the biggest mistakes investors can make is to project their own personal situation to the market or stocks in general. If times are tough the assumption is that times are tough everywhere and stocks will likely falter. All sorts of emotions including envy and jealousy can come out of the woodwork when things aren't going well personally.
Out-of-Control Gold Meets Leveraged ETN and ETF Products
Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs) have become the new fad for 401k plans and individual investors. Folks have been flocking to the key gold ETFs via SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), iShares COMEX Gold Trust (IAU) and even the ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares (SGOL). In fact, the SPDR Gold Trust would be one of the top five or six central government banks in the world if measured solely in gold holdings.
Anytime you get a hot market, as we can see now with gold, you can bet more investment vehicles pop up to capitalize on the fad. Enter leveraged gold ETFs and ETNs, which add another layer to playing the gold market right now.
Continue reading Out-of-Control Gold Meets Leveraged ETN and ETF Products
Solar ETF Funds Are Shining Bright
Exchange-traded funds involving solar energy have been stellar over the past two months. A rising stock market and higher oil tends to help. Many companies are raising guidance or are calming fears that margin compression is escalating and that orders are dropping.
We have taken a look at some of the solar ETF products on the market that offer the best alternatives on investing, although there are also some broader ETF products via alternative energy and clean energy ETFs, which of course include heavy weightings in solar stocks. Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) and the Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (KWT) are key solar ETFs in the mix. We have also loosely covered solar via broader alternative energy ETFs of PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy (PBW), Market Vectors Global Alternative Energy ETF (GEX), and the iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index (ICLN). As First Solar Inc. (FSLR) is the largest solar stock out there, we have tried to show how it relates into each because the weighting and balancing of each fund differs.
Investment Bloggers Are Bullish and ETFs Are Hot
It comes as no surprise to me that current investment blogger consensus is bullish on the markets. They're not bullish by an extremely wide margin, but they are optimistic nonetheless.
An ongoing investment blogger survey, conducted weekly by Ticker Sense from Birinyi Associates Inc., indicates that nearly 54% of the investment writers it surveys are holding a bullish stance for the S&P 500 for the next 30 days. Meanwhile, just over 15% of the survey respondents are bearish on the S&P 500, and approximately 30% are declaring a neutral position.
Continue reading Investment Bloggers Are Bullish and ETFs Are Hot
The Fed Is Going All In: And So Should You (FXY, FXF, GLD)
On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve released the FOMC statement on interest rates and the outlook for the economy. The statement sent a clear message to the markets that the Fed was prepared to adopt a more accommodative monetary stance if the outlook for the economy continued to deteriorate. Essentially, Ben Bernanke and his merry gang of banksters said that they will print as much money as needed in order to backstop the economic "recovery." The Fed is willing to go "all in" with regard to the debasement of the U.S. Dollar. That is clear.
Investors should do the same. If the financial bubble blowers at the Central Bank want to trash the dollar beyond repair and risk hyperinflation, then investors should stand at the ready to meet them step for step. The outlook right now is fairly straightforward in the near-term. Buy gold. Consider the SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD) or the Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS).
Continue reading The Fed Is Going All In: And So Should You (FXY, FXF, GLD)
China Bear Opts for a Long Put Spread on FXI
Economic data out of China this week is suggesting a slower pace of growth for the emerging economy, and one options player is trying to capitalize on anticipated weakness in some of China's largest companies. Bright and early Friday morning, a bearish bettor sent a long put spread across the tape on the iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (FXI).
Specifically, the trader purchased about 11,000 contracts of FXI's November 38 put, and simultaneously sold 11,000 contracts of the November 33 put. With FXI lingering around $40 at the time of the transaction, both of these intermediate-term puts are out of the money.
Continue reading China Bear Opts for a Long Put Spread on FXI
Time to Step into Oil Service Names?
Oil-related stocks have been significantly beaten down in the wake of the BP (BP) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The market could be suggesting, however, that now may be the time to jump back into this sector. Frankly, the energy complex as a whole looks like the most compelling segment of the stock market right now, although it does come with significant risk as many traders and investors have already been burned trying to pick a bottom over the last few months.
In order to mitigate risk in this sector, investors could consider putting together their own oil-related ETF: Determine the amount of capital that you want to commit to this sector and then divide it up between a number of companies in order to reduce company specific risk. This is similar to buying an ETF such as the Oil Service HOLDRs ETF (OIH), but allows you to pick the specific component companies.
Contrarian Investing and Large Drops, Profitable or Wreckless?
Tuesday was quite a day in the stock market. The Dow Jones dropped more than 200 points, but rebounded to finish the day a mere 23 points lower. The action could have given traders whiplash -- but it could also have given contrarians the chance to make a few well-timed investments and rake in some cash. By definition, a contrarian investor makes investments based on the sentiment of the majority of investors. Yesterday set up a great contrarian bullish opportunity as experts and investors alike felt the sky was falling, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to an intra-day nadir in the 9,800 region.
Continue reading Contrarian Investing and Large Drops, Profitable or Wreckless?
Options Activity Heats Up on SPDR Gold Trust
Earlier today, Jeff Reeves argued the case for the ProShares UltraShort Gold (GLL) exchange-traded fund (ETF). This inverse ETF could be a solid investment for speculators who are anticipating a further correction in gold futures -- and judging by Thursday's heavy put-buying on the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), there are plenty of gold bears on Wall Street right now.
GLD's most popular options strike on Thursday was the July 93 put. With GLD trading near $115, this option is currently out of the money by more than 20 points. This put strike traded volume of 100,000 contracts yesterday, with 100% of these puts changing hands at the ask price -- revealing they were most likely purchased. Implied volatility on GLD's July 93 put rose 2.5% by the close, and open interest at this strike swelled overnight by 99,975 contracts. In other words, it seems safe to say that new bearish bets on gold were added at this strike yesterday.
Continue reading Options Activity Heats Up on SPDR Gold Trust
Playing the Volatile Gold Market
Back in February, gold took a big hit when the Federal Reserve announced it was lifting the discount rate. After pushing briefly above $1,200 an ounce at the beginning of December 2009, the safe-haven metal slumped over 12% in two months to a low of around $1,050. Here we are about three months removed from that low, and we're right back where we started price-wise -- or at least, we were until gold spiraled downward over the last few days to mark a two-week low. So everyone is asking the question, "Is gold going lower, or is it going higher?"
Three Retail ETFs Beating the Market Four Times Over
Call it Christmas come early: Last week we learned that stocks posted an average gain of about 9% for March retail sales. We also learned consumer spending in the U.S. rose in March by the most in five months, and many economists are predicting continued spending acceleration as the economy adds more jobs and gets back into the groove.Already we've seen some red hot runs in the retail sector in anticipation of the consumer's return. Several consumer-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have been tearing things up on Wall Street lately -- lapping the broader market at least four times over!
There are lots of great individual retail stocks out there -- and no shortage of reasons to buy Walmart (WMT). But the fact is that blue chip retailers can often lag the broader sector, and small-cap retailers can sometimes be too volatile for many investors.
Continue reading Three Retail ETFs Beating the Market Four Times Over
Goldman Earnings Sink After Buffett Dividend
Johnson & Johnson's Income Falls 23%
Burberry Shares Leap on Sales Update
