However, Jean Claude Trichet, the head of the European Central Bank, does not believe these reforms go far enough to address the existing problems, stating that the reforms were "insufficient to draw the lessons from the crisis we had to cope with."

Continue reading Trading the European Union's New Enforcement Rules

Trading the European Union's New Enforcement Rules originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Power-Up Your Portfolio with the Global X Lithium ETF originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Continue reading Market's Small Gain Signals a Pause?

Market's Small Gain Signals a Pause? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Out-of-Control Gold Meets Leveraged ETN and ETF Products originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Investment Bloggers Are Bullish and ETFs Are Hot originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An investment professional was stimulated by yesterday's post Chasing Value: Granny Said, 'It Has Turned into One Big Casino'. She suggested an alternative investment for granny that is simpler and perhaps advantageous for older investors seeking fixed income. Such investors should consider the iShares S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index (PFF) exchange traded fund for its high yield and simplicity.

While this investment vehicle would not work for my particular "granny" due to her unique circumstances, it might be ideal for many others.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Here's How to Get a 6.76% Yield

Chasing Value: Here's How to Get a 6.76% Yield originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading JPMorgan slashes earnings estimates on major banks

JPMorgan slashes earnings estimates on major banks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading U.S. Natural Gas Fund: For now, don't buy

U.S. Natural Gas Fund: For now, don't buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Several years ago, I heard a presentation from Laurence Fink, the mastermind behind the asset management giant, BlackRock (NYSE: BLK). At the time, he gave some frank advice; that is, he warned that investors needed to be very cautious.

Of course, it was spot-on (and saved me lots of money). And, I'm sure Fink's investors also appreciated the counsel.

Well, this week BlackRock became the king of asset management because of its $13.5 billion acquisition of Barclays Global Investors (NYSE: BCS). In all, the assets under management will now amount to $2.8 trillion.

Continue reading BlackRock shells out lots of green for Barclays unit

BlackRock shells out lots of green for Barclays unit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chip sales fall 22% in December

Chip sales fall 22% in December originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Investors are always evaluating the landscape to determine where they should put their money. With all of the uncertainty in the banking sector, they are moving into gold. In Europe in particular, exchange traded funds increased their holdings to more than 40 million ounces. This has the effect of establishing a cushion under the market.

The spot "gold fix" in London reached an all-time high of $1030.80 per ounce. On the futures market, gold traded above $900.00 per ounce. Traders expect the price to consolidate at these levels and move a bit higher.

Continue reading Gold is above $900 per ounce

Gold is above $900 per ounce originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The major indices continue to test their November lows, with the Dow making an intraday penetration that -- had it stuck -- would no doubt have led to an immediate test of the bear market lows.

But, again, the markets held above the fragile support line at Dow 8,000 and the S&P 500's support zone at 800-820.

How long this support will hold is anybody's guess, but Friday's reversal from a crushing opening was impressive despite its lack of convincing volume.

With all of our internal indicators grossly oversold and sentiment clearly bearish, the market should rally from its current support.

For that reason, traders should grab their favorite long 2x exchange-traded fund (ETF) and, despite the risk, go for a trade that could result in a profit from a 400- to 500-point advance in the Dow.

2x ETFs target two-times the daily return of the underlying index. My favorite trade for today is the Ultra QQQ ProShares (NYSE: QLD).

However, the market does not always accommodate our most ardent wish, so despite the likelihood of a rally, traders must set stop-loss orders under last week's lows or take on an enormous risk of loss.

A daily close under the intraday lows of last week would most certainly lead to a test of the November low and could even lead to a general market rout.

So, be careful out there and only risk what you can afford to lose.

Sam Collins is a contributor to OptionsZone.com.

Today's technical outlook: Market may rally big originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For 26 years, at the start of each year, I've conducted an annual survey of newsletter advisors, asking for their favorite investment for the coming year. Until 2 or 3 years ago, their responses were almost always individual stocks and an occasional mutual fund.

Increasingly in recent years, many advisors have found their favorite positions to be exchange traded funds, whereby they can invest in a sector, region, or strategy without the inherent risk of an individual company. Indeed, in this year survey of 75 advisors, fully 1 out of 5 advisors chose ETFs.

ETFs were a popular choice for those seeking global exposure. Mark Salzinger, editor of The Investor's ETF Report, selects the S&P China SPDR (NYSE: GXC) as his favored play. (Read the full article here.)

Nick Vardy sees opportunity in China, but also sees potential in a broader range of emerging global markets. The editor of Global Stock Investor looks to the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets (ASE: EEM) as his top idea for 2009. (Read the full article here.)

Carl Delfeld of Chartwell Advisors also wants to own a basket of emerging markets stocks, but only small caps. His pick is the WisdomTree Emerging Market Small Cap (NYSE: DGS). (Read the full article here.)

Jim Lowell takes a similar view -- chosing global small caps -- but adds a further restriction. His recommended ETF limits its holdings to dividend paying stocks. Hence, the top pick in his Marketwatch ETF Trader is the WisdomTree International Small Cap Dividend (NYSE: DLS). (Read the full article here.)

ETFs an also be used to play a specific sector, such as consumer stocks. Leonard Goodall sees upside in companies making the "basics" such as soda, toothpaste and soap. In his No-Load Fund Investor, his top way to play this trend is the Consumer Staples ETF (NYSE: XLP). (Read the full article here.)

In addition to using ETFs to invest in a region, country or sector, these vehicles can also be used to invest in a certain strategy. For example, Tom Bishop, editor of BI Research, chooses the PowerShares Value Line Industry Rotation ETF (NYSE: PYH), which rotates its holdings to only include stocks that earn Value Line's top investment rating. (Read the full article here.)

Doug Fabian, editor of Successful Investing, looks to PowerShares DB Crude (NYSE: DXO), an exchange-traded note. While this leveraged position goes up twice as much as the underlying index when it rises, it also goes down twice as much when the index declines. (Read the full article here.)

Paul Tracy, editor of StreetAuthority Market Advisor takes a similar approach, but rather than speculate on the price of oil and gas, he looks to ProShares Ultra Oil & Gas (NYSE: DIG), which invests in a basket of stocks operating within these sectors. (Read the full article here.)

The most popular choice in this year's survey was ETFs investing in gold. Both Vivian Lewis, editor of Global Investing, recommends the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD); it's price reflects 1/10th of an ounce of gold. (Read the full article here.)

Mary Anne Aden, editor of The Aden Forecast, also selects the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) as her top investment ideas for the coming year. (Read the full article here.)

Mark Leibovit, market timer and editor of VRTrader, holds a long-term bullish view on gold and opts for upside leverage. His top pick is the PowerShares DB Gold Double Long (NYSE: DGP). (Read the full article here.)

Pamela Aden, co-editor for The Aden Forecast, also sees upside potential in gold but prefers to invest in the companies that mine for the precious metal. Her top pick is the Market Vectors Gold Miners (NYSE: GDX). (Read the full article here.)

For greater leverage (and higher risk), Steve Rawls, editor of Tipping Point Stocks, suggests the ProShares Ultra Gold (NYSE: UGL), which moves twice the rate of the underlying London gold price. (Read the full article here.)

Mike Larson, editor of Money & Markets, sees downside risk in financial stocks. But rather than try and select which stock might fall, he opts for a basket of financial players with the ProShares Trust Short Financials (NYSE: SEF). As an "inverse" fund, this moves in the opposite direction of the underlying index. (Read the full article here.)

And for even higher risk and volatility, Michael Shulman, editor of ChangeWave Shorts, looks to the ProShares UltraShort Financials (NYSE: SKF), an inverse double fund. Not only does it move in the opposite direction of financial stocks, but it moves twice as much. (Read the full article here.)

Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers a daily look at the latest market commentary and favorite stock picks and investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

15 favorite ETFs for 2009 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Whether it's a recession or an economic boom, one thing doesn't change, the need for energy. And until technology leaps ahead, coal is the largest producer of fuel for the generation of electricity in the world. It's also the most abundant fossil fuel in the United States. Coal is obviously not recession immune as people tighten the reigns on their lives and cut back on electricity consumption, but the shear necessity of electricity makes the coal industry fairly resistant. An investment in an exchange traded fund (ETF) that is centered on the coal industry is a great way to hedge your bets by investing in a pool of successful companies in the coal field.

Market Vectors Coal ETF (NYSE: KOL) seeks to replicate the price and yield performance of the Stowe Coal index, which provides exposure to publicly traded companies worldwide that derive greater than 50% of their revenues from the coal industry. With KOL you'll own shares of some of the most noted coal companies in the world, including Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE: ACI), which specializes in steam and metallurgical coal; CONSOL Energy Inc. (NYSE: CNX), a large provider of fuel for electricity in the United States; Alpha Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: ANR), another leader in steam and metallurgical coal; and Peabody Energy Corp. (NYSE: BTU), an exploration miner and coal producer worldwide, as well as several other highly rated coal companies across the globe.

Market Vector charges only a 0.65% fee, a fraction what a professional money manager would charge you to analyze research and pick coal mining stocks with this level of global reach. Recently KOL has gone through a typical correction for this commodity sector, but then suffered a greater hit as Asia saw a 20% decline in spot prices for thermal coal. The result? A better deal for those currently willing to dive into coal as an investment. KOL is up 14%, so maybe there's some light at the end of the mine.

Continue reading Commodity ETF investing: Own 42 coal mining companies with KOL

Commodity ETF investing: Own 42 coal mining companies with KOL originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Another record for ETF volume during the market volatility: Coincidence? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This is part of a series of columns by retirement expert Dan Solin. Please bring him your questions in the comments box and he will answer as many as he can.

Is this a good time to invest, or should you sit on the sidelines until the market has "bottomed out"? This is the most common question I am asked.

It would be great if there was a way to tell when the market had reached its low. If you could do this, you would be able to buy stocks when the markets were taking off and retreat to risk-free investments, like cash and Treasury bills, in down markets.

Unfortunately, the data on timing the markets is very dismal.

One large study looked at more than 15,000 predictions by 237 market timing newsletters over a 12-year period. At the end of the period studied, 94.5% of the newsletters went bust. Not very impressive.

The financial media likes to hype stories suggesting that the markets are tanking or are poised for a rebound. These predictions are usually inaccurate and generally unreliable.

Here's a better question for you to consider: Should you be in the markets at all?

Continue reading Naked Truth Investing: You should be in or out of the markets, but never on the sidelines

Naked Truth Investing: You should be in or out of the markets, but never on the sidelines originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MarketWatch has an interesting article today about homebuilder and financial ETFs. The article, titled "Analysts say financial, builder ETFs signaling buy," interviews a couple of leading analysts who feel that both sectors have bottomed out and are "screaming buys."

Morningstar analyst Sonya Morris said that the Financial Select Sector SPDR (AMEX: XLF) is trading "at least 25% below what Morningstar thinks they are worth."

MarketWatch said in the same article, "Most of the analysts agree that valuations are attractive right now in the financial sector. They said that once the sector gets past the problems with the subprime crisis, probably by the end of this year, the shares could move fast."

I think these analysts are probably right, but that we're probably not through going down in the short term.

Zack Miller is the Managing Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com and a former equity analyst for a leading multinational hedge fund.

Analysts warming up to financial ETFs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After rising more or less in line with overall market volume for years, there has been a noticeable surge since the spring in the relative turnover of selected exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

For the SPDR Trust Series 1 ETF (AMEX: SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 index, the average daily volume (ADV) compared to New York Stock Exchange Composite ADV increased from 6.1% in April to 16.8% last month. For the PowerShares QQQ ETF (NASDAQ: QQQQ), which emulates the Nasdaq-100 index, the numbers went from 6.3% to 14.1%. For the iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund ETF (AMEX: IWM), which mirrors the small cap benchmark, relative turnover rose from 3.4% to 6.7%.

Although it's not clear whether the activity was related to hedging or outright position-taking -- or both -- the sharp increase in activity suggests that there has been an important change in the underlying dynamic of the U.S. equity market. If so, it raises some interesting questions.

Could this be a sign, for example, that the influence of hedge funds, proprietary trading desks, and other speculative operators is expanding dramatically? Are investors of all stripes becoming increasingly focused on ETFs as an investing vehicle? Does this emphasis on trading bundles of shares mean that more individual issues are "mispriced"?

Whatever the case, this is a trend worth paying attention to.

Michael Panzner is a 25-year veteran of the global stock, bond, and currency markets and the author of Financial Armageddon: Protecting Your Future from Four Impending Catastrophes and The New Laws of the Stock Market Jungle.

ETF volumes have really taken off originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Wall Street Journal reports that PowerShares Capital Management LLC (subscription required) has "filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for three new exchange-traded funds that will hold different combinations of other PowerShares stock and bond ETFs."

Here's why this is good for small investors: ETFs with their low expense ratios are a great product, and diversified portfolios of ETFs allow small investors to put together retirement portfolios easily, without the help of an expensive financial adviser.

But there's a problem: If you have a portfolio of $5,000 and divide it up among ten funds and have to pay a commission of $10 per trade, that works out to a front-load of 2% -- then another 2% when you sell. Unless you have a fairly sizable chunk of money to invest, buying multiple ETFs isn't very cost savvy.

Funds of ETFs will be a practical option for a lot of retail investors and could take market share from two groups that deserve to lose market share: financial advisers and big mutual fund companies.

Will ETFs of ETFs make ETFs better for small investors? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This article is part of a 20 article special report on "Metals, miners and money".

The SPDR S&P Metals & Mining (AMEX: XME), "a play on hard assets, has delivered impressive gains of 52% over the past 12 months," notes Paul Tracy who has added the ETF to the Sector Trading Portfolio of The ETF Authority.

The advisor explains, "While investors shouldn't grow accustomed to red-hot annual gains of 50%, this ETF is an ideal way to gain exposure to this sector." Here is his review.

"XME has been in the right place at the right time. The ETF mirrors the S&P Metals & Mining and invests in hard assets like precious metals (gold), industrial metals (copper, aluminum), steel, and coal.

"According to studies conducted by research firm Ibbotson, this group has a very low correlation with other traditional asset classes, and a modest stake can boost long-term returns with negligible additional risk -- and that has certainly been the case lately.

Continue reading Top resource ideas: An ETF SPDR for hard assets

Top resource ideas: An ETF SPDR for hard assets originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 10 Nov 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.