Investment Insights

Updated Wednesday, May 22, 2013 as of 8:00 AM ET

Portfolio - Investment Insights

FINRA CEO Ketchum: Work to Restore Investor Confidence Now

With markets at near historic highs, investor confidence still lags. Both regulators and financial firms share the responsibility to do something about it, said Richard Ketchum, CEO of FINRA on Tuesday. High profile frauds, the flash crash and other technological snafus have made headlines and fueled investor doubt, he said in a speech at FINRA�s annual conference in Washington, D.C.

�Most of us who have lived through the last five years feel like we have had just about everything except pestilence,� Ketchum said. more »

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Bernanke: Beyond Current Economic Challenges Lies Bright Future

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke took a break from current economic woes and uncertainties Saturday, looked into the future and found reason for optimism. more »

Gross, Buffett Wary of Credit Markets Success

Sales of corporate bonds in the U.S. are surging toward the busiest May ever as borrowers race to the market before demand dries up with Bill Gross and Warren Buffett cautioning against buying debt at all-time low yields. more »

U.S. Is Best Market for Fund Investors, Says Morningstar

The United States is the best market for fund investors based on criteria such as investor protection, transparency, fees, taxation, and investment distribution, according to Morningstar’s Global Fund Investor Experience report. more »

The Rise of Developing Nations in 10 Charts

Investors are reminded almost daily that the world is changing—that the post-war era of U.S.-led economic growth is becoming a thing of the past. While the U.S. economy remains one of the most dynamic and resilient in the world, the collective economic might of the developing nations—with China at the forefront—continues to grow and expand on both an absolute and a relative basis. more »

Advisors Urged to Invest in Gender-Balanced Corporate Boards

“If corporate America does not achieve parity in boardrooms as other countries are actively implementing, we will fall further behind,” Eve Ellis warned at the Women Advisors Forum. more »

Female Investment Managers Outperforming Men

Women advisors are more risk averse than their male counterparts, and in the wake of the financial crisis, that has proven to be a good thing. more »

10 Global Investing Strategies for 2013

Looking for international investing ideas? Every year, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney unveils its list of global investment ideas. Its 2012 list generally posted strong gains led by emerging markets equities (up 19.1%), dividend aristocrats (up 16.9%), U.S. large-cap growth (up 15.3%), and global gorillas (up 13.4%). more »

Pimco Pares Risk on View Monetary Easing Distorts Global Markets

PIMCO is shying away from risky assets as it sees a growing disconnect between the performances of financial markets and the global economy. more »

Investors Optimistic About Year Ahead

A new Franklin Templeton survey found that globally investors are optimistic about 2013, but are still wary of the potential for risk. more »

The Quest for Yield

Yield by any name may sound sweet, but experts say closed-end fund investors need to consider other factors, too. more »

Fidelity Launches Target Volatility Portfolio

Fidelity Investments has rolled out a target volatility strategy, the Fidelity VIP Target Volatility Portfolio. The portfolio seeks to manage total return volatility within a target range. more »

Low Interest Rates Could Ding Retirement Plans, EBRI Warns

A new study attempts to quantify the very real effect that low interest rates and muted yields in certain asset classes could have on investors' retirement planning. more »

Goldman's Blankfein: This Could Be China's Century

The Goldman Sachs chief is bullish on China, calls proposals for taxes on financial transactions "screwy," and believes that his firm needs to do a better job of repairing its image. more »

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