Alternative investments

Risk parity has become a popular allocation and risk management strategy in recent years. Do you know enough about it to provide guidance to your clients?

Fixed income ETPs now account for 18% of global ETP assets, up from 7% in 2007 at the onset of the financial crisis, according to BlackRock.

Van Eck Global is prepping to launch the Market Vectors Short High-Yield Municipal Index ETF, which will replicate the Short High Yield Index, according to a Securities and Exchange filing.

The Board of Trustees of Rydex Series Funds has approved a revision of the principal investment strategies for the Trust’s Managed Futures Strategy Fund.

Rydex is nixing its Long Short Equity Strategy Fund because of “unfavorable market conditions,” according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Forward has hired a new marketing chief in light of the defection of former president Jeff Cusack to Nuveen Investments.

Forward’s former president Jeff Cusack has taken a new job with rival alternative mutual fund ship Nuveen Investments.

After peaking at over $1,900 an ounce in August 2011, gold prices are now down around 12% from that apex. However, investors' demand for gold bullion ETFs has not dulled.

Calamos Investments this week welcomed an old foe into its fold.

The inclusion of alternative ETFs in a portfolio provides a risk-adjusted benefit to investors, according to research from Lipper.

The inclusion of alternative ETFs in a portfolio provides a risk-adjusted benefit to investors, according to research from Lipper.

The SEC has approved an Amex Options exchange plan to test trading in options contracts without any limits on the amount of contracts held in the SPDR S&P 500 Exchanged-Traded Fund. That gives the NYSE Euronext unit the ability to match the no-limits policy offered by the Chicago Board Options Exchange.

KPMG has brought on board several new partners and managing directors to bolster the firm’s Alternative Investment Funds practice.

Legg Mason is planning to offer a number of index ETFs as well as actively managed fund of funds ETFs.

With 1,000 ETFs now trading on Xetra, the Deutsche Bourse’s electronic trading platform, the exchange remains the leading trading venue for ETFs in Europe.

Curian Capital has rolled out two alternative-focused strategies for separately managed accounts.

Russell Investments is planning to close its family of 25 passively managed ETFs. Russell will continue to operate the Russell Equity ETF.

Nasdaq OMX Group said it plans to launch 150,000 indexes by the end of next year. The firm will raise redefine 'real-time" to feature tick by tick updating of index values

Incapital, an underwriter of fixed income securities and financial products, has launched Incapital Canada.

Year-to-date, total annuity sales declined eight percent compared to the first half of 2011, reaching $57.0 billion, according to LIMRA.