Alternative investments

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.

Columbia Management is planning to further expand into the actively managed ETF space with 17 new ETFs.

BMO Asset Management is changing the investment objectives of several ETFs. The biggest change involves switching two of the ETFs to more recognized indices.

BlackRock remains the behemoth in ETF/ETP assets under management, with a global market share of over 38% and a U.S. market share of more than 40%.

U.S. debt yields put you asleep. But you better be on your toes, with the adventure involved in emerging market bonds.

As sales of ETFs boom, the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy has released an investor bulletin on the investment vehicle.