Portfolio

Everybody loves a winner and if you or your clients held any of these top-performing Dow component stocks in their portfolios this year, there’s a pretty good chance they did quite well for themselves in 2011.

Only 30 stocks comprise the world’s most closely watched index – the Dow Jones Industrial Average – and its daily, weekly, monthly and annual gains (or losses) serve as a very handy – albeit simplistic – snapshot of investor sentiment and a decent barometer of how the U.S. and world economies are fairing. Of course, comparing these select 30 stocks’ performance against one another over a one-year period is hardly a comprehensive or “fair” method to evaluate each company’s long- or short-term prospects. There are far too many factors – good and bad – that influence any stock’s performance over a 52-week period. And to merely be a member of this exclusive group probably means the company is doing – or has been doing – something right for quite some time. Saying that, everybody loves a winner and if you or your clients held any of these top-performing Dow component stocks in their portfolios this year, there’s a pretty good chance they did quite well for themselves in 2011. For the year, the Dow is up just over 6%. Here’s an interactive slideshow featuring the 10 Best-Performing Dow component stocks of 2011. Also see: The 10 Worst-Performing Dow Stocks of 2011

Stocks closed largely unchanged in languid trading Tuesday as the Dow Jones Industrial average trimmed 2.65 points to finish at 12,291.35. Trading volume was predictably light in the first session following the holiday weekend.

Aston Asset Management has launched the Aston/Silvercrest Small Cap Fund, sub-advised by Silvercrest Asset management Group, a high-quality, value-oriented boutique headquartered in New York.

Knight Capital Group has launched two actively managed exchange-traded funds run by subsidiary Astor Asset Management. The funds are the Astor Active Income ETF Fund and the Astor SP Growth ETF Fund.

Aston Asset Management has launched the Aston/Silvercrest Small Cap Fund, sub-advised by Silvercrest Asset management Group, a high-quality, value-oriented boutique headquartered in New York.

Americans, particularly Baby Boomers, are more nervous about and unprepared for their retirement today than at any time in history. Survey after survey has found that people are delaying their retirements, planning to work during their retirement and scaling back expectations for their golden years. Here are 12 not-so-cheery facts that Baby Boomers and their financial advisors need to appreciate and address in the coming year to ensure they're properly prepared for the retirement they've always envisioned.

Knight Capital Group has launched two actively managed exchange-traded funds run by subsidiary Astor Asset Management. The funds are the Astor Active Income ETF Fund and the Astor SP Growth ETF Fund.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rose 9.3 points in December to 64.5 (1985 = 100), following a 14.3-point rise in November, The Conference Board said Tuesday.

There are plenty of ETF choices out there for investors. Some might make more sense than others, according to S&P Capital IQ.