Portfolio

The U.S. economy has hit its stride, with GDP on track to grow 3% over the next two years, according to a report from TD Economics.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index increased 0.8% in February to 113.4 (2004=100), following a 0.1% increase in January and a 1.0% increase in December. The index is now at an all-time historical high and 16% higher than its most recent trough in March 2009.

Lincoln, who believes the U.S. economy is about midway through a projected five-year bull run, took some time this week with On Wall Street to provide his big-picture views on a number of timely topics as well as a look back at what financial services firms, advisors and investors have learned from the rollercoaster-like ride of the past few years.

The decision will lead to further litigation, as the claimants’ seek to reverse their responsibility for $400,000 in attorneys’ fees.

Nearly every day, I get a notice touting the launch of some new ETF. And at this point, most of them represent some fringe aspect of the investment world. Small-cap stocks from one certain country in the Middle East, say, or a fund from Africa that deals with water infrastructure. Sometimes, they are sliced so thinly that there are just a handful of companies in the underlying index. Useful perhaps, but probably only for a…

Global X Funds on Thursday launched the Global X S&P/TSX Venture 30 Canada ETF, an exchange-traded fund that targets companies on Canada’s junior exchange for emerging companies, the TSX Venture.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is developing a system that will tell its examiners and firms’ compliance officials whether firms that sold munis with material-event disclosures passed that information on to customers.

The global flight from risk continued to bolster the municipal bond market on Wednesday as the prospect of a nuclear meltdown in Japan enhanced the appeal of the shelter of low-risk bonds.

But $193 million leaves equity funds.