Portfolio

A majority of institutional investor, 55%, expect global growth over the next six months, up considerably from the 33% who felt this way in the third quarter, a survey of 97 institutional managers by Northern Trust found.

Matt Fink, former president of the Investment Company Institute, covers this and other frequently asked questions about the industry in the new edition of his book, “The Rise of Mutual Funds: An Insider’s View.”

Matt Fink was with the Investment Company Institute from 1971 to 2004 and served as its president from 1991 to 2004. He is the author of a history of mutual funds, “The Rise of Mutual Funds: An Insider's View,” (Oxford University Press, 2008). A new edition, covering the 2008 financial crisis and its impact on mutual funds, has just been published.

ETF Securities on Friday began trading its new exchange-traded product, the ETFS Physical Asian Gold Shares, on NYSE Arca.

The company indicated in a Thursday SEC filing it is postponing its plans to offer short-, intermediate- and long-term municipal bond index funds.

Assets total $2.796 trillion for the week ended Jan. 12.

Prudential Financial, Pimco, Nuveen Investments eye robust markets

Vanguard indicated in a Thursday SEC filing it is postponing its plans to offer short-, intermediate- and long-term municipal bond index funds. Vanguard first submitted its registration statements in June.

Liberty Street Advisors has launched the Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, a mutual fund that will invest in midstream energy infrastructure master limited partnerships. It will be sub-advised by Center Coast Capital Advisors of Houston, whose founder Dan Tutcher is well known in the MLP sector.

In an effort to provide investors with greater diversification, Prudential Investments has launched the Prudential Real Assets Fund, which will invest in real estate, metals, fuel and other commodities. In addition, the fund aims to protect investors against inflation and rising interest rates.