Portfolio

Global X Funds on Wednesday launched the Global X Aluminum ETF, which it says it the first exchange-traded fund globally focused on aluminum. The fund tracks the Solactive Global Aluminum Index

U.S. REITs continued to significantly outperform the broader equity market in 2010, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts said Wednesday. U.S. REITs rose 27.95% in 2010, compared to the S&P 500’s 15.06% gain.

Equity funds delivered 16.57% in 2010, with more than one-third of the gains, 6.43%, coming in during the last five weeks of the year, Lipper said.

Putnam Investments has promoted Robert E. Alan to head of North American consultant relations and Keith E. Thomas to head of international consultant relations. The two will work with the consultants who advise institutional investors on investment strategy and the selection of managers.

The markets in 42 of the 48 countries included in the index posted positive returns last year.

The two exchange-traded funds will seek to match the performance of VIX futures indexes.

BlackRock’s Bob Doll announced some pretty bullish predictions for the year ahead. But what are the potential upside and downside risks for 2011?

The Dow Jones Economic Sentiment Indicator jumped 2.2 points to 46.1 in December, after holding steady at 43.9 in October and November. In December 2009, the indicator stood at 38.7.

The U.S. economy will muddle through 2011 even as domestic stocks rake in double-digit percentage returns for the third straight year, said Robert C. Doll, the chief equity strategist for fundamental equities at BlackRock, in a breakfast briefing in New York Tuesday.

Fairholme Funds has launched the Fairholme Allocation Fund, which will seek long-term returns from capital appreciation and income by investing in equities, fixed income, cash and cash equivalent securities.