Portfolio

NEW YORK-Even as the residential housing and mortgage markets remain fragile, with housing starts and sales faltering-many money managers believe commercial real estate is headed for a worldwide boom.

Jersey-City based Knight will pay approximately $20 million in cash and stock for Astor when the acquisition is completed in the fourth quarter.

With gold seen as the place to be, BlackRock introduces its first gold mutual fund in the U.S., and shaves its gold ETF fees from 40 BPS to 25.

The trend for precise exchange-traded fund offerings resurfaces, as returns and yields compress.

House Ways and Means Committee chairman Sander Levin plans next week to unveil new jobs legislation that would extend Build America Bonds and other muni bond initiatives that are set to expire at the end of the year.

Van Eck Global Friday launched the Market Vectors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF, trading on NYSE Arca under the ticker EMLC. The fund closed at $25.45 for the day.

BlackRock is promoting its first U.S. gold mutual fund, the BlackRock World Gold Fund, aimed at both retail and institutional investors. The fund is managed by gold and natural resources specialists Evy Hambro and Catherine Row.

Even as Build America Bonds continue to transform municipal finance, one thing stays constant: hedging a portfolio of muni securities remains very difficult.

Why not invest in volatility? It’s not an asset or a sector, obviously, but you can still invest in it thanks to a small handful of ETNs and ETFs.

Schwab’s data also indicates a dramatic decline in the size of deals being done.