Portfolio

Affiliated Managers Group reports that for the fourth quarter of 2011, Economic earnings per share were $1.76, compared to $2.02 for the same period of 2010, while diluted earnings per share for Q4 of 2011 were $0.77, compared to $1.18 for the same period of 2010.

As voters in Florida head to the polls Tuesday to decide who will take on President Obama in November, you can bet many will be have another kind of change in mind. On average, the S&P 500 has improved 14% in the fourth year of a Democratic administration. But this year could be much different, based on statistics so far for the Obama term.

Legacy expert attorneys Andy and Danielle Mayoras say most of music diva Whitney Houston’s purported financial woes could have been averted had she and her family sought out and received professional financial and estate planning advice before things turned sour.

The assets of the nation’s mutual funds were flat in December, gaining $12.3 billion.

University of Chicago Professor Emeritus Marvin Zonis points out that several nations representing more than half of the world's GDP by purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita could see a change atop their governments this year. This potentially massive shift in geo-political leadership will almost certainly impact economies, investments and investors around the globe. Here’s an interactive slide show featuring 10 countries and elections that Wall Street needs to be paying attention to this year: Source: World Bank/Professor Emeritus Marvin Zonis, University of Chicago

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied back from a triple-digit deficit in late trading Monday but still closed off 6.74 points to finish at 12,653.72. Nagging Eurozone worries and disappointing consumer spending figures for December were largely to blame.

Invesco's director of investment product management says the market’s worst days are just as important as its best days, rebutting the belief that missing the market’s best days is the worst mistake an investor or an advisor could make.

The assets of the nation’s mutual funds were flat in December, gaining $12.3 billion. That worked out to a gain of one-tenth of a percent, for an industry that has $11.6 trillion in combined assets.

Hancock Holding Company announced that the Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Small Cap Fund, that uses investment research produced by university students, has received a five-star overall rating from Morningstar.

Direxion Funds said it is is making modifications to its line of “buy and hold” alternative strategies, effective February 1, 2012.