Portfolio

iShares has launched the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index Fund.

Van Eck Global has introduced the Market Vectors Mortgage REIT Income ETF. The fund tracks the Market Vectors Global Mortgage REITs Index, an index that requires constituent companies to derive at least 50% of their revenues from mortgage REITs.

The downgrade of U.S. debt may have led to more market volatility than the Flash Crash. That’s the initial result of comparing the average daily volume of stock trading in August 2011 to the volume in May 2010, when stocks fell nearly 1,000 points at one point in a single day of trading.

Stocks plunged again Thursday on concerns that Europe is still struggling to prevent its persistent debt crisis from spreading to some of its largest economies, pushing several to the brink of a recession.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said it suspended an Illinois broker for 16 months for manipulating trades using spoofing and other tactics.

The downgrade of U.S. debt may have led to more market volatility than the Flash Crash.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.5% in July to 115.80 ( 2004 = 100 ), marking the third month in a row that the index has risen. June saw a 0.3% gain, and May say a 0.7% increase.

Van Eck Global has introduced the Market Vectors Mortgage REIT Income ETF (ticker: MORT).

In light of the recent market volatility, a new report from Fidelity Investments analyzing the performance of 401(k) balances between Oct. 1, 2008 and June 30, 2011 is quite telling—giving a testimonial to the value of sticking with the stock market even amid the worst declines.

More than $40 billion flowed out of all forms of mutual funds in the week that featured the first-ever downgrade of U.S. debt.