Portfolio

TIAA-CREF has committed $1 billion in seed capital to Covariance Capital Management, which will start investing in the third quarter.

Continued poor rate spreads between CDs and annuity yields pushed bank-sold annuity sales last year to their lowest level since 2000 and off more than 25% from what was widely viewed as a lackluster 2009.

An uptick in investor inflows and strong performance helped push the Neuberger Berman Equity Income Fund over the $1 billion milestone for the first time.

It may have taken almost 18 years for the combined assets of exchange-traded funds to surpass a trillion dollars. But it should only take another three years to top the second trillion.

PALM DESERT, Calif. – It may have taken almost 18 years for the combined assets of exchange-traded funds to surpass a trillion dollars. But it should only take another three years to top the second trillion.

An increasing number of advisor teams are transitioning to the fully independent registered investment advisor model from independent broker dealers, according to a Charles Schwab Advisor Services survey, which found a 45% increase in 2010 compared to 2009.

The State Street Investor Confidence Index, while remaining below neutral territory of 100, rose 6.5 points in March to 98.3. In March 2010, however, it stood at 107.4.

ProShares has launched the ProShares Short Investment Grade Corporate exchange-traded fund, the first inverse investment grade corporate bond exchange-traded fund, which seeks to provide 1x the daily performance of the Markit iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index.

PALM DESERT, Calif. -- Registered investment companies vote in favor of management proposals more than 90 percent of the time, according to a study of 3.9 million proxy ballot items.

Investors are looking to invest internationally in 2011 and beyond, a sign that positive sentiment in emerging markets is growing, according to a survey released on Tuesday by Franklin Templeton.The survey of 13,076 respondents in 12 countries found that 62% of U.S. and global respondents plan to invest in international markets, including Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and India, over the next 10 years. Yet just 34% of respondents are currently investing outside of their own markets. At the same time only 33% believe their own country's market will perform better than the rest of the world in 2011, said Franklin Templeton, which shows a willingness to consider opportunities globally.