Portfolio

Bond funds are not as reliable as they have historically been, which his creating some headaches for investors, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Of the 132 mutual funds on the market that employ hedging strategies, nearly half have been launched in the past three years, and in light of the 39% average decline in stock funds last year, more are likely on the way, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Retail investors appear to be regaining some nerve, The Washington Times reports.

Christopher Ryan, managing director of Fidelity International, told Bloomberg he is particularly optimistic about China, citing the economy’s diversification and the government’s stimulus plan.

Massachusetts on Friday subpoenaed four brokers to obtain sales, revenue and training records for leveraged exchange-traded funds: Ameriprise, UBS, LPL and Edward Jones.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee, which holds its first meeting Monday, has released its agenda for upcoming months.

Milliman’s employee benefits practice has introduced a 401(k) comparison tool for sponsors and participants called Power to Know.

As the International Monetary Fund and The World Bank respectively predict world GDP growth of 2.5% and 2% next year and stock markets around the globe are expected to surge ahead of this growth, mutual fund analysts are beginning to weigh in on which sectors could lead the way out of the recession.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney is examining how it sells leveraged exchange-traded funds, and Charles Schwab has posted a warning on its website that the products could exacerbate losses for investors who hold them for more than a day.

Asset International has acquired Strategic Insight for an undisclosed sum.