Money Management Executive Latest News

Interactive Data has committed to serve as Foundation Partner for Mutual Funds Against Cancer for 2010, the third year it has lent its support.

Employers that automatically enroll their workers in 401(k) plans tend to match their employees’ savings at a lower level than other employers, according to a report from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

Janus Capital has selected Richard M. Weil, the former chief operating officer of PIMCO, as chief executive officer.

With more wealth managers pursuing succession plans, and mergers becoming more attractive for facilitating growth and value, there should be a significant uptick in M&A activity in 2010, according to a report from M&A consultants Echelon Partners.

In a survey of 1,000 people, Putnam Investments found the majority expect the economy to rebound in 2010 but that they are still planning to save more in the New Year.

AQR Capital Management has launched the AQR Managed Futures Strategy Fund to appeal to investors’ and advisers’ increased interest in alternative investments in the wake of the Great Recession. AQR funded the no-load fund, available to retail and institutional investors, with $10 million in seed money.

Bob Doll, global chief investment officer for fundamental equities at BlackRock, said U.S. corporate earnings growth—fueled by productivity gains, expanding markets in the developing world, low inflation and a declining dollar—should jump about 20% this year. As a result, stock prices, as represented on the Standard & Poor’s 500, should rally another 12% from their Jan. 4 open of 1116.56, he said.

Real estate investment trusts are, once again, seeking retail investors, in spite of their lower dividends and higher volatility. During the market downturn, the only takers seemed to be institutions, which currently comprise 80% of the owners of REITs. Ten years ago, institutional investors held 40% of all REIT shares.

Vanguard will pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing it of racial bias against a black financial planning candidate and overall bias in its hiring practices.

Investors’ aversion to stock funds and wholesale embracing of exchange-traded, bond and go-anywhere funds in 2009 may not be an aberration but a true turning point in investor behavior, The Wall Street Journal reports.