Special Program Root Tag

Assets held in domestic exchange-traded funds reached a record $995 billion at the end of last year.

Large capitalization stocks are likely to outperform small cap stocks over the next decade, according to BNY Mellon Beta Management.On Tuesday BNY Mellon Beta Management, a BNY Mellon Asset Management business that facilitates rebalancing programs and synthetic asset class exposure through the use of futures, swaps, index funds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), announced that it expects better returns and lower transaction costs for large caps over the medium to long term.

BlackRock said net income reached $657 million in its fourth quarter, up $401 million or 157% from a year earlier. Net income for all of 2010 more than doubled, to $2.1 billion, on revenue of $8.6 billion.

BlackRock has hired Nancy Everett as managing director, head of U.S. fiduciary management solutions, a new position. She was previously chief executive officer of Promark Global Advisors, previously known as General Motors Asset Management.

The hiring outlook for the next six months looks good, according to the most recent survey from the National Association for Business Economics.

Fewer wealthy Americans are using mutual funds, and among those investors who continue to use these investment products, allocations are down significantly.

Many mass-affluent investors, those with $50,000 to $250,000 in investable assets, have thrown in the towel when it comes to long-term financial goals and are, therefore, more focused on short-term needs than they are on retirement.

Russell Investments has launched two new mega-cap emerging markets indexes, the Russell Emerging Markets Mega Cap Growth Index and the Russell Emerging Markets Mega Cap Value Index. Global X Funds has already contracted to launch two exchange-traded funds based on the indexes.

Global equities are benefiting from an increasingly positive outlook by investors, according to the latest BoA Merrill Lynch Survey of Fund Managers.

It should come as no surprise that the financial crisis, global recession, and fears about a continuing fragile economy have significantly affected investor trust and confidence. While the needs of all investors continue to shift, none may be more critical for money management executives to focus on than those of the Boomer generation about to reach retirement.

U.S. banks have finally started extending loans to consumers for the first time since the credit crisis began in 2008.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has selected Eileen Rominger as director of the division of investment management.

Index, bond, income, alternative, emerging market and absolute-return funds had a banner year in 2010.

A private liquidity facility to provide emergency relief in a crisis to prime money market funds. Permission to float net asset values, instead of fixing them at $1 a share. A two-tier system of floating rate and stable net asset values. Mandatory redemption of shares in "in-kind" distributions of shares, rather than cash. Regulating money market funds as special-purpose banks.

Jan. 1 has come and gone. And few risk-return summaries from mutual fund companies have shown up at the Securities and Exchange Commission in interactive format.

A study released by the Securities and Exchange Commission Saturday has recommended that a single fiduciary standard be created for brokers and investment advisers.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has reorganized its personal retirement solutions business.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. rose 1% in December to 112.4, following a 1.1% gain in November and a 0.4% rise in October.

Frost Investment Advisors has launched the Frost Diversified Strategies Fund, a mutual fund that combines hedge and private equity approaches. The fund seeks to reduce downside volatility while providing upside investment opportunities.

Assets in money market funds fell by $35.08 billion in the week ended Jan. 19, the Investment Company Institute reported Thursday.