ETFs

Analysts at Standard & Poor's are looking to exchange-traded funds rooted in individual countries as a vehicle for advisors and their clients to compensate for sustained weakness in the U.S. economy.

First Trust Advisors has selected JPMorgan to sponsor 21 exchange-traded funds it is listing on the Mexican stock exchange, Bolsa Mexicana de Valores.

IndexIQ, an issuer of mutual funds and ETFs that replicate the investments of hedge funds, this week said some of its most popular products not only bested the performance of the S&P 500 Index, but they also outperformed many of the larger hedge funds, too.

QuantShares on Wednesday announced it has licensed seven indexes in the Dow Jones U.S. Thematic Market Neutral Indexes series for individual exchange-traded funds. The ETF start-up has been planning the funds since January.

Investors have flocked to exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes through the first eight months of the year. Year-to-date through August, net cash inflows were $73.2 billion, a 54% increase over the same period in 2010, according to data from National Stock Exchange, Inc.

Exchange-traded funds, a relatively cheap and tax efficient way for individual investors to invest in equities while maintaining a degree of diversification in portfolios, are becoming more popular among wealthier investors and their advisors.

The analysts at Standard & Poor’s, who have pegged the U.S. economy’s growth rate at a paltry 2% for 2012, say that advisors and investors might find some value in steel stocks and ETFs.

BlackRock has filed to create proprietary indexes for its iShares exchange-traded funds. The indexes will be "transparent to the public," the exemptive order says, indicating the indexes could be for actively managed ETFs.

Two weeks ago, Apple Computer had its day in the sun, briefly surpassing Exxon Mobil in market capitalization to become the largest corporation in the world. Now it’s gold’s turn.

Investing in the railroad industry has traditionally been seen as a way to play economic recoveries. But a research note from Standard & Poor’s suggests railroads may be a good bet even in this uncertain economy.

Standard & Poor’s may be negative on equities markets these days, but its analysts are pretty high on utilities stocks and ETFs.

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.

Cantor Fitzgerald is in the process of launching an ETF Arbitrage business that will provide customers with two-sided ETF markets, encompassing full-service execution, research and market color.

Exchange-traded-fund assets are on the rise, and price appreciation has little to do with it, according to an analysis by Standard & Poor’s.

Approximately $13.2 billion flowed into exchange-traded products in July, according to statistics compiled electronically by National Stock Exchange.

It’s a good time to be an emerging markets bond ETF. Powered by investor demand for exposure to debt from places like Brazil and China, funds from Van Eck Global, Wisdom Tree and elsewhere have gathered assets at a crisp pace.

Clients can achieve a broad-based, globally focused portfolio of stocks and bonds with just four funds.

Advisors consider sector allocations to overweight favorites and underweight overvalued ones.

U.S. ETFs are on a roll so far in 2011, according to State Street Global Advisors, which released its 2011 mid-year ETF outlook report on Thursday.

As the deadline for raising the U.S. debt ceiling nears, anxious investors are wondering whether they should be worried about a market crash and, if so, how they can protect their portfolios. IndexIQ thinks it has an answer -- one that gives investors downside protection, but also allows them to benefit if things go the other way and Washington strikes a deal by the Aug. 2 deadline.