Fund performance

Options have been used in asset management for several decades, but due to current market conditions asset managers' interest has been renewed in this strategy. With bonds in a bear market and an equity market meandering horizontally, these managers are embracing options as a way to generate income while protecting against the downside.

Growth from both retail and institutional investors has been steady in what is now called ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues.

The country’s 20th-largest independent broker has a new name and a new pitch to independent advisors.

The "do it yourself" investor crowd is not exactly new. But now it has a newfound source of power. A new tool on the market from Motif Investing makes it easier than ever for individual investors to create their own ETF-like investment funds.

Morningstar today published its inaugural issue of Financial Services Observer, a research report examining the competitive shifts in the U.S. wealth management industry, companies responses to industry changes following the financial crisis, and which companies Morningstar equity analysts think are poised to be a boon for shareholders.

OppenheimerFunds and Putnam Investments are among the winners of the 2013 NOVA Awards, which recognize innovation in the investment management industry.

Over the past 20 years, exchange traded funds have experienced astounding growth. There are now about 1,400 ETFs in the U.S. and 4,800 globally, according to statistics from BlackRock. The bulk of ETF assets (about $1.4 trillion) are based in the U.S., with total global assets hovering around $2 trillion.

The fact that clients don’t always divulge all their personal financial information to their financial advisors comes as no surprise. The questions that need to be answered, however, are: how many clients, what is being withheld and why are they so secretive?

As real estate recovers, non-listed REITs are soaring, but they haven’t been much of a hit with customers of Merrill Lynch.

OppenheimerFunds and Putnam Investments are among the winners of the 2013 NOVA Awards, which recognize innovation in the investment management industry.

Visium Asset Management announced the launch of the Visium Event Driven Fund (VIDVX). This is the first mutual fund offering for the alternative asset management firm, which was founded in 2005.

Best known as the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and the first to head one of its member firms, Muriel F. “Mickie” Siebert died from cancer on August 24 at the age of 80.

Bloomberg -- U.S.-registered bond mutual and exchange-traded funds lost $30.3 billion to investor redemptions this month, putting them on track for their slowest year since 2004.

Bloomberg -- It’s a mistake for investors to be focusing on fixed income, according to Joseph L. Hooley, chief executive officer of Boston-based State Street Corp.

Mellon Capital Management, a multi-asset manager for BNY Mellon, has become a signatory to the United Nations-Backed Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI), emphasizing its dedication to incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into its investment program.

Raymond James is ramping up its pitch to attract independent advisors by opening up access to alternative investments.

The fact that clients don’t always divulge all their personal financial information to their financial advisors comes as no surprise. The questions that need to be answered, however, are: how many clients, what is being withheld and why are they so secretive?

Small business owners are feeling more confident even as the economy struggles to return to a more robust level of growth.

Approval has been given by the Board of Directors of Fairholme Funds to reopen The Fairholme Fund (FAIRX) to new investors.

The estimated U.S. mutual fund asset flows for July 2013 were released by Morningstar today. Investors added $15.9 billion to long-term mutual funds in July, driven by inflows of $7.9 billion into international-equity funds.