Fund performance

BOSTON - In today’s turbulent world, there will be plenty of investment opportunities, but also plenty of risk.

Market research firm TNS’ Investor Confidence Index, based on an early April survey of 1,551 adults with investable assets of $500,000 or more on their expectations for the next six months, declined to 113 from 119 in January.

Trust in the U.S. financial system has fallen to 20%in March from 26% in December, as measured by the Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index, which surveyed 1,007 adults to obtain the reading.

The next several years will be a challenging period for investment advisors as investors, mindful of projections of low market returns, seek managers who can deliver results while protecting them from excessive risk.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. debt, $9.5 trillion in 2010, could reach $25.9 trillion by 2021 if not kept in check. This was the warning of Erskine B. Bowles, former White House chief of staff, and Alan K. Simpson, former Senator from Wyoming, who are co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, speaking at the Investment Company Institute’s General Membership Meeting here Friday.

WASHINGTON—Stocks will return between 8% and 9% over the next three to five years, predicted Eddie C. Brown, president and CEO of Brown Capital Management, speaking on the “Industry Investments: Experience Talks” panel at the Investment Company Institute’s General Membership Meeting Thursday morning.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. economy, while not poised to grow as rapidly as emerging nations and saddled with a $1.4 trillion a year deficit, has the fundamentals in place and “the resiliency and strength” to reclaim its position as the leading economy of the world, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told attendees at the Investment Company Institute’s General Membership Meeting here Wednesday.

The Federal Reserve’s ultra-easy monetary policy has been a major cause of rising corporate profits and a broader recovery, says Black Rock Chief Equity Strategist Bob Doll. The Fed has also helped bring about the decline in the dollar, boosting exports.

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The United States' economy has "in absolute and relative terms been a better bet" than other economies around the globe -- and the death of Osama Bin Laden may well change how the rest of the world looks at America's prospects, CNBC Analyst and Commentator Ron Insana said Monday morning.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index increased slightly in April to 65.4, up from 63.8 in March (1985 = 100). The Present Situation Index also increased, to 39.6 from 37.5, and the Expectations Index rose as well, to 82.6 from 81.3.

Waddell & Reed Financial, the Overland Park, Kansas, mutual fund complex, said it earned $45.6 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, in the first quarter.

The Bloomberg Consumer Confidence Index climbed for the fourth straight month, reaching -42.6, the best reading since the end of February.

Morgan Stanley’s global wealth management business net revenue rose to $3.4 billion for the first quarter, while its total advisor ranks dipped to 17,800 in line with previously reported plans for cuts.The wealth management business’ net revenue was up from $3.1 billion from the previous year due to higher commissions and asset-based revenue. The group had pre-tax income of $348 million compared with $278 million for the first quarter of 2010.

T. Rowe Price reported Thursday that quarterly earnings surged, but missed analysts’ lofty expectations.The Baltimore-based fund company reported a 27% increased in profits from a year earlier to $194.6 million, or 72 cents a share as net revenue rose 23% to $682.4 million.

Aided by a strong tailwind from market appreciation, Janus Capital Group reported an increase in profits in the first quarter as assets under management and revenue rose.The Denver mutual fund company’s earnings increased 21% to $37.9 million, or 21 cents per share, from a year earlier. Revenue was up 7.5% to $265.4 million.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index rose 0.4% in March to 114.1 (2004 = 100), following a 1.0% rise in February and a 0.2% gain in January. This puts the index at an all-time high, The Conference Board

BlackRock said it earned 35% more in this year’s first quarter, than last, helped by a “robust” pipeline of assignments for its software and technology services business.

Nearly half, 48%, of chief financial officers and senior comptrollers expect the economy to improve over the next six months, a marked improvement from the 30% who thought so in October, a survey of 318 executives by accounting and audit firm Grant Thornton found.

State Street’s top executive says the Boston-based company wants to continue to “fortify the foundation” without losing sight of opportunities for further growth.“I look back over the last couple of years, and in spite of what looks like a recovered market there is still a lot of instability,” Jay Hooley, State Street’s chief executive officer said in an interview on Tuesday. “We want to be sure our foundation is solid in terms of capital and risk management and make sure we have returned to basics in terms of our core asset servicing and asset management businesses, but also we want to be sure we are investing in enhancing our product capabilities. Our focus is really the whole package.”

BlackRock has launched the BlackRock Investment Institute, whose purpose is to provide investment insights to clients.