Investment products

Exchange-traded fund assets rose 0.8% in July to $1.086 trillion, up from $1.077 trillion in June, the Investment Company Institute reports. Assets rose 32% from $821 billion a year ago, July 2010.

A lot of the banks actively unloading problem loans share a telling characteristic — ownership by big private equity groups or hedge funds.

Investors relieved by the relatively minimal impact of Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Irene pushed stocks higher Monday as the Dow Jones Industrial average stormed up 254.71 points to close at 11,539.25.

It may be true that past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, but a long track record may play well with investors during these tumultuous times. And that’s exactly what some prominent blended funds bring to the table.

Touchstone Investments has launched the Touchstone Merger Arbitrage Fund, which will seek to achieve positive returns over the long-term, regardless of market conditions, by investing in companies involved in publicly announced mergers or other corporate reorganizations.

While economists have predicted U.S. GDP growth of 3.1% over the next 12 months, Mellon Capital Management foresees growth of 2.0% -- primarily due to government policy stalemates and the lingering impact of the debt crisis in Europe.

The Dow Jones Industrial average rallied up another 135 points, or 1.2%, to close at 11,284.54 Friday, closing out a week that saw gold prices swoon and some semblance of investor confidence restored.

Columbia Management has launched the Columbia Acorn Emerging Markets Fund and the Columbia Acorn European Fund, each of which will invest in companies with market caps of less than $5 billion.

The Dow Jones Industrial average lopped off 171 points to finish at 11,149.82 while the Nasdaq composite fell 48 points, or 2%, to close at 2,149.16.

S&P equity research analysts say iconic founder Steve Jobs' resignation from an active management role at Apple isn't dissuading them from recommending the company's shares, but investors may still want to at least check their portfolios to see just how many Apple shares they actually own.

Investors pushed stocks higher in afternoon trading Wednesday, propelling the Dow Jones Industrial average up 144 points, or 1.3%, to close at 11.320.71. Gold, meanwhile, lost some of its luster, shedding 5.6% of its value to close at $1,757.30, its largest one-day decline in more than three years.

U.S. investors may be overly worried about the fate of the euro, and overly confident in the U.S. dollar, according to Kieran Osborne, co-portfolio manager of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Merk Funds.

Moody’s downgrade of Japanese debt Wednesday was bad news for the country, but it could present a stock buying opportunity, according to Adam Patti, CEO of IndexIQ.

Investors have mostly been focused on fast-growing companies that may not be of the highest intrinsic value, but now it’s quality dividend payers’ turn.

While broker-dealers are placing increasing importance on home office model portfolios, the recent extreme market volatility has made many financial advisors and brokers skeptical of such asset allocation, a report from kasina finds.

Bargain hunters got back into the mix Tuesday, snapping up shares across all sectors as the Dow Jones Industrial average stormed up 322 points, or 3%, for the day.

A new report just released by Moody’s Capital Markets Research Group says that the recent volatility of equities markets in the U.S. -- along with other dreary economic news -- is having an unmistakably negative impact on the nation’s economy.

As the cost of college soars and many state institutions are charging as much as $36,000 a year for out-of-state students and private college costs approaching more than $50,000 a year, the percent of total costs families say they are able to cover themselves has fallen. Yet most advisors aren't recommending 529 college savings plans to their clients.

Transamerica is planning to roll out the Transamerica Global Tactical Fund in October. Sub-advised by Aegon Investment Management, the fund will invest in exchange-traded funds that focus on high-yield bonds and non-U.S. debt, including emerging markets.

SunGard has added credit risk analysis to its SunGard Global Network Short-Term Cash Management portal, relying on data from Standard & Poors, Sector Treasury and Crane Data.