Investment products

There’s a lot of debate right now about whether putting annuities in 401(k) plans is a good idea or not.

A tiny hedge fund scans thousands of articles to gauge investor sentiment—when there is an optimistic shift in tone, it buys and waits for others to pile on.

Money managers buck August’s pessimism to enjoy a rosy September.

The Basel III bank capital requirements proposed earlier this month threaten to eviscerate the supply of eligible investments for tax-free money market funds — an industry already struggling with a severe supply shortage.

Brown Brothers expanded its relationship with OppenheimerFunds to provide middle and back office services through a new “lift-out” agreement for a $155 billion division.

Asset allocations won’t change dramatically over the next year, but as money leaves conservative investments, it will move into emerging markets and international funds.

The company announced Wednesday it launched seven exchange-traded funds based on Russell indexes.

Tools and education guide investors on rolling over an IRA.

The company calls the two sectors “important fixed income areas.”

Benjamin Gong and David Ferguson have joined the nearly $35 billion Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (SPRS) as senior investment analysts, Michael Golden, director of external affairs, told IMW.

Observers note the move comes amid intensifying competition among equity funds.

With so much money in motion as people change jobs, qualified-account conversions are the quick ticket for advisors looking to grow assets fast.

She was hired by GAMCO in December 2005 with 20 years experience in mutual fund treasury operations with various fund companies. In May 2009, she was promoted to senior vice president.

The sell-off in municipal bonds finally appeared to sap some retail demand for state and local government debt last week as muni mutual funds reported taking in the paltriest amount of new money in six weeks.

Lyxor Asset Management named Fabian Pavlowsky as head of quantitative strategies within the Societe Generale subsidiary’s Hedge Fund Research team based in New York.

Banks, losing fees elsewhere, are looking to investment services to make up the difference.

Fixed-income and commodity ETFs move up as equity prices slide.

"Moving away form AAA ratings is sacrilege," protests Peter Crane of Crane Data.

The Unified Managed Account Exchange gives RIAs more control over product selection.

Thin supply of short-term holdings and low yields are pushing managers into complex, potentially risky and illiquid instruments.