Investments

The tide of investor demand stays high for municipal bond mutual funds. A strong week of record-low muni bond yields on the intermediate and long ends of the curve marked the week ended July 25.investor-demands-keeps-muni-fund-flows-high

The Dow Jones Industrial Average stormed up 211.88 points Thursday to end at 12,887.93 while the tech-laden Nasdaq and S&P 500 gained 39 points and 22 points, respectively.

On July 26, 2012, Target-date funds pulled in $13.9 billion in the second quarter despite the nearly 3% loss on average, according to Morningstar.

Los Angeles-based del Rey Global Investors, LLC, has expanded its sales and marketing groups with the addition of Dean C. Phillips as vice president, National Sales and Marketing, and Dennis McCarthy, vice president, Institutional Sales.

On July 26, 2012, BlackRock Inc., Fidelity Investments and Vanguard Group Inc., firms that collectively manage more than $7 trillion, are gauging how their clients have been hurt by Libor manipulation and whether to take legal action as at least a dozen banks are being investigated for rate-rigging.

Mass affluent clients represent the sweet spot for every wealth management firm's business. So what's on their minds right now?

Scottsdale, AZ-based Longboard Asset Management has launched the Longboard Managed Futures Strategy Fund (WAVIX), a trend following offering.

The $99 million inflow reported by the Investment Company Institute for the week ended July 18 does not erase the $11.8 billion pulled out of such funds in the prior six weeks.

The municipal bond market continues to strengthen as positive supply and demand factors this week push tax-exempts higher.

United Technologies Companylast month took the plunge into providing its employees a steady stream of retirement income.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved up 58.73 points Wednesday to close at 12,676.05 while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 lost 8.75 points and 0.42 points, respectively.

It was only $99 million, in the week ended July 18, 2012.

Attention fund builders: There’s still time to shine a light on the smartest and most effective mutual fund executives, back office innovators and marketing gurus you know.

On July 25, 2012, Columbus, OH-based Huntington Asset Advisors, Inc. has launched a second actively managed exchange-traded fund, US Equity Rotation Strategy ETF, via its new ETF family, Huntington Strategy Shares. The Huntington EcoLogical Strategy ETF (NYSE Arca: HECO) made its debut last month.

On July 25, 2012, Old Mutual Asset Management, the U.S.-based global asset management business of Old Mutual plc, has named John Harrington as Director of U.S. Consultant Relations, responsible for business development in the consultant channel.

Huntington’s second venture into the ETF market will be actively managed and use a sector-rotation strategy.

On July 25, 2012, Vanguard has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund in Q4.

Trading is down 18.9% from the first half of last year, according to statistics reported by members of the World Federation of Exchanges. Trading in the Americas is down 14.3%.

Discounted exchange-traded fund provider Vanguard now tops the field of leading ETF providers among advisors in another category: favorable impressions.

Olney, M.D.-based Arrow Investments is looking to add active exchange-traded funds and more alternative mutual funds to its quiver.