Investments

iShares has filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission to launch a frontier market exchange-traded fund.

Aston Asset Management, LP has promoted Mark Kim to managing director, Southeast Region where he will be responsible for external sales. Kim has been with Aston for seven years.

Dallas, Texas-based Pyxis Capital, L.P. has launched the Pyxis Natural Resources Fund to invest all of its assets in the Ascendant Natural Resources Master Fund, which is managed by Ascendant Advisors, LLC.

J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services said that it has been appointed by Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC to provide custody and exchange-traded fund transfer agency services to its newly launched Yorkville High Income master limited partnerships ETF.

Horizon Investments has launched a no-load actively-managed mutual fund that invests in exchange-traded funds.

Many banks were aggressive buyers of municipal bonds in 2011, seeing value in high relative tax-exempt yields and stepping in to make direct purchases of debt.

Peter Graham is the head of Product Development and Marketing at New York-based Mirae Asset Global Investments (USA), an arm of an Asian financial services firm that tries to provide investors in the United States with access to investments in emerging markets.

OTC Markets Group said its net income increased 69 percent in 2011, on a revenue jump of 18 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average stormed up 160.90 points to 13,241.63 Monday after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke indicated the central bank might continue easing its monetary policy to support the economy if the nation’s high unemployment rate remains unchanged.

J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services today said that it has been appointed by Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC to provide custody and exchange traded fund transfer agency services to its newly launched Yorkville High Income master limited partnerships ETF.

Portland, Ore.-based Invest n Retire, LLC, a record keeper for tax-deferred retirement plans, has appointed Agustin J. (Gus) Fleites as chief executive officer.

Horizon Investments has launched a no-load actively-managed mutual fund that invests in exchange-traded funds.

Here’s an interactive slide show detailing five important facts every financial advisor needs to know about actively managed ETFs.

Here’s an interactive slide show highlighting five facts advisors and investors need to know about actively managed ETFs.

Bank of America today released a its own version of a multiple employer plan for small businesses, dubbed Merrill Edge Small Business 401(k), targeting plan sponsors with 401(k) plan assets under $250,000.

Wilshire Associates Inc. has promoted John Hindman to the role of president of the firm.

N.Y. Liberty Development Corp. tops Bond Buyer 100 list of leading muni bond issuers.

With muni yields having backed up from lows established earlier in the year, the environment may have shifted to the point where issuers are unsure about the timing for bringing new deals to market.

According to the 2012 Consultant Search Forecast, four major themes are now affecting investor decisions when they shop for asset managers: steady income; globalization; alternative investment and liability-driven investing by corporate pension plans.

Exchange-traded funds are all the craze and new ones are coming out of the woodwork daily. But do investors really know what they’re buying in a hedge replication strategy or an Eastern European index fund?