Investments

Investors pulled a net $37.97 billion out of mutual funds in November, according to the latest numbers released today by the Investment Company Institute. Most of the outflows throughout the month came from equity funds and most of the inflows were posted by money market and fixed-income funds.

Even though the year ended with economists pointing to a potential recovery for the U.S. economy, 2011 could be summed up as "The Year of Living Cautiously." Here are the Top 10 investment and financial services stories of the year.

Volatility, the fear of a second worldwide recession, continued aversion to equity funds and uncertainty over Dodd-Frank regulatory fallout—all headlined 2011.

Only 30 stocks comprise the world’s most closely watched index – the Dow Jones Industrial Average – and its daily, weekly, monthly and annual gains (or losses) serve as a very handy – albeit simplistic – snapshot of investor sentiment and a decent barometer of how the U.S. and world economies are fairing.

Weakness in the euro and a report indicating investors are still a bit skittish about the market’s long-term prospects combined to sink U.S. stocks Wednesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 139.94 points, or 1.1%, to finish at 12,151.41.

Beginning Jan. 1, U.S. Savings Bonds will be going digital, saving taxpayers $120 million over the next five years.

U.S. homes are expected to lose more than $681 billion in value during 2011—and while that sounds like a staggering figure, it is 35% less than the $1.1 trillion lost in 2010, Zillow Real Estate Market Reports said.

As 2011 draws to a close, many investors are continuing to seek safety, TrimTabs Investment Research said Wednesday. They are socking most of their money into bank savings accounts and bond funds.

Sometimes it just isn’t your year. And 2011 wasn't the greatest of years for some of the world's most iconic companies, particularly for tech firms such as Cisco Systems and HP that have delivered massive returns to shareholders for years.

Eurozone worries contributed to a modest dip in investor confidence in December, according to a State Street analysis.

Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext said they have decided to push back the deadline for completing their merger until March 31.

Everybody loves a winner and if you or your clients held any of these top-performing Dow component stocks in their portfolios this year, there’s a pretty good chance they did quite well for themselves in 2011.

Stocks closed largely unchanged in languid trading Tuesday as the Dow Jones Industrial average trimmed 2.65 points to finish at 12,291.35. Trading volume was predictably light in the first session following the holiday weekend.

Aston Asset Management has launched the Aston/Silvercrest Small Cap Fund, sub-advised by Silvercrest Asset management Group, a high-quality, value-oriented boutique headquartered in New York.

Knight Capital Group has launched two actively managed exchange-traded funds run by subsidiary Astor Asset Management. The funds are the Astor Active Income ETF Fund and the Astor SP Growth ETF Fund.

Aston Asset Management has launched the Aston/Silvercrest Small Cap Fund, sub-advised by Silvercrest Asset management Group, a high-quality, value-oriented boutique headquartered in New York.

Knight Capital Group has launched two actively managed exchange-traded funds run by subsidiary Astor Asset Management. The funds are the Astor Active Income ETF Fund and the Astor SP Growth ETF Fund.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rose 9.3 points in December to 64.5 (1985 = 100), following a 14.3-point rise in November, The Conference Board said Tuesday.

There are plenty of ETF choices out there for investors. Some might make more sense than others, according to S&P Capital IQ.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index rose 0.5% in November to 118.0 (2004 = 100), following a 0.9% rise in October and a 0.1% bump in September.