Investments

Americans’ financial outlook is ending 2011 with a continued rise in confidence, the Country Financial Security Index shows. The index rose 1.6 points in December, to end the year at 64.8.

A jury for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has ruled in favor of an SEC lawsuit against a former Prudential Securities registered rep for market timing mutual funds between 2001 and 2003.

Bank stocks were pounded again Monday on concerns that Basel III capital requirements would provide another blow to the beleaguered industry. Investors also dumped shares after European Central Bank head Mario Draghi gave a speech in which he offered little in the way of support to solve the region’s sovereign debt crisis.

Invesco has launched the Invesco Premium Income Fund, aimed at investors looking for current income streams. The strategy is designed “to provide protection during periods of economic stress” while still meeting income goals, the firm said.

The IRI said the nation’s insurance regulatory system needs to be modernized – and insurance products, most notably annuities and other insured retirement income products – need to be made available to underserved populations.

U.S. stocks closed mixed Friday, wrapping up a forgettable week that featured a lot of anxiety about the goings-on in Europe and a better-than-expected jobs report.

Morningstar has announced its five nominees for the Morningstar Domestic Stock Fund Manager of the Year Award. The 2011 nominees are:

William Blair Funds has introduced the William Blair Small-Mid Cap Value Fund, aimed at delivering long-term capital appreciation and portfolio diversification by taking moderate risk.

The $241 billion PIMCO Total Return, which has underperformed its peers over the past year -- returning 3.48% year to date -- has been hit with $17 billion in outflows, Morningstar data shows. By comparison, taxable bond funds, which are up 5.87% YTD, took in $105.8 billion in inflows over the past 12 months.

Eleven of these additions are also being made to the Russell 2000 Index. Fifteen of the IPOs are also becoming part of the Russell ex-U.S. Index—12 of which are in Asia-Pacific, eight in emerging markets and four becoming part of the Russell Greater China Index.

Russell Global Index is absorbing 31 initial public offerings for the fourth quarter, effective Monday, Dec. 19.

William Blair Funds has introduced the William Blair Small-Mid Cap Value Fund, aimed at delivering long-term capital appreciation and portfolio diversification by taking moderate risk.

The $241 billion PIMCO Total Return, which has underperformed its peers over the past year—returning 3.48% year to date—has been hit with $17 billion in outflows, Morningstar data shows. By comparison, taxable bond funds, which are up 5.87% YTD, took in $105.8 billion in inflows over the past 12 months.

Invesco has launched the Invesco Premium Income Fund, aimed at investors looking for current income streams, the investment management firm announced. The strategy is designed “to provide protection during periods of economic stress” while still meeting income goals, the firm said in a statement.

Investors pushed stocks higher for the first time this week Thursday after an initial jobless claims report checked in at a three-and-a-half week low and the Philadelphia’s Fed’s Business Outlook for December came in with a 10.3 reading – dramatically higher than the 4 score most economists had predicted.

Advisors agree almost unanimously that volatility will be a force to reckon with in the next two years, but 38% are not using managed volatility strategies in client portfolios, according to an SEI poll of 200 financial advisors.

On the heels of reports coming out of Washington on the government’s scramble to protect the country’s power grid from cybercriminals, CSC reports the launch of an Insurance Cybersecurity Advisory Council for life insurance and annuity providers and property/casualty insurers.

us-equity-mutual-fund-outflows-spike

According to the latest statistics from the Investment Company Institute, an estimated $5.76 billion left domestic equity mutual funds the week ended Dec. 7, continuing a long streak of net investor redemptions. Since May 1, investors have been pulled nearly $135 billion from U.S. stock funds.

Stocks recorded losses for a third day in row Wednesday as commodity and energy stocks fell amid persistent concerns that European banking officials aren’t doing enough to safeguard the region – and the rest of the world – from a more severe economic downturn.