Investments

Financial advisors will remember 2011 as “The Year of Volatility” or “The Year of Uncertainty,” according to a survey of 200 financial advisors polled this month by the SEI Advisor Network, an asset management and back-office administration service provider to financial advisors.

Stock mutual funds lost $5.49 billion for the week ended Wednesday, Dec. 14, according to the latest statistics from the Investment Company Institute.

Disappointing earnings from Oracle and lackluster new homes sales were enough to keep investors off balance Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial average eked out a slight gain – up 4 points to 12,107.74 – but tech stocks were roughed up.

The funds might include both domestic and U.S.-listed foreign companies, a feature that allows for a more global representation.

Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext have offered to cap fees on trading in their European derivatives contracts for three years in their last-ditch effort to get their $9 billion merger cleared by the European Union.

Encouraging economic news from Europe and the Commerce Department put a charge into stocks Tuesday, sending the Dow Jones Industrial average up 337 points – its largest single-day surge of the month.

Global X Funds is liquidating eight of its exchange-traded funds, including a fund focused on emerging markets and another on waste management.

Investment management firm Matthews it will re-open two of its funds to new investors. The Matthews Asian Growth and Income and the Matthews Asia Small Companies funds will both reopen on Jan. 4, 2012.

Dalbar has announced its 2011 Mutual Fund Service Award Winners in Financial Services—with top honors for customer service going to:

Versus Capital will launch a retail mutual fund-of-funds that invests directly in income-producing real estate—a type of investment typically only available to institutional investors. Callan Associates will serve as sub-advisor.

Global X Funds is liquidating eight of its exchange-traded funds, including a fund focused on emerging markets and another on waste management. All of the funds trade on NYSE Arca. The eight closings, scheduled for Feb. 27, with the last day of trading on Feb. 16, are:

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.