Investments

S&P Capital IQ mutual fund analyst Todd Rosenbluth highlights three five-star mutual funds for advisors and analysts to keep an eye on this year.

Vanguard this week announced plans to introduce two international bond index funds for U.S. investors. The two funds -- Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund and Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond Index Fund -- are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2012 pending review of the registration statements by the SEC.

IndexIQ has expanded its IQ series of 16 funds with the IQ Global Alternatives ETF Model Portfolio. The investment vehicle uses liquid, transparent, low-cost alternative exchange-traded funds to achieve diversification, growth of capital and low volatility.

Highland Funds Asset Management has launched the Highland Alpha Trend Strategies Fund, a global fund that will invest in country- and region-specific exchange-traded funds as well as take long and short positions in equity indexes. The fund aims to invest in areas with low correlation and volatility.

MF Global Holdings, a major player in th futures market, has filed for bankruptcy after failing to find a buyer.

Analysts and managers say they are finding value in the municipal market by taking advantage of attractive intermediate yields and buying opportunities presented by credits that find themselves in the headlines, among other strategies.

Preferreds are getting popular because they generate income—but they require a lot of diligence and involve a lot of fine print

Was a complex product sold to a wealthy family that was only suitable for an institutional client?

Winners will include—not only cyclical sectors that do well early in a market cycle—but also defensive plays.

The U.S. commercial real estate industry is on the mend.

How the big bank stress test strategy could bolster your clients' portfolios against market volatility.

Receiving some of our investment income in the currencies of those more rapidly growing economies may help us preserve our purchasing power.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 276.10 points, or 2.26%, to 11955.01 Monday on concerns about plans to repair Europe’s debt crisis. However, stocks finished the month up 1041.63 points, or 9.54%.

Highland Funds Asset Management has launched the Highland Alpha Trend Strategies Fund, a global fund that will invest in country- and region-specific exchange-traded funds as well as take long and short positions in equity indexes. The fund aims to invest in areas with low correlation and volatility.

In September, more money flowed into mutual funds than flowed out, breaking a three-month pattern of fund outflows, according to Cerulli Associates’ October report on product trends. Despite the reversal into positive territory, however, mutual fund assets remain at a yearly low of $7.4 trillion.

Schwab Charitable has launched the Charitable Legacy Program, to enable individuals to extend their charitable giving beyond their lifetimes.

Financial advisors can now purchase T. Rowe Price Advisor Class shares for their clients at no transaction fee on the Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource platform.

With Europe in the grip of a massive debt crisis, U.S. unemployment still near double digits and global markets roiling on what seems an unending rollercoaster ride, the impact from the 2008 financial meltdown has been nothing if not severe.

Flexibility. Tactical allocation. Macroeconomic analysis.

The Dow Jones Credit Suisse Hedge Fund Index fell for a second straight month, finishing down 3.2% in September, but beating the Dow Jones Global Index’s 9.88% decline.