Investments

Russell Investments has launched three international equity “factor” exchange-traded funds designed to provide investors with focused exposure to fundamental risk factors—namely low beta, low volatility and high momentum. The funds complement Russell’s existing 10 domestic factor ETFs.

Putnam Investments has launched the Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, a fixed income fund that aims to combine the capital preservation appeal of a money market fund with the higher yield of an ultra-short bond fund.

Jerome Abernathy of Rydex SGI says alternative investment strategies will be increasingly critical for advisors who want to generate yield for their clients while also protecting them against systemic financial shocks.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Americans need a financial plan to turn them around. They’ve been consuming too much and saving too little for the better part of two decades, Bill Gross, PIMCO’s co-founder and co-chief investment officer, told a rapt audience of financial planners at the opening of the Schwab Impact 2011 conference.

In 2009, U.S. banking regulators subjected 19 of America's largest and most important banks (the "Too Big To Fail" ones) to so-called stress-tests in order to understand how well each bank's capital reserves would meet different challenging economic scenarios.

Eaton Vance has launched the Eaton Vance Multi-Strategy All Market Fund, a new fund that can invest in a broad spectrum of asset classes, including stocks, bonds and alternatives. The fund’s managers will employ fundamental analysis, quantitative portfolio optimization and risk management techniques.

Secondary market trading volume surged to more than $851 billion in the third quarter of 2011, the highest so far this year, but still fell 8.5% short of the almost $931 billion reached during the same period last year, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board said Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 178.08 to 11836.04 Wednesday, reversing two days of declines. The market reacted to comments made by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke at a press conference on the Fed’s monetary policy.

Eaton Vance has launched the Eaton Vance Multi-Strategy All Market Fund, a new fund that can invest in a broad spectrum of asset classes, including stocks, bonds and alternatives. The fund’s managers will employ fundamental analysis, quantitative portfolio optimization and risk management techniques.

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.

Blue chips fell 297.05 points to 11657.96, the second day of losses as investors reacted negatively to economic news out of Greece. All but one of the component stocks ended down.

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.