Investments

The downgrade of U.S. debt may have led to more market volatility than the Flash Crash. That’s the initial result of comparing the average daily volume of stock trading in August 2011 to the volume in May 2010, when stocks fell nearly 1,000 points at one point in a single day of trading.

Stocks plunged again Thursday on concerns that Europe is still struggling to prevent its persistent debt crisis from spreading to some of its largest economies, pushing several to the brink of a recession.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said it suspended an Illinois broker for 16 months for manipulating trades using spoofing and other tactics.

The downgrade of U.S. debt may have led to more market volatility than the Flash Crash.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.5% in July to 115.80 ( 2004 = 100 ), marking the third month in a row that the index has risen. June saw a 0.3% gain, and May say a 0.7% increase.

Van Eck Global has introduced the Market Vectors Mortgage REIT Income ETF (ticker: MORT).

More than $40 billion flowed out of all forms of mutual funds in the week that featured the first-ever downgrade of U.S. debt.

Cantor Fitzgerald is in the process of launching an ETF Arbitrage business that will provide customers with two-sided ETF markets, encompassing full-service execution, research and market color.

Fidelity Clearing Canada has enhanced its Streetscape workstation with additional market research news and information as well as syndication data on new issue distribution and reporting.

Aside from a disappointing sales outlook from tech leader Dell, investors had little economic data to react to or run from Wednesday, resulting in a fairly eventless day of trading across the board.

With the market and economy turbulent, fund managers are steering away from equities and toward the safe haven of cash.

The debt ceiling debate, the nation’s credit rating downgrade, market declines and unemployment are taking a serious toll on investors, causing the Country Financial Security Index to fall 1.3 points in August to 62.4, a record low.

Cantor Fitzgerald is in the process of launching an ETF Arbitrage business that will provide customers with two-sided ETF markets, encompassing full-service execution, research and market color.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed out its first losing session in four days Tuesday as investors sold shares despite the best efforts of German and French economic leaders to assuage fears that debt issues will hamstring their respective economies.

With the market and economy turbulent, fund managers are steering away from equities and toward the safe haven of cash.

The Retirement Income Industry Association this week announced that Duncan Williams, a graduate instructor in the personal financial planning division at Texas Tech University, and his advisor, Michael Finke, an associate professor and coordinator at the university, will receive the first Academic Thought Leadership Award at the association's Fall Conference & Awards Gala in Boston in October.

Investors worried about the risks inherent in the market’s dramatic volatility over recent weeks and months might do well to pay attention to fund flows and to put their own money where the flows are going and staying.

The debt ceiling debate, the nation’s credit rating downgrade, market declines and unemployment are taking a serious toll on investors, causing the Country Financial Security Index to fall 1.3 points in August to 62.4, a record low.

The inability of stock analysts and others to say, “Oops, I was wrong” may help cause even more serious damage in the stock market over time.

The last two weeks have been a heart-stopping roller coaster ride for investors. But don’t assume that the ride is necessarily over, said Michael Ryan, chief investment strategist at UBS.