Investments

They don't have the big-chip cache of the large-cap funds or the diamond-in-the-rough promise of the small caps, but mid-cap mutual funds have consistently outperformed both of those asset classes over the past decade and there's no reason to think that trend will end anytime soon.

Continuing a comeback after a difficult 2010, annuity sales through banks topped $4 billion in March to reach their highest level since exactly two years earlier, according to research firm Kehrer-LIMRA.

Exchange traded funds continue to gain in popularity with both retail and institutional investors but actively managed ETFs represent only a tiny fraction of the more than $1.1 trillion in assets trading in U.S. ETFs.

The schizophrenic behavior of the U.S. economy in the past six months has forced large consumer products firms to look outside their own empires for new revenue sources. Fortunately, most of them have plenty of cash to spend.

IndexIQ has launched the IQ Hong Kong Small Cap ETF, which it says it the first exchange-traded fund to focus on the sector. It will track the IQ Hong Kong Small Cap Index.

Robust Demand For Some Credits

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. ticked down by 0.3% in April to 114.0 (2004 = 100), following a 0.7% increase in March and a 0.9% increase in February.

Calamos International is now making its three-year-old Calamos Emerging Markets Fund available as a UCITS.

Palmer Square Capital Management, a manager of hedge funds-of-funds and customized alternative investments, had launched its first open end mutual fund, the Palmer Square Absolute Return Fund.

In response to growing demand for international equity funds, RS Investments has launched two new global equity mutual funds, the RS Global Growth Fund and the RS Greater China Fund. Baillie Gifford Overseas will sub-advise the funds.

A new report released this week from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) claims that some of the largest mutual funds -- including Vanguard and BlackRock -- are guilty of rubber-stamping company-initiated, executive-compensation plans that are often out of whack with their companies' performance and therefore compromising shareholders' best interests in the process.

Russell Investments has launched a new suite of six exchange-traded funds, the Russell Investment Discipline ETFs, which focus on six investment styles commonly used by investment managers.

Global X Funds has launched the Global X Auto ETX (ticker: VROM), which will invest 76% of its portfolio in auto manufacturers and 26% in auto parts and equipment.

Variable annuities sales in 2011 climbed significantly in early 2011, continuing a trend begun last year, and reversing a slide that saw them fall from a high of $184 billion in 2007 to a low of $128 billion in 2009.

Investors redeem $950 million from equity funds.

LAS VEGAS - Could the United States be headed for another Great Depression?

Fidelity Investments has launched its first international high-yield fund, the Fidelity Global High Income Fund.

Taxable bond funds and exchange traded funds enjoyed another banner month in April, according to Morningstar's latest Direct Fund Flow Update, adding another $17.7 billion and $23.3 billion in inflows, respectively.

Mercer reports more searches for money managers globally.

LAS VEGAS - The federal budget deficit is estimated to skyrocket to $1.6 trillion in 2011, but Andrew H. Friedman of The Washington Update told a standing-room only crowd at the Investment Management Consultants Association's annual conference that there are still opportunities for investors.While the substantial deficit is here to stay, the $2 trillion in stimulus that has flooded the economy has made for huge growth in the stock market, Friedman explained. “We need to be careful what happens when the stimulus stops,” he added.