Investments

In the midst of an already crowded marketplace of exchange-traded fund (ETF) providers, two new players are making a run for the end zone hoping to score with investors.

It wasn't long ago that Eliot Spitzer, reveling in the glory of a national media frenzy for having shaken down Wall Street scams with a power not even the entire Securities and Exchange Commission could muster, hinted he might one day run for president of the United States.

Schwab Successfully Unwinding SIVs: Analysts

Mutual funds may see a sharp drop in popularity in the coming years as investors start to explore newer products like separately managed accounts and exchange-traded funds.

Shakeouts at State Street Global Advisors and Bank of America's Columbia Management unit may be just the tip of the iceberg, as repercussions from the credit crunch hit mutual fund staffing levels.

Doomsayers and recession forecasters aside, two recent studies that advocate investments in large-cap growth equities say U.S. economic problems will be largely confined to the housing sector and some parts of the financial arena.

Emerging markets have become the new hot spot for mutual fund companies and investors looking to diversify their portfolios internationally, but analysts say even countries like China may be too correlated to the U.S. economy to escape a global recession-prompting some to look further, to new frontiers.

SEC Permits Companies to Bar Ballot Nominations

More than half of mutual fund investors don't know the difference between a mutual fund and an exchange-traded fund, but a recent survey found that many investors are interested in learning more about them and would consider buying ETFs if their financial adviser suggested it.

Despite signs that mutual funds and hedge funds are converging, long-only mutual funds are slackers compared to hedge funds when it comes to using external research.

After Two Month Suspension, China Again Approving Mutual Funds

DTCC's Managed Account Service Ready to Roll

NEW YORK-While the subprime crisis battered the stock market in the third quarter and the fourth quarter isn't expected to be any better, mutual fund portfolio managers and analysts believe the credit market turmoil will blow over. They spoke earlier this month at a media conference co-sponsored by Lipper and SunStar.

Predictions that the mutual fund industry will embrace elaborate alternative strategies, driven in part by European regulatory changes, may be a bit preliminary, according to some state-side asset management executives.

Donohue Urges Directors To Focus on Fair Value

Amid the sobering talk of a possible recession, there were two pieces of news last week that are cause for additional consternation. First, bond guru Bill Gross of Pimco warned that the subprime crisis could linger for another two years, wiping out another $250 billion in loan defaults through the end of next year on top of the $900 billion worth of current questionable collateralized debt obligations and subprime loans.

The self-policing efforts of the $1.8 trillion hedge fund industry took a step forward with last week's release of the Managed Funds Association's guidelines for best practices in the industry.

Amid the sobering talk of a possible recession, there were two pieces of news last week that are cause for additional consternation. First, bond guru Bill Gross of Pimco warned that the subprime crisis could linger for another two years, wiping out another $250 billion in loan defaults through the end of next year on top of the $900 billion worth of current questionable collateralized debt obligations and subprime loans.

Funds to Embrace More Elaborate Investments

ProShare on a $9 Billion Roll But Facing New Competition