Investments

Certain securities salespeople are giving the brokerage industry a bad name by putting clients into manifestly unsuitable securities, namely leveraged and inversed ETFs, which are attracting wary and watchful eyes among U.S. regulators.

Gold climbed to the highest level in a month on speculation that the Federal Reserve will slow the pace of cuts to stimulus after U.S. payrolls increased less than analysts forecast. Silver, platinum and palladium rose.

Municipal bonds remain attractive even after their divergence from Treasuries this past week, industry watchers say, suggesting the recent signs of strength in the market may carry into the new year.

Month after month, JPMorgan Chase endures negative headlines — this week came the announcement that the bank is paying $2.6 billion to settle allegations related to Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme — yet investment analysts remain bullish on its stock.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the probe that led to his settlement with BlackRock Inc. over analyst surveys is looking at brokerage firms and individuals who provided nonpublic information that could have been used to trade.

U.S. stocks fluctuated as investors scrutinized data showing a slowdown in jobs growth for clues on the pace of Federal Reserve stimulus cuts.

Municipal bond mutual funds recorded their lightest outflows since May 22—when they last registered inflows. But money still flowed from funds for a 33rd straight week, Lipper FMI numbers showed.

Contrary to popular belief, there are some tech stocks that offer dividends for a client portfolio. Here are a few ways to find them.

FINRA alleges that the firms' advisors sold two types of highly risky ETFs that even they didn't understand.

In this newly created role, Philip Poole will lead research activity across the firm’s investment platform globally.

UBS AG, Switzerland's biggest bank, is considering a spinoff of its investment banking business as regulators’ demands for more capital thwart efforts to boost returns, according to Mediobanca analysts.

Emerging-market stocks rose for the first time this year after the International Monetary Fund said it will raise its forecast for world growth.

China’s stocks rose, led by energy companies after Offshore Oil Engineering Co. reported a jump in profit. A gauge of small-company shares headed for a record.

Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Bill Gross said investors should focus on shorter-maturity debt as the slow pace of U.S. inflation signals the Federal Reserve’s benchmark rate will remain at almost zero until at least 2016.

State Street Corp., the second- biggest provider of exchange-traded funds, plans to introduce its first actively managed stock ETFs in partnership with MFS Investment Management.

The IRS has concluded that $720 million of student-loan bonds issued by a New Hampshire authority are taxable, leading the issuer to move toward requesting an administrative appeal and asking the IRS to reopen its audits of the bonds.

It has been quite the ride for gold: from under $500 an ounce decade ago, to above $1,900 in 2011, gold gained more than 400%.

Investors prizing Princeton University bonds have fueled gains relative to top-graded municipal debt.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could consider expanding exemptions for small lenders from its qualified mortgage rule after it goes into effect on Friday, according to Richard Cordray, the agency's director.

Deutsche Bank AG, Europe's biggest investment bank by revenue, will review whether to punish senior employees including Alan Cloete for their roles in the interest-rate rigging scandal, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.