Investments

Guinness Atkinson Asset Management last week disclosed in a regulatory filing its first proposed exchange-traded fund: a dividend offering.

Since peaking at $1,900 per ounce in September 2011, the price of gold has dropped nearly 22%, to last Friday’s close. Labeling himself an “inveterate contrarian,” John Stoltzfus, chief investment strategist at Oppenheimer, suggests that a near-term bounce might be in order.

North Peak Asset Management has added a new fund to its family. The Duxbury, MA shop launched the Inflation Hedges Strategy fund (INHIX, INHRX) which will invest in asset classes that are sensitive to increases in inflation.

Although the market is improving in some places, the overall value of real estate owned by U.S. households fell to $17.65 trillion in 2012 from $22.7 trillion in 2006, according to the Federal Reserve. Much of that decline hit boomers the hardest, since most were in their peak earning years when the financial meltdown occurred and were living in the largest homes they would ever own. Financial planners now face a challenge: how to help clients chart a future that will meet their housing and health needs while preserving as much of their assets and capital as possible.

Although the market is improving in some places, the overall value of real estate owned by U.S. households fell to $17.65 trillion in 2012 from $22.7 trillion in 2006, according to the Federal Reserve. Much of that decline hit boomers the hardest, since most were in their peak earning years when the financial meltdown occurred and were living in the largest homes they would ever own. Financial planners now face a challenge: how to help clients chart a future that will meet their housing and health needs while preserving as much of their assets and capital as possible.

Revenue from trading bonds declined 3% to $4.6 billion, excluding adjustments, from the same period last year, Citigroup said. David Trone, an analyst with JMP Securities LLC, had estimated $3.2 billion. Moshe Orenbuch, a Credit Suisse Group AG analyst, predicted $4.2 billion.

Vanguard is shaking up its government relations office.

New rules to reduce risk in money-market mutual funds will be proposed in the next two months by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which won’t be slowed by a leadership change, a commissioner said last week.

Richard Weil, chief executive officer at Janus Capital Group, had his compensation reduced 19% to $4.98 million in 2012 as investors withdrew $12.1 billion from the firm.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is getting social.

As a financial advisor to numerous types of clients, including recent retirees, I often think deeply about the issues my clients face in this market environment.

Pimco's 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF reported $204.1 million of inflows on April 8, the same day the SPDR Barclays High Yield Bond ETF recorded its second-biggest daily redemption since its inception more than five years ago, equal to about $378 million worth of shares, Bloomberg reports.

The job market in asset management may not be back to pre-crisis levels, but hiring will likely pick up after second quarter earnings reports, says recruiter George Wilbanks, president of Wilbanks Partners.

Eaton Vance has proposed a new form of fund that is a hybrid between a mutual fund and an exchange-traded fund, called an exchange-traded managed fund (ETMF).

New York-based Krane Funds Advisors is prepping a series of passive exchange-traded funds to add to the growing list of ETF products in the market

Richard Weil, chief executive officer at Janus Capital Group had his compensation reduced 19% to $4.98 million in 2012 as investors withdrew $12.1 billion from the firm.

Memphis, TN-based SouthernSun Asset Management is closing its SouthernSun Small Cap Fund (SSSFX) to new investors on May 17, according to a regulatory filing.

Mutual fund investors rolled some $2.0 billion into equity mutual funds for the week ended April 10, according to Jeff Tjornehoj, Head of Americas Research at Lipper, who said that: “Lest anyone get too excited about the inflows, they were the lightest weekly net sales of this year.”

Money market assets fell $8.9 billion to $2.6 trillion for the week ended April 10, according to Investment Company Institute data.

Northern Trust is touting the rapid growth of its’ defined contribution assets.