Mutual funds

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.

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.

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.

Investors redeem $950 million from equity funds.

Unified Managed Accounts skyrocketed over 100% in the last year, and at double the rate of any other segment, but they are still only 6% of the $2 trillion industry.

Reversing a trend of outflows, tax-exempt money market funds raked in $3.33 billion to end the week of May 9 with $309.95 billion in total net assets, according to the Money Fund Report, a service of iMoneyNet.com.

Investors often make the mistake of exposing themselves to too much risk in their portfolios or failing to take on enough risk for their investment timeline. Here are a couple of large-cap funds that might represent a happy and profitable compromise.

Orinda Asset Management has launched the Orinda Multi-Manager Hedged Equity Fund, a fund that seeks long-term capital appreciation with an emphasis on risk-adjusted returns and reduced volatility.

Van Eck Global has launched the Market Vectors LatAm Aggregate Fund ETF, which will track the BofA Merrill Lynch Broad Latin America Bond Index.

The previous minimum was $3,000 for eleven of the twelve funds in the series.

But investors redeem $1.9 billion from equity funds.

Putnam Investments is the inaugural recipient of the Innovation and Growth Forum’s Innovation Award for its suite of absolute return funds. The Forum was launched by Financial Advisor Magazine and Spectrem Group to help asset management firms with their post-economic crisis strategies.

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Global X Funds has launched the Global X Mexico Small-Cap ETF, which it says is the first exchange-traded fund to focus on Mexico’s small-cap companies.

Markit and Deutsche Bank said they are providing financial research through a single application for iPad users.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Regulation of mutual fund distribution practices "can't be left to stand'' as it is, Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Mary L. Schapiro said Friday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On the one-year anniversary of the Flash Crash, Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Mary L. Schapiro said the behavior of high-frequency trading firms will be closely scrutinized -- and placing obligations on high-speed traders to maintain markets in stocks "remains on the table.''

Nassim Taleb has made a career out of trying to get financial professionals to pay recognize that unpredictable events do occur, with devestating effect.

Kris Jenner is trained as a surgeon and since 2000 has managed T. Rowe Price’s Healthcare Technology fund. Having an M.D. at the helm of a fund—and another on its analyst team—doesn’t hurt. Health Sciences boasts Lipper’s top scores for total return, consistent return and capital preservation, as well as low expenses.

There's a new world order coming in mutual funds. And a new form of wholesaler -- colloquially called a "schmeek" -- will be helping financial advisers understand its new complexity and sell a constantly evolving kaleidoscope of new products to individual investors.