Mutual funds

ETF Securities has launched the ETFS Precious Metals Basket, an exchange-traded fund that holds fixed physical weights of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.

Investors with at least $100,000 to invest are sorely in need of guidance on fixed income risk, asset allocation and retirement readiness, MFS Investment Management found in a survey of 613 investors.

Aviva Investors has launched the Aviva Investors Core Aggregate Fixed Income and the Aviva Investors High Yield Bond funds.

Three of the new funds will invest in large-cap stocks.

RiverPark Advisors has launched a new family of no-load open-end mutual funds, three of which will invest in large-cap stocks.

Asset held in exchange-traded funds increased 10.6% in September.

France, Germany and others, meanwhile, are uncomfortable with the powers of the EU’s new securities regulator.

Seeing an increased appetite for munis from individual buyers, Fidelity Investments has ramped up its underwriting capabilities in recent years, saying it wants to give clients quicker access to new product with better prices and more transparency.

Expert investors and analysts have been saying it for years: Economies in the emerging markets have become so sophisticated that the so-called frontier markets are becoming the place to find richer yields.

Eaton Vance Management has launched the Eaton Vance Richard Bernstein Multi-Market Equity Strategy Fund, which will be managed by Richard Bernstein, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of sub-advisor Richard Bernstein Advisors.

The Russell Frontier Index offers broad coverage of African countries, which had been previously underrepresented.

Some parts of the fixed-income market are hard to track with a traditional ETF.

TD Ameritrade is lifting the trading commissions on 101 exchange-traded funds indefinitely. Investors must hold the ETFs for at least 30 days, however; otherwise they will be charged the standard $9.99 fee.

Vanguard Group removed AllianceBernstein as manager of the Vanguard U.S. Growth Fund, replacing it with Wellington Management and Delaware Investments. William Blair will continue to run one-third of the fund.

Another $3 billion leaves equity funds.

Standard & Poor’s has announced the finalists for its inaugural U.S. Mutual Fund Excellence Awards program.There are 29 funds, from a starting pool of 19,000 mutual funds. Seventeen fund families are represented across ten categories. Gold, silver and bronze award recipients in each category will be announced during a live video broadcast in November, from S&P’s offices, the company said.

There are 29 funds, from a starting pool of 19,000 mutual funds. Seventeen fund families are represented across ten categories. Gold, silver and bronze award recipients in each category will be announced during a live video broadcast in November, from S&P’s offices, the company said.

The fund giant has cut cost in 52 funds by lowering the qualifications for Admiral Shares.

New satellite section on homepage is called J.P. Morgan On Demand.

Eaton Vance Tuesday announced the launch of the Eaton Vance Option Absolute Return Strategy Fund, a fund that aims to deliver returns independent of the stock and bond markets and that is benchmarked against short-term cash instruments.