09/27/11 | 10:31 am EDT
Most believe that an agreed-upon plan for the Eurozone will not go far enough to increase economic growth in the region. And nearly everyone expects Greece to “officially” default. What’s more, if tighten-the-belt austerity doesn’t sit well with disenchanted Greek workers, how will it sit in the stomachs of 2-hour, lunch-breaking Italian employees?
“Oh Gary,” you say, ...
09/20/11 | 10:26 am EDT
Last October, enthusiasm for Brazil had reached epic proportions. And why not? Not only had the iShares MSCI Brazil Fund (EWZ) risen 175% off its November 2008 lows, but the country constitutes one of the essential building blocks in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, China, India) fortress.
Indeed, the country boasts the world’s 7th largest economy, a consumption-oriented middle class and a treasure ...
08/15/11 | 9:25 am EDT
Beginning with subprime concerns in 2007, the United States had to throw all kinds of spaghetti at the Wall before noodles began to stick. For instance, the Federal Reserve first slashed interest rates. Later, in March of 2008, the Fed and J.P. Morgan orchestrated a buy-out of Bear Stearns. In September, the SEC banned the short-selling of financial companies.
Still no spaghetti.
Big ...
08/11/11 | 8:07 am EDT
Rampant inflation in India, as well as troublesome price increases in China, have caused respective monetary authorities to limit borrowing. Investors rarely celebrate higher interest rates or bank reserve restrictions.
Equally disturbing, ultra-slow growth in the developed world hinders emerging economy exporting. Moreover, the sovereign debt uncertainty in Europe, as well as in the United ...
08/03/11 | 6:56 am EDT
On 8/2/11, the same day that President Obama signed a bipartisan bill to raise the debt ceiling, the stock market floor collapsed. Specifically, the S&P 500 closed below its 200-day moving average — a technical trendline for stock buying support.
Indeed, the heralded benchmark of U.S. stocks hadn’t finished below its 200-day MA since last September. Equally disconcerting, the S&P ...
07/08/11 | 9:29 am EDT
With a variety of benchmark ETFs hitting multi-year highs on 7/7/11 – Powershares Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), iShares Russell 2000 (IWM), iShares DJ Transports (IYT) — investors have placed the May-June swoon in their rear view. What’s more, economically sensitive sectors like tech and consumer discretionary are leading the charge. In fact, some analysts believe that the momentum in ...
06/21/11 | 12:14 pm EDT
WisdomTree completed a number of previously announced changes to its ETF lineup this week, making minor changes to seven of the company’s equity funds. Four ETFs received new tickers as a result of the overhaul:
- Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Fund (DRW): The investment objective of this fund, previously known as the International Real Estate Fund, was broadened to include emerging markets. DRW had ...
06/21/11 | 12:06 pm EDT
This past Saturday, Former Minnesota governor and presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty addressed a group of conservatives in Minneapolis. According to a variety of news sources, he stated, ”If China can have 5% growth and India can have 5% growth and Brazil can have 5% growth, the United States can have 5% growth.”
On the numbers, Tim Pawlenty is wrong… really wrong. Developed economies ...
06/20/11 | 2:07 pm EDT
The old adage “never judge a book by its cover” has been applied to a wide variety of situations over the years, from encouraging open mindedness in social situations to shopping for a car to, well, judging books by their covers. And it turns out this piece of advice can be quite valuable for investors as well, especially those who have embraced ETFs as tools for building long-term portfolios ...
06/20/11 | 1:55 pm EDT
With the last days of spring dwindling, the equity market is playing defense and bonds are again taking wing. The proximate causes include fresh worries that a rough patch or worse has descended on the economy and that the debt crisis in Greece threatens wider trouble. One sign of distress is the S&P 500, which is trading just above its 200-day moving average as of Friday. A thin 1% buffer ...
