NorthCoast ETF Portfolios Heat Up In February

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



NorthCoast Asset Management's ETF retirement portfolios caught fire in February. Bullish macro trends and patience from the Federal Reserve in raising interest rates bolstered returns for domestic holdings. International positions also moved up the charts as the European Central Bank prepared for a March launch of its quantitative easing program. Here are some highlights from the month: Robust Job Growth NorthCoast kept large

Cherry-Picked Oil, Gas Stocks Make MLP Fund A Winner

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



Many ETF investors hope for an oil rebound -- but hesitate to bet on it. First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure (EMLP) is geared to sidestep price ups and downs. The exchange traded fund does that by investing in master limited partnership (MLP) businesses involved in distributing and transmitting oil, natural gas and electricity. For investors who are looking to profit, though it's lagging them so far in 2015. The ETF's performance was

Does Low Risk Sound Boring? Low-Volatility ETFs Can Win

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



ETF investors willing to take higher risk for higher returns might very well be a little miffed. Dividend- and low-volatility exchange traded funds outperformed in 2014. Despite the robust stock market, momentum and high beta funds lagged in comparison. "Stocks with lower risk characteristics and defensive characteristics generally posted the strongest returns," Nick Kalivas, a senior equity strategist at PowerShares, wrote in a recent article

Midcap Growth Stock Rally Carries These 3 ETFs Higher

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



Midcap growth stocks have rebounded so far this year after a fairly lackluster 2014, as ETF performance shows. Both iShares S&P Midcap Growth (IJK) and Vanguard Midcap Growth (VOT) are trading near all-time highs. So is Guggenheim S&P Midcap 400 Pure Growth (RFG), which is up 4.5% year to date. RFG, with $694.8 million in assets, holds 88 stocks. The ETF's top 20 holdings include Akorn (AKRN), Skyworks (SWKS) and Trinity Industries (TRN). The

Guggenheim's Bill Belden: More Active ETFs Coming

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



Guggenheim Investments champions purposeful innovation. It has many successful "firsts" to its name: CurrencyShares, defined maturity BulletShares and equal-weighted equity ETFs. These unique strategies have helped the company grow its exchange traded fund assets to $28.7 billion. A top 10 U.S. ETF provider in terms of asset size, its 63 funds span various asset classes and regions. Its Spinoff and Pure Growth, BulletShares 2017 High Yield

Europe ETFs Advance Amid Improved Economic Signals

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



Exchange traded funds holding growth stocks, European equities and precious metals were top performers in recent weeks amid a slightly improved market outlook outside the U.S. "Equities are being helped by signs of economic stabilization in Europe and Japan," Russ Koesterich, BlackRock's global chief investment strategist, commented Feb. 17. "We expect global growth to steady after declining last year." SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), tracking the broad stock

Apple Results, Earnings Set Semiconductor ETFs Soaring

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



Consumers love their smart toys, and ETF investors love the chipmakers behind those technologies. Apple (AAPL) reported stellar results Jan. 27, and that's benefited exchange traded funds holding these equities, notes Neena Mishra, director of ETF research at Zacks Investment Research. "As long as the popularity of iPhones keeps surging, some of the chipmakers that supply to Apple will continue to benefit," she said. SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD)

How WisdomTree's Hot ETF Doubled To $10B In 8 Weeks

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



Savvy ETF investors have tuned in to the mammoth stimulus programs in Europe and Japan. As a result, currency-hedged exchange traded funds tracking those region's equities are on fire. Few more so than WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity (HEDJ). It ballooned from just shy of $500 million in assets in October 2013 to $5.63 billion in December 2014. In this young year, it has grabbed an additional $4 billion in assets, taking its total to $9.69 billion.

State Street Chops Fees On 41 SPDR ETFs

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State Street on Tuesday slashed fees on 41 SPDR ETFs by as much as half. "Our primary focus is on helping investors build stronger portfolios while positioning SPDR ETFs for long-term growth," said James Ross, global head of SPDR ETFs, in a press statement. The $897 million SPDR Barclays Aggregate Bond (LAG) saw its expense ratio drop from 0.21% to 0.10%. The drop brings its cost more in line with iShares Core Total Bond (AGG). AGG tracks the same

Smart Beta ETFs: Have You Checked Your Index Lately?

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



Among the many things to love about ETFs is the passive investing style. For investors, that means low costs and consistent exposure. But when it comes to portfolio holdings and weightings, not every exchange traded fund is sitting still. For successful investing, ETF owners are better off keeping up with index changes. "You really have to pay attention to the exposure" when indexes are updated, said Grant Engelbart, a portfolio manager at CLS

What Will Drive China ETFs Amid Economic Transition?

Otmane El Rhazi from Investor's Business Daily - ETFs RSS.



When a behemoth such as China is showing signs of a slowdown in its economy, investors better keep a close eye on it. But while the headlines may sound scary, underlying trends are key to understanding the "rebalancing" this country is going through. China is moving from an investment-based economy to a consumer-driven one. But the process is taking its time, as slowing nominal wage increases, a slowing real estate market, a high savings rate and