Exchange traded funds that follow master limited partnerships, or MLPs, have been a popular draw for investors looking for attractive yields and an alternative energy sector play. Nevertheless, MLP ETFs come with their own quirks. The Alerian MLP ETF (NYSEArca: AMLP), which comes with a 5.71%...

Solar exchange traded funds are burning up as industry growth outshines expectations that a string of negative factors would weigh on solar stocks. The Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSEArca: TAN) surged 55.5% between the April 5 low and Wednesday high. Meanwhile the Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF...

ETFs tracking gold and silver miner stocks continued to plunge this week to new multiyear lows as precious metals were also under severe pressure. Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSEArca: GDXJ), Market Vectors Gold Miners (NYSEArca: GDX) and Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSEArca: SIL) were...

In today’s environment, investors are in an almost constant search of income-producing asset classes. One particular area of focus has been dividend-paying equities—made attractive not only because of the current income but also because of the potential for future growth of that income. We believe...

Utilities Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLU) and other defensive, dividend-paying sector ETFs were crushing the S&P 500 until mid-April. However, the utilities ETF’s year-to-date performance edge has been completely erased so far in May. Among the nine major S&P 500 sector ETFs, only...

As a number of market watchers have pointed out recently, high yield doesn’t look so junky anymore. High yield spreads are historically tight, at levels not seen since the fall of 2007 as the chart below shows, meaning there’s currently a much smaller difference in yield between a high yield bond...

Small cap REIT exchange traded funds have been overlooked by some investors, but their high yields are worth a second look. As many of the large-cap REITs (real estate investment trusts) have reached maturity, small-cap focused REIT ETFs allow investors to take advantage of the current real estate...

A fund that has steadily grown to $232 million in assets under management, with a consistent month over month increase in average daily trading volume is SDOG (ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs, Expense Ratio 0.40%). SDOG tracks the S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index, which may not be familiar to most,...

SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEArca: SPY) was set for its fourth straight week of gains and traded near an all-time high Friday after a measure of consumer sentiment came in better than expected. The preliminary reading of the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index climbed to...

The $1.5 trillion U.S. ETF business continues to grow at a rapid clip with 2013 inflows on track to break last year’s record. “ETF flows continue at almost the same torrid pace as the first quarter and seem well on their way to adding $200 billion in new investor funds in 2013,” says Nicholas...

BlackRock’s iShares engineered actively managed exchange traded funds in direct competition with the mutual fund industry, targeting registered investment advisors who are looking for alternative core holdings. Sue Thompson, head of the RIA and asset manager group for iShares at BlackRock,...

“Abenomics” helped kick start Japan’s economy, boosting the country’s gross domestic product above expectations. However, Japan exchange traded funds cooled on Thursday. The WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (NYSEArca: DXJ) and db X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity Fund...

Gold fever is abating, with related exchange traded funds have taking a hit as global factors weigh on gold interest. The SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEArca: GLD) has declined 14.9% year-to-date as the fund has shed 300 tons of gold. [Gold ETFs Could Shed Another 250 Tons of Bullion: Analysts] Gold prices...

While investors have been quick to take on China as an emerging market equities play, Chinese yuan-denominated bonds have not been as popular. Consequently, Guggenheim Investments has announced it will be closing down its yuan bond exchange traded fund. According to a press release, the Guggenheim...

High-yield corporate bond ETFs are bouncing back after a rare three-day sell-off. Some investors are worried junk bond ETFs are overheated after such a strong run but they have endured the recent bump higher in Treasury yields quite well. Junk debt ETFs slipped after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben...

Market Vectors Russia (NYSE: RSX) is one of the best-selling ETFs the past week with investors adding more than $300 million to the fund as crude oil prices recover to around $95 a barrel. The Russia ETF has been volatile in recent weeks after bouncing from its mid-April low. “Investors are...

We’ve heard it directly from institutional clients over the past few years: The increasingly complex ETF market is making it harder for portfolio managers and investors to differentiate between funds. With more than 1,400 ETFs on the market, making choices is not easy, and the seemingly small...

Gold Mining stocks, after a brief respite from an early April trouncing, have accelerated to the downside this week amid renewed interest in put buying in GDX (Market Vectors Gold Miners, Expense Ratio 0.52%). The Miners have not responded well after spot Gold prices were clobbered beginning in...

Financial advisors in the United States are contributing to the exchange traded fund industry growth, according to a Cerulli Associates study. “Advisor adoption of ETFs continues to be the foundation of growth for the industry,” said Alec Papazian, associate director within Cerulli’s asset...

Nearly 180 metric tons of bullion flowed out of gold ETFs in the first quarter as notable investors including George Soros dumped their positions in SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEArca: GLD) and other precious metal funds amid a pullback in prices. The first quarter saw a “strong resurgence” in demand for...

SPDR S&P Homebuilders (NYSEArca: XHB) was down more than 1% in early trading Thursday following a report that U.S. housing starts fell more than expected last month. The builder ETF was on a 10-day winning streak heading into Thursday’s action. The Commerce Department said housing starts...

Oil and gas exploration and production shares and exchange traded funds have been rallying as investors bet on a shale boom. Recent data released from the International Energy Agency is supporting the profitability of major oil service companies. “In its ‘Medium-Term Oil Market Report’...

ETF Spotlight on the PowerShares CEF Income Composiite Portfolio ETF (NYSEArca: PCEF), part of an ongoing series. Assets: $502.5 million. Objective: The PowerShares CEF Income Composite Portfolio tries to reflect the performance of the S-Network Composite Closed-End Fund Index, which is comprised...

Investors who want to begin investing in exchange traded funds have so many choices, it could be difficult to begin. There are many risks involved with using ETFs, just as there are plenty of rewards. “To put things in perspective, there are probably six or seven times as many mutual funds as...

U.S. investors have gained exposure to overseas markets through exchange traded funds, and now, Chinese investors can access our own markets through a new China-listed “cross-border” ETF. According to the NASDAQ OMX Group (NasdaqGS: NDAQ), Guotai Asset Management, a Chinese money...

The small-cap iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEArca: IWM) is outperforming SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEArca: SPY) in May, which is usually a bullish sign for stocks in terms of risk appetite. “The small-caps are performing well … with a new all-time high on the Russell 200o,” Investors...

When most people think of exchange traded products (ETPs), the first thing that comes to mind is often an ETP based on a market capitalization weighted index – the S&P 500, for example. And with good reason – most of the first ETPs tracked these more traditionally weighted indexes, and today...

The iShares TIPS Bond ETF (NYSEArca: TIP) traded lower for the thirteenth straight day on Wednesday following a report that U.S. producer prices in April declined by the most in three years. ETFs that invest in Treasury Inflation Protected Securities have been falling harder than nominal Treasuries...

Global X FTSE Greece 20 ETF (NYSEArca: GREK) has rallied 20% since the end of March as investors turn more sanguine on Europe’s debt woes and the health of the global economy. The Greek ETF climbed 3.5% in afternoon trading Wednesday in the wake of a credit upgrade from Fitch Ratings. The fund,...

Potential money market fund reforms could deter investors, triggering consolidation in the money market, and push others to alternative options, like short-duration bond exchange traded funds. According to a Moody’s Investors Service, we will likely witness a “reshaping of the...