Veterans Day In Our Nation’s Capital
Four year ago today, Veterans Day 2005, I found myself in our Nation’s Capital. Washington is beautiful this time of year, even at night. The trip had been planned for some time, but it was not until I arrived that I realized it would coincide with Veterans Day. My first thought was to avoid...
Recovery Investing: Three ETFs to Consider
Last week the Labor Department reported an unemployment rate above 10% for the first time since the early-1980s. The market seemed unconcerned, closing with a gain on the day the numbers came out. Plenty of people seem to think the worst is behind us. After all, if government reports are to be...
UUP Runs Out Of Shares
Odd things are happening in PowerShares DB US Dollar Bullish ETF (UUP). On Thursday (11/5/09) PowerShares was forced to halt trading in this normally unremarkable fund while they filed an application with the SEC to issue more shares. Like most securities, ETFs are issued under a prospectus which...
ETF Deathwatch – November 2009
The number of funds on ETF Deathwatch edged up to 113 this month from 111 in October. The count consists of 78 ETFs and 35 ETNs that failed to generate at least $100,000 in average daily value traded (ADVT) for the past month. E-TRACS CMCI Short Platinum Excess Return (PTD) heads the list again this...
Texas ETF Begins Trading: TXF
Following last week’s launch of an Oklahoma-focused ETF, yesterday (11/4/09) the same firm introduced its Texas version. TXF Large Companies ETF (TXF) is the second offering from OOK Advisors. Those who read my post last week about OOK will recall that I said it is essentially an energy fund in...
Dollar General: A Boost to Investors and the IPO Market (DG)
Several high profile initial public offerings are scheduled for the next few weeks. One we’re watching with particular interest is Dollar General. A discount retailer, Dollar General is expected to sell 34 million shares between $21-$23 next Friday, November 13th. The stock will trade on the New...
Schwab Creates Watershed Event with Commission-Free ETFs
Yesterday, November 3, 2009, marked a watershed event for the ETF landscape. It’s the day that Schwab, absent from the ETF industry for past 16 years, upped the ante for any company thinking about getting into the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. launched its first four ETFs. At...
Technology Rises and Buying Facebook
Technology stocks have done well this year. The Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) bottomed out in March and by late October was up more than 60%. Tech has performed better than any other sector year-to-date – up 33.7% as of Friday’s close. Part of the tech gain is related to how new media companies...
Two More Bond ETFs from PIMCO: FIVZ and ZROZ
PIMCO kicked off the month of November with two new ETFs yesterday (11/02/2009). These are the 1st and 2nd launched in November, the 6th and 7th ETFs from PIMCO, and the 999th and 1,000th listed for U.S. trading. PIMCO 3-7 Year U.S. Treasury Index ETF (FIVZ) (FIVZ information page) is designed to capture...
1,000th ETF Hits The Tape
The world of exchange-traded funds passed a milestone today (November 2, 2009) with the listing of the 1,000th product in the US. The quantity of 1,000 includes a combination of 903 ETFs and 97 ETNs. PIMCO 3-7 Year US Treasury Index Fund (FIVZ) and PIMCO 25+ Year Zero Coupon US Treasury Index Fund...
