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Emerging Market Bonds Back In Favor

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:48:20 -0400

Emerging market bonds had incurred quite some loss since the beginning of the year to the end of March. Since April, however, it has climbed out of hole. In fact, it is now ranked highest among all other fixed income bond segments in our trend score ranking table (see MyPlanIQ 360 Degree Market View for more details): [...]

TIPS ETFs See Outflows as Investors Scale Back Inflation Bets

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:52:29 -0400

ETFs and mutual funds that invest in Treasury Inflation Protected Securities are experiencing outflows as investors pull back on bets that loose monetary policies from central banks will trigger runaway inflation. For example, iShares Barclays TIPS Fund (NYSEArca: TIP) has seen some of the heaviest...

Fixed Income Trend: Bond Weak But Not Down Yet

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:17:03 -0400

From the trend score tables on MyPlanIQ 360 Degree Market View, the following shows how bond ETFs have been doing: Assets Class Symbols 03/28Trend Score 03/21Trend Score Direction High Yield JNK 3.79% 3.53% ^ Long Term Credit LQD 1.42% 1.72% v Intermediate Term Credit CIU 1.4% 1.55% v International Inflation Protected WIP 1.38% 0.57% ^ Intermediate [...]

Yes, There Is Still Hope In Bond Investments

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:55:03 -0400

By MyPlanIQ:

Current bond yields are at historical low. Even though Federal Reserve's quantitative easing is ongoing and at some point, it is going to tail off. The Fed Chief Ben Bernanke is likely to retire next year. In the meantime, investors are forced to invest in risky assets. The S&...

Bond Asset Trends: Long Term Corporate Bonds Diverge From Long Term Treasuries

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:46:01 -0400

The following table from MyPlanIQ 360 Degree Market View shows the stark difference between long term investment grade corporate bonds (LQD) and long term Treasury bonds (TLT): Assets Class Symbols 03/15Trend Score 03/08Trend Score Direction High Yield JNK 3.68% 3.72% v Long Term Credit LQD 1.76% 0.59% ^ Intermediate Term Credit CIU 1.61% 0.98% ^ [...]

State Street Plans Two New TIPS ETFs

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:23:25 -0400

As investors start to ponder the potential inflationary ramifications of the ongoing Fed policies, State Street Gloabl Advisors, the money manager behind the line of SPDR exchange traded funds, has petitioned to launch two new Treasury Inflation Protected Securities funds. According to a Securities...

International Bond ETFs for Yield, Diversification

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:14:52 -0500

U.S. Treasury yields are moving up and the talking heads are again cautioning investors who have piled into bond ETFs about the damage that rising rates would inflict on fixed-income portfolios. Of course, investors have heard these warnings several times the past few years, yet Treasury yields...

Weathering Economic Headwinds: ETFs To Prepare Like Bill Gross

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:00:38 -0500

This month, legendary bond king Bill Gross published his investment outlook, aptly titled “Strawberry Fields – Forever?”, in which he warned investors to be prepared to face some “structural economic headwinds” in the next few years. In addition to the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis we still feel today, diminished productivity gains and the looming fiscal cliff, Gross points out other blaring red flags that investors need to pay attention to, as these critical factors will likely hamper economic growth in not only the United States, but also in other developed nations around the globe [see 101 ETF Lessons Every Financial Advisor Should Learn]. In recent years, the United States has experienced lackluster growth and painfully high levels of unemployment, and, at this point in time, our road to recovery still seems quite far away. Gross, however, states that there are other underlying problems that will likely prevent real economic growth, or what he identifies [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Four ways to squeeze inflation risk from your portfolio

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 11:11:26 -0400

By John Wasik Oct 19 (Reuters) – While inflation has been tame in recent years, there are few forecasters who believe it will remain so in the future. But when inflation bites again is a moot question. Predictions of its imminent return have been wrong for years. The key is having portfolio protection in place [...]

Bond ETF Momentum Portfolio For The Prime Time

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 03:34:56 -0400

By MyPlanIQ:

As more and more varieties of bond ETFs are coming to market, investors now have many choices to form good and diversified fixed income portfolios. These portfolios can be used for income generation purpose or as a part of the overall investment portfolio.

It is well known t...

Emerging Market, Long Term Treasury And High Yield Bonds Are Still On Top

Sat, 11 Aug 2012 11:26:14 -0400

Recent risk appetite first showed up in fixed income sector: emerging market bonds have been strong since June. The following chart shows the performance of the top three bond funds in the past three months: Three Month Chart Among all fixed income bond funds, the following shows their trend rankings: Assets Class Symbols 08/09Trend Score [...]

E-Trade All Star ETFs: A Myriad Of Low Cost And Popular Funds For Portfolio Building

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:08:41 -0400

By MyPlanIQ:

E-Trade provides a selected list of ETFs for its customers. This list of ETFs are called All Star ETFs. E-Trade stated that these ETFs are selected based on criteria such as low expense ratio, tracking error, liquidity, style purity, underlying holdings, and how wel...

Fixed Income Trends: Treasuries, Municipal Bonds And Emerging Market Bonds Strong

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:41:08 -0400

Given the recent deteriorating European sovereign debt situation and declining US economic indicators, it is no surprise that risk assets including European stocks, emerging market stocks and US stocks are weak. In a typical flight to safety fashion, US treasuries and municipal bonds are sought after. What is atypical is the strength of emerging market [...]

Beyond TIP: Five Inflation-Protected ETFs Worth a Look

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:29:37 -0400

We’ve all heard of TIP, right? If you’re a long term commodities investor that buys on the dips, you might use this highly liquid ETF as the short term place for your dry powder. In theory, it protects from inflation, since the ETF holds only Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). In practice, the return on these TIPS is based on the movement of the CPI over time. Is this a problem? Depends whom you ask. See the full story here →

Best Of TIPS ETFs: Expenses, Dividends, and Returns

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 07:00:19 -0400

As central banks around the world continue to plow money into the financial system, investors have been bracing for an eventual uptick in inflationary pressures. While reported inflation throughout the developed world has remained tame–most markets are well within their official “comfort zone”–anxiety over rising prices remains. When the global economy stabilizes and consumers become more able to bear price increases, many expect CPI to spike [see Black Swan Hyperinflation ETFdb Portfolio]. There are a number of different tools for combating inflation. Some swear by commodities, which logically tend to appreciate when inflation arrives. Others believe equities make for a good bet in inflationary environments. But perhaps the most common tool for “inflation-proofing” a portfolio are inflation-protected bonds, securities whose face value adjusts based on reported inflation metrics. ETFs have become common vehicles for holding TIPS; the Inflation Protected Bonds ETFdb Category consists of more than a dozen exchange-traded products, including [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Saving For College, ETF Style: An ETF-Friendly 529 Plan

Mon, 07 May 2012 09:00:43 -0400

The ETF industry has been routinely praised for its innovation over the last several years, which is no doubt a contributing factor to the surge in interest and assets. Generally, reference to such innovation relates to the growth in the product lineup, as issuers of all sizes have launched a number of creative, first-to-market products over the past few years that have dramatically opened up the asset classes and investment strategies available through the exchange-traded structures [see also Free Report: How To Pick The Right ETF Every Time]. But there are other aspects of the industry that deserve credit for exciting new developments as well. While ETFs are still hard to find in most 401(k) account and other retirement plans, they are now readily accessible in a popular college savings account; a program from State Street allows new parents to use ETFs in a college savings plan for children, through an [...]

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PIMCO Launches Active TIPS ETF (ILB)

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:30:28 -0400

PIMCO, fresh off the extremely successful launch of its Total Return ETF (BOND), has rolled out another actively managed bond fund that taps into a corner of the fixed income market that has generated significant interest in recent years. The new Global Advantage Inflation-Linked Bond Strategy Fund (ILB) will be comprised of inflation-protected bonds, securities that are designed to appreciate along with official inflation metrics. The new PIMCO ETF will be benchmarked against the PIMCO Global Advantage Inflation-Linked Bond Index, and will invest in inflation-protected bonds that are ‘economically tied to at least three developed and emerging market countries (one of which may be the United States)” according to the prospectus. While most inflation-protected bond ETFs focus primarily on U.S. securities, there are a handful that maintain an international focus. The SPDR DB International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF (WIP) holds a broad-based portfolio with a tilt towards Western Europe, while the iShares [...]

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The Death Of Bond Investments Is Greatly Exaggerated: A Look At Total Return Bond Funds

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:46:06 -0400

Investors these days are bombarded by the sayings that given the exceptional low rates and elevated Treasury bond prices, the future of fixed income investment is glooming. While such sayings hold some truth, a closer look at various bond investments reveal some other brighter opportunities. The following three bond segments are often ignored or buried [...]

An ETF for International Inflation-Protected Bonds

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:17:09 -0400

One of the largest ETFs tracking inflation-protected bonds invests in foreign debt rather than so-called TIPS sold by the U.S. Treasury. SPDR DB International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF (NYSEArca: WIP) holds $1.3 billion in assets. “WIP bonds’ principal is linked to changes in...

High Yield Bonds Have Been Weak

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:18:31 -0400

Compared with risk assets such as stocks, US high yield bonds (HYG, JNK) have been weak for a period of time. The following shows how they are compared with stocks and other asset classes: Major Asset Classes Trend 04/04/2012 Description Symbol 1 Week 4 Weeks 13 Weeks 26 Weeks 52 Weeks Trend Score US Equity [...]

Asset Class Trend: Riskiest Bonds Are Still In Favor

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:08:41 -0400

MyPlanIQ tracks major asset classes trend movement. Major asset trends provide insights into underlying economic and market segments and are critical to tactical asset allocation strategies. We use ETFs that represent the asset class indices. For more information, please visit MyPlanIQ 360 Degree Market View The following shows the latest update on the trend scores [...]

ETF Chart of the Day: Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:30:27 -0400

Last week’s steep sell-off in U.S. Treasury bonds as well as some other slices of the fixed income market including Investment Grade Corporates sparked some renewed interest in Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, or TIPS, products in the ETF space. The iShares Barclays TIPS Bond (NYSEArca:...

Portfolio Review: Morningstar Retiree ETF Portfolio Benefits From Recent Recovery

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:31:58 -0400

This plan uses the funds in a moderate ETF portfolio for retirees proposed by Morningstar. The original portfolio consists of the following ETFs: In-Retirement Portfolio: Moderate Holding Allocation % Vanguard Mega Cap 300 Index (MGC) 20 Vanguard Mid Cap ETF (VO) 7 Vanguard Small Cap ETF (VB) 3 iShares MSCI EAFE Index (EFA) 7 Vanguard Emerging Markets [...]

Asset Class Trend: Long Term Bonds And Municipal Bonds Are Strong

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:22:04 -0500

Financial markets finally started to be risk off this week. It is a good time to reveal how various bond indices have been doing. The following shows the latest fixed income trend ranking: Assets Class Symbols 03/06 Trend Score 02/28 Trend Score Direction 20+ Year Treasury TLT 8.7% 8.56% ^ California Muni CMF 5.31% 6.42% [...]

Fund Rotation Can Increase Performance Without Incurring Extra Risk

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:28:35 -0500

Fund (ETF or mutual fund) rotation technique has been studied extensively by academia (see “Investing in mutual funds when returns are predictable” for example). In general, these studies found that a consistent stock fund rotation strategy based on last one year or so performance can increase returns. MyPlanIQ’s Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) strategy employs a ‘tactical’ [...]

Using ETFs to Build a Diversified Portfolio

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:00:26 -0500

With the advent of exchange traded funds, investors are now capable of including a wide range of investment styles and strategies to form their very own diversified ETF portfolio. Depending on the investment objective and time horizon, investors may weight play around with the traditional 60/40...

Investment Management: Retirement Income ETFs Portfolios Review

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:56:47 -0500

Retirement Income ETFs plan is designed for income producing purpose: high dividend (yield) stock ETFs are chosen for both US stocks and international stocks asset classes. For emerging market stocks, WisdomTree Emerging Markets Equity Income ETF (DEM) is used. Furthermore, JPMorgan Alerian MLP Index ETN (AMJ) is added to high income producing U.S. stocks category. Their 401K [...]

From the Portfolioist Book Shelf: Risk Less and Prosper by Zvi Bodie and Rachelle Taqqu

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:48:30 -0500

by Geoff Considine The recently-published book by Zvi Bodie and Rachelle Taqqu, Risk Less and Prosper: Your Guide to Safer Investing, provides a unique perspective on how to meet the challenge of long-term financial planning. The book is well-organized into a number of steps required for identifying and organizing long-term goals and thinking through how to meet [...]

Asset Class Trend: Riskier Bonds Rising But Not Yet Confirm Risk On Mode

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:08:14 -0500

Amid general risk on market sentiment, riskier bonds continue to rise. Both high yield bonds (JNK) and emerging market bonds (PCY, EMB) have risen above U.S. total bond index (BND). The following table shows the recent trend scoring: Fixed Income Assets Trend 02/06/2012 Description Symbol 1 Week 4 Weeks 13 Weeks 26 Weeks 52 Weeks [...]

Bond ETFs For Every Objective

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:00:53 -0500

As the lineup of exchange-traded products has expanded dramatically in recent years, financial advisors have found themselves with more tools at their disposal than ever before. The extreme granularity of many of the equity products out there allows for cheap, low maintenance targeting of specific corners of the investable universe, while the development of some increasingly complex products has opened up strategies that were previously inaccessible. But perhaps the most impressive innovation in recent years has come on the bond side of the market, where the arsenal has expanded considerably over the past two years. Whatever your objective for the fixed income side of client portfolios, odds are there is an ETF that can be used to help you out. Below, we highlight ten common objectives when it comes to managing a bond portfolio–as well as the ETFs that can be used to achieve those goals [for more ETF insights, sign [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

International Bond ETF Guide: All the Options For Ex-U.S. Fixed Income Exposure

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:00:09 -0500

Just a few years ago there were only a handful of bond ETFs available to U.S. investors, and almost all of them focused on securities from U.S. issuers denominated in U.S. dollars. One of the most noteworthy innovations to shape the ETF industry over the last several years has been a significant growth in international bond products; as issuers have worked around concentration-related issues and other hurdles, the universe of bond ETPs targeting markets beyond U.S. borders has grown tremendously. The current economic environment has no doubt contributed to the growth of international bond ETFs; paltry yields on U.S. debt and concerns over the long-term outlook for the euro have understandable sparked interest in ex-U.S. bonds as a way to both boost yields and diversify away some risk [see Better-Than-AGG Total Bond Market ETFdb Portfolio]. With dozens of international bond ETPs now on the market, investors have the flexibility to [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Asset Class Trends: Treasury, Municipal and Inflation Protected Bonds Are In Favor

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:56:23 -0500

Even though U.S. stocks have risen recently, elevated bond prices continue to go up. The following shows the recent bond asset class trends: Fixed Income Assets Trend 01/17/2012 Description Symbol 1 Week 4 Weeks 13 Weeks 26 Weeks 52 Weeks Trend Score 20+ Year Treasury TLT 2.64% 0.87% 6.28% 27.04% 38.15% 15.0% California Muni CMF [...]

Diversified Core Asset Allocation ETF Portfolios Review

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:31:31 -0500

We review one of the most diversified ETF plan MyPlanIQ Diversified Core Allocation ETF Plan. This plan consists of 35 funds. These funds are carefully chosen to have exposure to 6 major assets: US Equity, Commodity, Foreign Equity, REITs, Emerging Market Equity, Fixed Income. Furthermore, for U.S. stocks, 9 styles (Large Cap Growth, Large Cap Blend, [...]

Diversified Core Asset Allocation ETF Portfolios Review

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:31:31 -0500

Dividend Stock ETF, Asset Allocation Portfolios For The Coming Decade

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:48:50 -0500

By MyPlanIQ:

As world wide deleveraging process is in full swing, investors are facing a big dilemma for their retirement investments including 401K investments, IRA investments or taxable investments. On one hand, companies with high growth perspective (such as small companies) are expected to slow down in their earnings growth. With current not too cheap stock market valuation, high growth stocks are losing their appeal in the coming decade. On the other hand, bonds are now offering meager yields. The two traditional portfolio growth assets will not only not do well, they will also subject investors to highly volatile portfolio capital swing.

Companies that pay steady dividends usually have solid cash flows and wide moats in their business. In equity investing, these high quality companies are the only place to be in the coming decade, as advocated by great investors Bill Gross, Jeremy Grantham and others.

We maintain an investment plan called

Complete Story »

Getting The Most Out Of Your Bond ETFs

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:00:44 -0500

Interest in achieving fixed income exposure through exchange-traded funds has been a hot topic in recent years, with some advisors expressing serious concerns over the potential shortcomings in bond ETFs while others have fully embraced the efficiencies of the exchange-traded structure [see Are Bond ETFs Broken?]. The sheer size of the bond ETF space–in terms of both AUM and number of products–has increased dramatically since 2005. But the activity in the space has not been limited to pure growth in assets; a number of interesting innovations in the fixed income ETF arena have helped to address many of the issues that have been cited as potential concerns to investors and to enhance the overall experience of these products. Bond ETFs still aren’t perfect; many of the more popular products that are difficult to replicate exactly, exhibit certain biases that may be undesirable in certain environments and can create for recurring [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

ETF Insider: Euro Drama Far From Gone

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:13:48 -0500

European debt woes dominated headlines all of last week yet again as investor worries over the debt burdened currency bloc continue to weigh down on the markets. Euphoria swept over the markets after Berlusconi’s resignation announcement earlier in the week, paving the way higher for European and U.S. equities alike. However, fear quickly returned the following day as yields on Italian bonds spiked, worrying many that the ECB would not be able to deal with a potentially full blow financial crisis. On the home front, the U.S. trade deficit shrank more than expected and new claims for unemployment benefits sank to a multi-month low, improving investors’ confidence in the domestic economic recovery. Gold inched a bit higher amidst all of the Euro zone drama last week, with the precious metal closing just underneath $1,800 an ounce. Actionable ETF Trade Ideas Last Week’s Actionable ETF Ideas Ticker Position Performance JXI Long [...]

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ETF Insider: Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:50:56 -0500

Equity markets rejoiced all of last week as the cloud of uncertainty looming over the Greek debt crisis appeared to be shrinking. Euphoria quickly evaporated this week however, as equity indexes resumed their volatile ways thanks to resurfacing Italian debt woes. News of Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi resigning lifted stocks on Tuesday, although investor confidence in the Euro zone deteriorated significantly on Wednesday as yields on 10-Year Italian Bonds spiked above 7%. Stock markets plunged as investor worries over the Euro zone escalated, with many worrying that EU leaders are unprepared to potentially deal with a full blown crisis in the debt burdened currency bloc. Gold re-conquered the $1,800 mark earlier in the week, although the precious metal sank alongside stocks on Wednesday, with futures prices for the precious metal closing around $1,770 an ounce for the day. Checking In: Trading Ideas This week, our technical trading ideas included long [...]

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ETF Insider: Bulls Look To Stampede Over Euro Drama

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:22:13 -0500

Financial markets saw a whirlwind of activity last week as Euro zone debt woes swayed investor sentiment from euphoric to fearful. Equity markets came under serious selling pressures after news of a Greek referendum reignited default fears. Confidence in the currency bloc quickly returned however as the Greeks rescinded their referendum and bullish investors were quick to pile into equity markets following the sell-off the day before. The European Central Bank interest rate cut further bolstered markets higher as investors were happy to see the ECB taking preemptive measures to ensure financial stability in the debt burdened region. Gold worked its way higher amidst the continuing uncertainty, and the precious metal closed right around $1,760 an ounce for the week. Weekly Outlook The coming week is quite sparse of economic data releases both at home and on the international front. Stock markets will likely continue to take cues from the [...]

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WisdomTree Rolls Out Australian Bond ETF (AUNZ)

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:00:51 -0400

WisdomTree, the issuer behind a number of popular international debt ETFs, followed through today on the previously announced conversion of its Dreyfus New Zealand Dollar Fund (previously traded under the ticker BNZ) to the Australian & New Zealand Debt Fund (AUNZ). The revised fund will continue to be actively managed, with the investment objective changing to focus on bonds denominated in the local currencies of Australia and New Zealand. While there are now a number of international bond ETFs, AUNZ is yet another ETF first; the fund becomes the first to focus exclusively on the two developed Pacific economies. Aussie Dollar On A Roll Australia and New Zealand also represent two developed economies that have largely managed to avoid the deterioration of fiscal health that has plagued the U.S. and Western Europe. Both countries are rich in natural resources, and that commodity wealth in a major reason for the relatively [...]

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Morningstar’s Aggressive ETF Portfolio for Retirees

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:00:28 -0400

For retirees who are looking for greater capital appreciation and hold a higher risk tolerance, an ETF portfolio with a more aggressive investment strategy may be a better fitting option. Investors looking to solely live off their investments over the next 20 or so more years will want to included...

Morningstar’s Recommendations for a Moderate-Risk ETF Porfolio

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:00:19 -0400

Retirees seeking a moderate risk in their exchange traded fund investment portfolios will want to lean more toward the safety of bonds but still hold enough equities to provide some level of capital appreciation, according to Morningstar. The moderate portfolio for retirees and pre-retirees is...

Morningstar’s Conservative ETF Porfolio

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:00:04 -0400

Conservative investors in retirement can tap exchange traded funds to build all-ETF portfolios featuring stocks and bonds. The conservative ETF investor aiming to protect wealth in retirement should limit exposure to equities and rely on the stability offered in bonds, along with other solid yield...

3 Ways to Manage Your Portfolios to Cope with World Wide Food Inflation

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:06:37 -0400

The Google map from www.econmatters.com shows how serious the world wide food crisis has become. Legends: Fist = Overthrown GovernmentsFlames = Actual[...more...]

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Inflation ETF Special: 25 ETF Ideas To Fight Rising Prices

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:30:23 -0400

Inflation has been a particularly frustrating topic in recent months. Despite widespread predictions for a surge in CPI in the wake of unprecedented injections of liquidity into global financial markets, upward pressure on prices has not yet materialized–at least not in many developed markets. The prospect of what seems to be an inevitable outcome has prompted many to take measures to protect their portfolios, increasing allocations to asset classes expected to generally perform well when inflationary pressures spike. Countless investors have been wrong in their calls on inflation, ranging from Wall Street titans such as Morgan Stanley to smaller money managers and individuals. Another frustrating aspect of inflation is the difficulty many investors face in protecting their portfolios from the phenomenon. Debates over the relative merits of various securities as safeguards against inflation have raged for decades, with different investors pursuing different strategies. Each inflationary environment is unique, and inflation [...]

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International Bond ETFs: Cruising Through All The Options

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:00:16 -0400

The fixed income corner of the ETF industry has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, as investors have become increasingly comfortable with achieving bond exposure through the exchange-traded structure. In 2010 more than $26 billion flowed into bond ETFs, following a year that saw more than $42 billion in net inflows. During the first six months of 2011 bond ETF inflows topped $16 billion. Despite these impressive growth figures, it seems that the potential for future expansion of the bond ETF arena is significant. Although bond ETFs have expanded considerably, the bulk of inflows has been to products focusing exclusively or primarily on debt of U.S. issuers. Most investors have gradually eased their “home country bias” on the equity side of their portfolios, embracing international stocks as a vital component of long-term strategies. But when it comes to bonds, many investors still limit their holdings to U.S. securities [see Are [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

ETFdb Category Kings: Best Performers From First Half Of 2011

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:00:40 -0400

The first half of 2011 is officially in the books, and many investors find their portfolios in approximately the same place as they were to start the year (though a furious rally in the final week of the quarter gave a nice boost at an opportune moment). Most major equity indexes are up slightly on the year, while fixed income benchmarks have similarly hovered around breakeven. Beyond these broad generalizations, there are some significant performance discrepancies among exchange-traded products that may seem to offer up similar risk/return profiles. The following tables highlight the top performers from every ETFdb Category during the first six months of the year, shedding some light on the asset classes that have struggled and thrived so far in 2011–and reinforcing that the seemingly minor distinctions between ETPs can lead to big differences in performance [for monthly updates on the best performers, sign up for the free [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

Greece Just Got Greece’d

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:52:48 -0400

Standard and Poor's downgraded Greece once again on Monday, from a rating of B to CCC, CNNMoney reported.Greece now sits two ratings above "default."Last week, fellow ratings agency Moody

iShares Launches Two Foreign TIPS ETFs

Wed, 25 May 2011 12:57:04 -0400

iShares, BlackRock‘s exchange traded fund business, recently launched two globally-orientated Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) funds, which will compete directly with the SPDR DB International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF (NYSEArca: WIP). The two new funds will...

iShares Rolls Out International TIPS ETFs

Fri, 20 May 2011 10:22:42 -0400

iShares, the issuer behind the $20 billion Barclays TIPS Bond Fund (TIP), has introduced two new ETFs offering exposure to inflation-protected bonds from issuers outside the U.S. The new iShares ETFs include: International Inflation-Linked Bond Fund (ITIP): This ETF is linked to the BofA Merrill Lynch Global ex-US Diversified Inflation-Linked Index, a benchmark that includes inflation-linked sovereign debt denominated in the local currency of the issuer. ITIP includes both developed and emerging markets, making the biggest allocations the U.K. (14%), France (13%), and Brazil (13%). Global Inflation-Linked Bond Fund (GTIP): This ETF casts a slightly wider net, including U.S. TIPS along with international securities. The underlying BofA Merrill Lynch Global Diversified Inflation-Linked Index allocates about a third of total assets to the U.S., with the remainder spread across developed and emerging economies around the globe. As concerns about massive injections of liquidity into financial markets and surging commodity prices have [...]

Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.

News about

Emerging Market Bonds Back In Favor

TIPS ETFs See Outflows as Investors Scale Back Inflation Bets

Fixed Income Trend: Bond Weak But Not Down Yet

Yes, There Is Still Hope In Bond Investments

Bond Asset Trends: Long Term Corporate Bonds Diverge From Long Term Treasuries

State Street Plans Two New TIPS ETFs

International Bond ETFs for Yield, Diversification

Weathering Economic Headwinds: ETFs To Prepare Like Bill Gross

Related Posts:

Four ways to squeeze inflation risk from your portfolio

Bond ETF Momentum Portfolio For The Prime Time

Emerging Market, Long Term Treasury And High Yield Bonds Are Still On Top

E-Trade All Star ETFs: A Myriad Of Low Cost And Popular Funds For Portfolio Building

Fixed Income Trends: Treasuries, Municipal Bonds And Emerging Market Bonds Strong

Beyond TIP: Five Inflation-Protected ETFs Worth a Look

Best Of TIPS ETFs: Expenses, Dividends, and Returns

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Saving For College, ETF Style: An ETF-Friendly 529 Plan

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PIMCO Launches Active TIPS ETF (ILB)

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The Death Of Bond Investments Is Greatly Exaggerated: A Look At Total Return Bond Funds

An ETF for International Inflation-Protected Bonds

High Yield Bonds Have Been Weak

Asset Class Trend: Riskiest Bonds Are Still In Favor

ETF Chart of the Day: Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)

Portfolio Review: Morningstar Retiree ETF Portfolio Benefits From Recent Recovery

Asset Class Trend: Long Term Bonds And Municipal Bonds Are Strong

Fund Rotation Can Increase Performance Without Incurring Extra Risk

Using ETFs to Build a Diversified Portfolio

Investment Management: Retirement Income ETFs Portfolios Review

From the Portfolioist Book Shelf: Risk Less and Prosper by Zvi Bodie and Rachelle Taqqu

Asset Class Trend: Riskier Bonds Rising But Not Yet Confirm Risk On Mode

Bond ETFs For Every Objective

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International Bond ETF Guide: All the Options For Ex-U.S. Fixed Income Exposure

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Asset Class Trends: Treasury, Municipal and Inflation Protected Bonds Are In Favor

Diversified Core Asset Allocation ETF Portfolios Review

Diversified Core Asset Allocation ETF Portfolios Review

Dividend Stock ETF, Asset Allocation Portfolios For The Coming Decade

Getting The Most Out Of Your Bond ETFs

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ETF Insider: Euro Drama Far From Gone

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ETF Insider: Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day

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ETF Insider: Bulls Look To Stampede Over Euro Drama

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WisdomTree Rolls Out Australian Bond ETF (AUNZ)

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