Trend Analysis

Consumer discretionary ETFs have consistently outperformed the S&P 500 the past few years as retailers and consumers recover after the financial crisis. For example, Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLY) was making new all-time highs back in 2011 well before the S&P 500...

It’s always a good idea to check in on your portfolio to make sure it’s still giving you the exposure you originally intended. But just like eating an apple a day or flossing every night, most of us tend to ignore this kind of well-intentioned advice. However, something I’m seeing in exchange...

ETF Trends Editor Tom Lydon appeared on Yahoo Finance Breakout to discuss the growing impact of ETFs tied to alternative investment strategies. As the ETF universe fills out, individuals now have the ability to craft specialized investment strategies similar to large hedge funds. “The reason...

Some mutual fund managers have been called “closet indexers” for their investment styles, but with the lower fees associated with the exchange traded fund structure, managers could get away with more in an active ETF offering. Closet indexers have seen assets dwindle as low-cost index...

In recent sessions, DXJ (WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity) continues to impress, reeling in more than $1.3 billion and nearing the $10 billion mark now in terms of net AUM ($9.8 billion). EWJ (iShares MSCI Japan) also pulled in nearly $600 million last week, as the hunger for exposure to Japanese...

There’s been a lot of talk lately about Facebook, since its embarassing IPO happened a year ago. I just wanted to spend a moment reflecting on fame and entrepreneurship. First, let’s take a quick look at Facebook and, in the corner, Time Magazine’s Man of the Year from 2011: If making the cover of Time [...]

Exchange traded products that invest in foreign stock markets but hedge their exposure to local currencies are a developing trend in the ETF business. Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management on Monday said it plans to launch the db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund (NYSEArca: DBGR),...

Precious metals remained under pressure last week as a narrowing US deficit helped the US dollar appreciate and sent most precious metals (in dollar terms) lower. Many investors in gold and silver ETPs continued to rotate into equities despite mixed cyclical signals. Meanwhile the Reserve Bank of...

I long-ago abandoned trying to make sense of Priceline’s popularity as a company. I’ve tried to use the service many times, and I wasn’t impressed, but that’s just one person’s experience. This stock lurches to lifetime highs on a near-constant basis. Based on the latest break, I’d say it’s going to keep churning higher until [...]

I do the “ETF of the Week” for MarketWatch every Thursday on Chuck Jaffe’s MoneyLife Show where I highlight big movers and disappointments within the exchange traded fund market. Last Thursday, I focused on the Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (NYSEArca: RSP). Instead of tracking a...