First Automobile Manufacturing ETF Drives onto the Scene
The first automobile manufacturing ETF gets the green light to begin trading May 10, 2011 on the NASDAQ Stock Market. First Trust Advisors L.P. will sponsor the new fund, known as First Trust NASDAQ Global Auto Index Fund (ticker: CARZ). According to the press release, CARZ will track the NASDAQ OMX Global Auto Index, which [...]
Precious Metal ETFs Closely Linked to Automobile Demand
The automobile industry has a major impact on the value of both platinum and palladium ETFs. The precious metals are both used in the manufacturing of catalytic converters within automobiles. The demand for automobiles is down considerably over the past few months, which has put a dent in the recent values of platinum and palladium. [...]
ETFs that Cook in the Summer Heat
Some sectors are seasonal, and a few fare better in the summer than any other time during the year. Here is a brief list of the ETFs that heat up as summer begins. With oil on the top of everyone’s mind following a spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Claymore/Aphashares Global Solar Energy Index ETF [...]
Europe Kills Palladium’s Streak
A looming debt crisis in Europe has put a damper in palladium’s success. The metal, which linked together more than a year of back-to-back monthly climbs, has dropped 16% in May alone. The May 2010 slump, which follows a rally from January 2009 to April 2010, is the biggest drop since the collapse of Lehman [...]
Direxion Skirts SEC Hold to File 36 Funds
Planning for the future, Direxion has filed with the SEC to create 36 new funds. 34 of these will be bullish and bearish triple leveraged funds, all pending during the heat of a SEC review. Following the popularity of geographically centered ETFs, many of the new funds will be leveraged around a portfolio of stocks [...]
iShares ETF Presents Opportunities to Bullish Yuan Investors
Although currency funds have yet to capture a large portion of the exchange-traded fund market, other opportunities exist for investors in the ETF landscape. One such opportunity, iShares MSCI Hong Kong (EWH: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News), a stock fund, is expected to rise with China’s currency. Analysts expect that Chinese stocks catering to consumer [...]
Airline ETF Soars off the Performance Runway
Often seen as a leading indicator of overall commerce and business spending, airline ETFs are leading the overall stock markets. The Claymore Airline ETF (FAA: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News) has posted gains of 73% since last summer. After the entire sector nearly plunged into bankruptcy after 9/11 and fought off higher oil prices in [...]
Analysts Cast Predictions for Gold’s Peak
While some analysts are calling gold a bubble, others are forecasting where the precious metal will peak. For the first time in nearly two decades, the once boring metal has brought out the best and brightest market forecasters to put their money where their mouth is. A Bloomberg survey of 22 analysts reveals that 15 [...]
EG Shares Races to Bring Brazil to Market
Facing stiff competition from other fund sponsors, Emerging Global Shares brought its newest fund to market in just four months, hoping to quell interest from other fund issuers in emerging markets. The Brazil Infrastructure Index ETF (BRXX: News) builds on a general interest among investors in both emerging-market and infrastructure sector ETFs. The fund will [...]
Dramatic ETF Option Volume Signals Bearish Sentiment on Global Trade
A large option put order on the transportation index shows that investors remain concerned over a deepening recession. The transportation sector, which is usually a lagging indicator of economic health but a leading sector of the market, continues to slip as fewer goods are shipped around the world. One investor purchased 10,000 August 46 puts [...]
