December 2012

Consumer Staples ETFs for Lower Volatility

December 31, 2012

Consumer staples companies – those that make goods that consumers buy time and time again – are known for being leaders in low volatility returns from the equity markets. Consumer staples companies include well known names like Procter & Gamble (PG), Coca-Cola Co (KO), or Colgate-Palmolive (CL). Why Invest in Consumer Staples Consumer staples stocks […]

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IPO ETF Delivers Stellar Returns Despite Several IPO Flops

December 23, 2012

Despite well-known IPO disasters like Facebook (FB), the First Trust IPOX Index ETF (FPX) was the best performing of all strategy ETFs in 2012, delivering returns 8% higher than the S&P 500 after dividends. The ETF continues to test the idea that IPOs are much better for the business than they are investors. While the […]

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Holiday Travel – Stats and Stories [Sponsored Video]

December 20, 2012

This post is sponsored by BMW. For 2012, AAA projects 93.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holidays, which is 1.6% greater the 91.8 million people who traveled last year.  This stat alone got me thinking a bit.  Does this mean the economy is really improving?  I mean […]

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Merger Arbitrage ETFs Just Got Better

December 16, 2012

The deals space is heating up – one analyst says to expect a $20 billion merger in 2013 – as companies think about how to use cash balances and low interest rates to their advantage. For investors, the question is how can one use this knowledge to make a profit. Fund managers think merger arbitrage […]

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Low Volatility ETFs: Same Returns with Less Worry

December 9, 2012

If 2012 was the year of the dividend ETF, 2013 may be the year of the low volatility ETF.  The dividend play may be a bit skewed going into 2013 due to so many special dividends (here are a few special dividend announcements) being paid prior to year-end and a possible exodus from dividend payers […]

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ETF Spotlight: PureFunds ISE Mining Service ETF (MSXX)

December 2, 2012

FactorShares, a company better known for exotic funds tracking the spreads between dissimilar asset classes (gold and stocks, for example), has launched a new fund tracking the mining service space. The new fund offers a new way to get exposure to a popular asset class – gold and silver bullion – by investing in companies […]

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