Amsterdam Hosting 3rd Annual InsideETFs Europe

Where's a better place than Amsterdam for an International ETF conference in the month of May? Our global concierge says,  "No place compares to Amsterdam, for a variety of reasons!" Which is exactly why IndexUniverse, the largest ETF conference producer, is once again hosting its "Annual InsideETFsEurope" for the third…Read More

22 February, 2012

UK Wrap Platforms Wrapping Arms Around ETFs

As reported by FT.com, retail investors in the UK are rapidly wrapping their arms around ETF products, and platform providers are ramping up their offerings to facilitate the burgeoning growth in what is already a ubiquitous product in the US.   According to the FT.com story, David Bower, head of…Read More

22 February, 2012

HFTs Hampering Trade in ETFs? SEC Wants to Know.

As reported by Reuters, U.S. securities regulators have widened their inquiry into the trillion-dollar market for exchange-traded funds, according to a person familiar with the matter. Prompted by a delay in a big trade at a popular ETF, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is taking a closer look at…Read More

21 February, 2012

ETF Fund Flow: Trumping Mutual Funds

According to technology and trading firm ConvergEx Group, during the first 6 weeks of 2012, more than $8 billion has flowed in to U.S. Equity ETFs, while nearly $8 billion has "flown out" of U.S. equity mutual funds. “Some of the commentary surrounding these products has made them sound like…Read More

21 February, 2012

Bullion Bulls Back Buying SPDR Gold (GLD)?

Despite cutting his GLD holdings at the end of 2011, Billionaire John Paulson is, according to a letter to investors obtained by Bloomberg LP, bullish on bullion, and adding to his 17 million+ share position in the yellow metal ETF. Similar stellar hedge fund managers, who have been trading the…Read More

21 February, 2012

“Navesis-ETF” Launches Today: 1st Euro-based Alternative Trading System for…

A joint partnership between Normua Holdings and inter-dealer broker Tradition PLC formalized the launch of the ETF industry's first electronic exchange platform.  Based in London and designed for the European theatre, where ETF transparency is often problematic, "Navesis-ETF" is  intended to provide "qualified customers" the ability to trade ETFs in…Read More

21 February, 2012

Bogle Boggles and Balks re: ETFs

In the category of  "He who speaks with forked tongue..." Index Icon and Vanguard Group founder John Bogle once again threw a curve ball while speaking at today's Bloomberg Portfolio Manager Mash-Up. [caption id="attachment_193" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="John Bogle, Vanguard Group founder"][/caption] Stating "ETFs are the greatest trading innovation of the…Read More

16 February, 2012

iShares Adds More Junk (Bond) ETFs

[slideshow] For those raising their hands high and asking for more high yield bond ETFs, iShares is serving up two more corporate bond ETFs that "will cover a spectrum of credit quality ranging from low-investment-grade to junk bonds." Both of the new funds will own corporates issued in US dollars,…Read More

16 February, 2012

“Agency-Only Execution Firm” To Seed Hedge Fund Clients

Cantor Fitzgerald, the "broker's broker" that literally rose from the ashes of 9/11 to rebuild its business trafficking in multiple product types, including ETFs and options, and positions itself as an "agency-only" aka "conflict-free" broker, today announced the second phase of its plan to expand into the [often-conflicted] territory of…Read More

15 February, 2012

First Trust Launches More Intl. ETFs

First Trust, the issuer of the first cloud computing ETF (SKYY) announced today they'll be coming to market with a basket full of fun in their AlphaDEX Fund series. Up to the plate for trading on Wednesday is a first string list of products: First Trust Canada AlphaDEX (NYSEArca :…Read More

14 February, 2012

Barron’s Blog: ETF Spreads & Asking For Trouble

[caption id="attachment_30" align="alignleft" width="60" caption="Barron's Brendan Conway"][/caption] Barron's debuts Brendan Conway's new column "Focus on Funds" with a pithy observation courtesy of veteran ETF trader and former UVa basketball titan Willy Dersch.   See the blog roll here:Read More

13 February, 2012