ETF

Exchange-traded Funds, or ETFs, are bundles of securities (like stocks or bonds, for instance) that are traded like stocks on exchanges like the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange).

The first ETF were Index Participation Shares that were introduced in 1989. Since then ETFs have exploded in popularity because of their accessibility, instant diversification, and tax advantages. In 2009 there are hundreds of ETFs on the market, with more added each month.

Historically, ETFs have been required to track, or attempt to mirror, an index like the S&P 500 or the Xinhua China 25. Rule changes in 2008, however, have opened the door for the first actively managed exchange-traded funds.

With ETFs that hold stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and almost any other asset class you can imagine (including short and ultra short ETFs), the exchange-traded fund arena is one of the most interesting tranches of today’s investing world.

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Latest blogosphere posts tagged “ETF”

• Taiwan ETF: How It Can Regain Its Footing

  
  Investing to Wealth — Authority: 169
  Shares in Taiwan have ended at their highest levels of 2009. This could signal the start of a turnaround for the growing economy, along with its exchange traded funds (ETFs).Relations between Asian exporters and Western consumers are shifting because...
  13 hours ago

• ETF Sales Trader

  
  Trading Jobs — Authority: 132
  Apply for Job Here Newedge USA LLC is a global brokerage firm with offices in all major financial centers. We are seeking a trader on the ETF desk responsible for both the service and execution of ETFs for institutional clients. The ETF Trader will be responsible for making markets, managing risk, and executing ...
  13 hours ago

• Definitive Guide to Semiconductor ETFs

  
  Investing to Wealth — Authority: 169
  For investors looking to make a play on the technology sector through ETFs, there are a number of options offering varying degrees of exposure. The PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQQ) tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, meaning it is tilted heavily towards the tec...
  14 hours ago

• Definitive Guide to Semiconductor ETFs

  
  Investing to Wealth — Authority: 169
  For investors looking to make a play on the technology sector through ETFs, there are a number of options offering varying degrees of exposure. The PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQQ) tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, meaning it is tilted heavily towards the tec...
  14 hours ago

• An ETF to Invest in the Smart Grid Plans

  
  Investing to Wealth — Authority: 169
  As billions go into updating and fixing the nation s aging infrastructure, investors now have the opportunity to capitalize on the ambitious smart grid revolution with the use of a new sector-specific exchange traded fund (ETF).A new smart...
  15 hours ago

• Mexican IPC Index ETF “iSHARES NAFTRAC” listed on Spain’s LATIBEX

  
  FiNETIK - Financial Industry Networked Thinking - Asia and Latin America — Authority: 521
  BGI IShares listed it’s Mexican ETF (TRAC) NAFTRAC on the Spanish LATIBEX exchange on November 19th, 2009.This is the first time a Mexican traded TRAC is listed abroad. It marks a significant recognition of the Mexican financial markets and in particular for BMV – Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (BMV) the Mexican Stock ...
  16 hours ago

• Broker Dealers Now Broken

  
  Maoxian — Authority: 135
  In addition to the 40 or so ETFs that I actively trade in my core portfolio, I also keep a spreadsheet with over 90 other ETFs for “reference-only.” The Broker-Dealer ETF, ticker symbol IAI, is one of these that I keep an eye on but don’t trade. My system did a beautiful job of entering IAI back in mid-March ...
  23 hours ago

• Poland ETF: A Good Place To Start Investing?

  
  Investing to Wealth — Authority: 169
  Poland may be one of the lucky few economies that has evaded the recession this year. A major exchange traded fund (ETF) provider has also taken notice and a Poland-specific ETF could be coming out soon.The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated th...
  1 day ago

• Guest Post: Galleon Technology Fund: A Clipper Or A Barge?

  
  zero hedge — Authority: 767
  Submitted by Michael Markov of MPI Blog The goal of this week’s post is to explore the factors drivingGalleon Technology fund’s performance a bit deeper. The fund was widelyknown for its high turnover, rapid-fire trading and extensive use ofoptions to leverage short-term bets. Therefore, it seems unlikely ...
  1 day ago

• Financial ETFs May Face an Uphill Battle

  
  ETF Trends — Authority: 563
  Although many sectors have emerged from the global recession, it appears that the financial sector and its exchange traded funds (ETFs) still have an uphill battle to fight. Gary Gordon of the ETF Expert states that the sector still remains weak because of the ongoing issues with the credit...
  1 day ago

• How to Navigate a Post Buy-and-Hold World With ETFs

  
  ETF Trends — Authority: 563
  Will the economy ever return to “normal”? Whatever your definition of normal may be, many don’t think the markets will be returning to it. The new market climate requires a more tactical approach to exchange traded fund (ETF) investing.As the markets become more volatile,...
  1 day ago

• Buying Right With Buy-Write ETFs?

  
  ETF Expert — Authority: 130
  Volatility in stocks making you antsy once again? Wondering if you should pull an itchy trigger finger and sell? In truth, cash is going to make its way back into stocks, bonds commodities, currencies… anything… as long as borrowing costs are so low. So you can expect dip-buying on pullbacks , corrections and ...
  1 day ago

• UltraShort Basic Materials ETF - SMN - Technical Analysis Chart

  
  Pattern Spy — Authority: 135
  Technical analysis chart of double short basic materials ETF SMN (ProShares UltraShort Basic Materials - NYSE:SMN), with trend lines and support/resistance levels: SMN - UltraShort Basic Materials ETF - Technical analysis chart, weekly, since 2007
  1 day ago

• Edging in on DV Indicator Differentials

  
  Market Rewind — Authority: 470
  As a congratulatory hat tip to David Varadi on the launch of his new DV Indicators website, this post investigates potential trading edges gained by combining observations of the absolute value of David’s bounded DV indicator together with its smoothed difference relative to Welles Wilder’s classic Relative ...
  1 day ago

• Rig Count Growth Mostly Positive (BHI, OIH, DIG, USO, OIL)

  
  24/7 Wall St. — Authority: 695
  Baker Hughes, Inc. (NYSE: BHI) has released its data on the weekly rig counts and most are up. We are watching the key ETF products react via the Oil Services HOLDRs (NYSE: OIH), the Ultra Oil & Gas ProShares (NYSE: DIG), the United States Oil (NYSE: USO) ETF and the iPath S&P GSCI Crude Oil [...] [[ This is ...
  1 day ago

• The Truth About 2X, 3X, and 4X ETFs

  
  Wall Street Pit — Authority: 648
  BETTING the market using these vehicles is DANGEROUS. You should consider them worse than going to Vegas and betting on red – seriously, they are not worth the risk unless you REALLY, being serious with yourself, know what you are doing. If you do, then you know to use these only for VERY SHORT...
  1 day ago

• Making Sense Of Oil ETFs and Gas ETFs

  
  ETF Expert — Authority: 130
  Depending on the week, Oil ETFs may be “en fuego” or they may be completely out of favor. Today we look at an attempt to explain the unexplainable… with Seeking Alpha’s Guide To Oil and Gas ETFs. We also look at another strategy to profit from the U.S. Dollars loss . Here are 3 of the best ETF features for ...
  1 day ago

• Brazil Slapping On Taxes to Bust Bovesta (EWZ)

  
  The Disciplined Investor — Authority: 553
  We like Brazil for a whole host of reasons. Some being the population growth, some being the vast commodities that actually back their economy. Then there is the great deep-well oil through PetroBras (PBR). Of course we have liked the juicy returns that we received as investors in the sector this year and the outlook ...
  1 day ago

• Profiting From Higher Standards Of Living Across The Globe

  
  Cheapo Groovo — Authority: 127
  While I am a firm believer in sustainable, organic farming at the local level, Globalists have a totally different perspective. They believe in corporate farming using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and genetically modified seeds. At the G8 s... Read and post comments | Send to a friend
  1 day ago

• Sector Highlight: India ETFs

  
  ETF Trends — Authority: 563
  India exchange traded funds (ETFs) are trading nearly 2% higher this morning after it was reported that it, along with China, have been among the leaders in the global economic recovery. Here are more stories on the topic that may interest you:As India Recovers, the Next Step for Its ETFs7 New...
  1 day ago

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