ETFs can be simple, flexible replacements for mutual funds, thanks to their ease of trading. But they may not always be appropriate for mining particular sectors.
The turn of the 21st century was a time of opportunity for boutique advisory firms
The turn of the 21st century was a time of opportunity for boutique advisory firms. Independent firms targeting mass affluent clients and their advisors, boutiques had a proposition they thought the banks couldn’t beat: a less bureaucratic culture and a focus on client service over transaction volume. What made this more attractive was the banks […]
Studies consistently show if investors stay in their comfort zones—their home countries—they’re sacrificing returns.
For traders, the May 6 flash crash was the highpoint of a two or three year-period that has seen stocks become increasingly volatile. The mid-2000s, as well as the mid-1990s, were comparatively low-volatility regimes. “The flash crash happened. It was one event. Could it happen again?” asks Bob Schwartz. “Sure it could. Does it happen […]
Blog Polls Stock markets are occasionally unruly free-for-alls—or freefalls. The May 6 “flash crash” —where the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged almost 1,000 points intraday—has sent securities regulators searching for explanations, culprits and safeguards. While the flash crash was less severe in Canada—the sympathetic movement on the Toronto Stock Exchange lagged the U.S. by two […]
The bond market has always been a curious place, subject to the most exquisite precision in calculating prospective risk and return—at least in the trading arena—and thus a better barometer of economic fortunes than exuberance-prone stock markets, where companies innocent of earnings can hit the top of the pops in a flash. Is the barometer […]
Exchange traded funds have emerged as important instruments for investors and advisors. That’s not surprising, but the way they’re being used might be: once touted as the ultimate buy-and-hold vehicle – buy the stock market for the equity risk premium and forget about individual stock volatility or manager underperformance – ETFs have become another tool […]
There won’t be a double-dip recession, but the immediate post-recession era won’t feel very good for investors either. That’s the message from two leading Canadian bank economists, who say low interest rates and subdued economic growth don’t leave much beyond steady dividend-paying stocks. Speaking at this week’s Exchange Traded Forum in Toronto, organized by Radius […]
When the flash crash hit U.S. markets this past spring—the Dow was off 1,000 points intraday, a reminder of the October 1987 plunge—many suspected market manipulation, or a least a changing market structure that exchanges and regulators were ill-equipped to handle. On May 6, between 2:40 and 3:00 p.m., mere pennies could buy some blue-chip […]