In case you missed it, here’s a summary of the ETF topics and market reviews I posted to my blog during the week ending on 11/13/2011. An almost 4% pullback in equities shook the financial markets last Wednesday, as Italian bond yields rallied above the 7% pain threshold. However, the bulls pulled the major indexes out of the basement during …
Investors See Some Light Today, Yet Equity ETFs Are Still Entrenched In Darkness
[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com] After yesterday’s big losses, markets edged up a little bit today although the overall story in Europe hasn’t changed in a day’s passing. The S&P 500 gained a modest 0.86% while the 10-year Treasury rate shot right back up to end at 2.06%. The dollar/Euro exchange rate barely changed, rising slightly to $1.36/Euro. Luckily, risk tempered …
ETFs on the Upside – How Long Will Irrationality Last?
[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com] Europe is going through turbulent times, but markets didn’t seem to care as the S&P 500 rose 1.17%. Other indices such as the FTSE and DAX also ended in the green. However, these weekly up and down swings are disconcerting as markets quickly transition between risk on and risk off modes. Confirming my concerns, Italy is …
Political Chaos in Europe Is No Good for Equity ETFs, Despite Today’s Sentiment
[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com] Despite the European turmoil at the political level, markets responded positively as the S&P 500 gained 0.63%. The dollar remained relatively unchanged versus the Euro, staying at $1.38/Euro. Oddly enough, the Volatility Index was relatively flat, dropping 1.03%. While markets might be saying that Europe might be working to solve its solution, I still believe the …
Equity ETFs Rally Again, But There’s Still a Long Road Ahead
[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com] Major Market ETFs roared back for a second straight day despite persistent uncertainty in Europe. The S&P 500 bumped up 1.88% while commodities also did well, with oil and gold rising 1.20% and 2.16%, respectively. While some optimism has crept back into the market, I find it puzzling how the European negativity appears to be so …
Major Market ETFs Rebound — Fed Policy Remains Unchanged
While the Fed left current interest unchanged at record low levels, it will also continue with operation “Twist” by buying longer term treasuries and selling the short end of the yield curve. The Fed’s view of the economy was considered “frustratingly slow” but appeared to be somewhat stronger than in October. After the announcement, the markets briefly sold off as …