CFRA Research

As measured by the widely followed S&P 500 Growth Index, growth index enjoyed a solid first quarter. The S&P 500 Growth Index is up nearly 13.3 percent year to date, an advantage of 140 basis points over the S&P 500. What Happened Growth stocks were among the most egregious offenders...

The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLC), the largest exchange traded fund dedicated to the fourth-largest sector in the S&P 500, is up nearly 12 percent this year and some analysts are bullish on the communication services sector. Communication services officially debuted last...

Skechers USA Inc (NYSE: SKX) reported Thursday afternoon with a strong fourth-quarter earnings report and encouraging first-quarter guidance. Here's how the Street reacted to the footwear company's print and outlook.  The Analysts Cowen's John Kernan maintains a Market...

After slumping last year and acting as significant drags on the broader emerging markets complex, Chinese stocks are rebounding. With Chinese stocks acting as leaders in the 2019 emerging markets resurgence, investors are reminded that China exchange traded funds are rarely similar to each other....

Yes, 2019 is still in its early stages, but for all the concerns about the state of the U.S. investment-grade corporate bond market heading into this year, that universe is off to a solid start. The Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade Index, one of the most widely followed gauges of domestic...

Defined maturity exchange traded funds differ from their traditional counterparts. Defined maturity ETFs, also known as target-date funds, typically track an index of bonds that all mature in the same year. Those funds also have the maturity year in their names. A hypothetical example would be ABC...

Last year was a mixed bag for dividend-oriented exchange traded funds. Dividend growth was again solid in the United States, but high dividend strategies languished as the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates four times. The iShares Select Dividend ETF (NASDAQ: DVY), one of the largest domestic...

Transportation stocks and exchange traded funds did not deliver for investors in 2018. Last year, the Dow Jones Transportation Average Index slumped 12.9 percent. Other baskets of transportation stocks performed even more poorly in 2018. What Happened The SPDR S&P Transportation ETF (NYSE: XTN...

Last year, U.S.-listed exchange traded fund took in $313 billion in new assets, short of 2017's record inflows, but still good for the second-best year on record. While the Federal Reserve boosted interest four times in 2018, three of the year's top 10 asset-gathering ETFs were bond funds....

When taking into account the challenges presented by the Federal Reserve's interest rate tightening cycle, the real estate sector and the related exchange traded funds have been alright in 2018. The Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSE: VNQ), the largest ETF dedicated to the sector, is up 1.7 percent...

Defensive sectors and the related exchange traded funds have recently been strutting their stuff. Over the past six months, the previously downtrodden consumer staples sector is easily outpacing the broader market. During that period, the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLP) is up almost...

For the bulk of 2018, emerging markets equities have been laggards. The widely followed MSCI Emerging Markets Index is sitting on a year-to-date loss north of 11 percent. A bad year is never a guarantee of better things the next year, but some market observers are betting emerging markets stocks...

The FAANG stocks, among others, make for easy culprits behind the recent slide in momentum stocks and the related exchange traded funds. It may be overly simplistic, but a key element of momentum investing is that it works until doesn't. FAANG and other momentum fare worked for a while, but the...

Among the myriad reasons advisors and investors have gravitated to exchange traded funds over actively managed funds in recent years are superior tax efficiencies. When active fund managers sell part or all of a position at a profit, investors foot the tax tab via a capital gains distribution, but...

Flows to exchange traded funds in 2018 are unlikely to approach the record $450 billion seen last year. This year's ETF inflows totals will likely be on par with or slightly exceed the $200 billion seen from 2014 through 2016. Two issuers – BlackRock Inc.'s (NYSE: BLK) iShares unit...