Markit

A common criticism and arguably debunked myth surrounding high-yield corporate bond exchange-traded funds is that liquidity, during times of market stress, can be hard to come by. Simply because some critics hold a particular point of view does not make it accurate, and there have been plenty of...

Among the exchange-traded funds benefiting from investors' thirst for yield and fixed income are bank loan funds, including the PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II (NYSE: BKLN) and the actively managed SSGA Actice ETF Trust (NYSE: SRLN). Floating rate notes and senior loans are unique in...

Argus Research said the Markit merger would help IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS) diversify its revenue base to financials and offset the downturn in energy sector. The Merger IHS agreed to merge with London-based financial information services provider Markit on March 21. The merged entity will be called IHS...

The conventional wisdom that rising oil prices often pinch refining equities is holding true this year as the VanEck Vectors Oil Refiners ETF (NYSE: CRAK) is off nearly 5.6 percent. That compares with a year-to-date gain of 11.4 percent for the Energy Select Sector SPDR (ETF) (NYSE: XLE), the...

The Global X FTSE Portugal 20 ETF (NYSE: PGAL), the lone exchange-traded fund dedicated to Portuguese stocks, is down four percent year-to-date. While that performance puts PGAL ahead of some well-known broad eurozone ETFs, the Portugal ETF could be doing better. Struggling Financials Weighing On...

The iShares MSCI Spain Capped ETF (NYSE: EWP), the largest exchange-traded fund tracking stocks in the eurozone's fourth-largest economy, is down 8.2 percent this year. Financials As is the case with other members of the PIIGS group, there have been lingering concerns about the health of...

In the wake of the disappointing May jobs report, which significantly reduced the chances of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates this month or next month, data suggest investors are renewing their affinity for emerging markets exchange-traded funds. The same is certainly true when it comes...

The slack May jobs report clearly is not derailing riskier assets, as stocks are soaring this month. So is oil, as crude hit $50 per barrel for the first time in 11 months on Tuesday. Emerging markets stocks and exchange-traded funds are also getting a lift. It is easy to understand why. Although...

With the Brexit vote determining Great Britain's fate in the European Union (EU) drawing closer, now is a good time to check in with U.K. exchange-traded funds, some of which have been under pressure due to intensifying Brexit speculation. Financial markets are not enthusiastic about the...

In news that is not exactly stunning to seasoned followers of the high-yield corporate bond market, junk bonds and the related exchange-traded funds are enjoying oil's rebound. After all, it was slumping oil prices and the specter of high-yield energy sector defaults that dragged on junk bond...

Solidifying the notion that boring can be beautiful, the utilities sector and its relevant exchange-traded funds are acting like the NASDAQ of the 1990s. Well, that is hyperbole, but the Utilities SPDR (ETF) (NYSE: XLU) is up 12.5 percent year-to-date. Utilities ETFs And The S&P Additionally,...

Meeting minutes revealed by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) last week showed that the Federal Reserve could boost interest rates at its June meeting. Bond markets reacted accordingly. On May 17, Fed funds futures priced in just a 12 percent chance of a June rate hike. By May 18, that...

Maybe oil is not hampering the Global X MSCI Nigeria ETF ( Global X Funds (NYSE: NGE) at all — not with the United States Brent Oil Fund, LP (NYSE: BNO) being up 23.8 percent year-to-date and NGE being the only exchange-traded fund dedicated to equities in Africa's largest oil-producing...

These are not the best of days for traditional retail stocks and the exchange-traded funds that hold those stocks. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSE: XRT) is down 5.1 percent year-to-date, which some may argue does not sound all that bad. At least not until realizing the retail ETF tumbled 4.6...