Russ Koesterich

The SPDR Gold Trust (ETF) (NYSE: GLD) and the iShares Gold Trust(ETF) (NYSE: IAU) are each up more than 20 percent this year. Not only that, but the two gold exchange-traded funds are raking in new assets at a fevered pace. Gold's Golden Promises GLD, the world's largest gold ETF, has seen $8.1...

Investors in emerging markets exchange-traded funds have heard this before. Not long after the widely followed MSCI Emerging Markets Index began swooning in earnest five years ago, investors have continually heard that developing world equities are inexpensive relative to their developed market...

Less than two months removed from the Federal Reserve's first interest rate hike in nearly a decade, volatile global equity markets have renewed investors' enthusiasm for rate-sensitive asset classes. That theme explains why five of this year's top 10 asset-gathering exchange-traded...

On Wednesday, 111 exchange-traded products hit all-time lows. Of that group, 23 were dedicated energy exchange-traded funds and that does not include the plethora of diversified commodities and emerging markets ETFs with heavy energy exposure that also sunk to all-time lows Wednesday. The United...

When measured against large-cap benchmarks such as the S&P 500, small-cap stocks and exchange-traded funds have disappointed this year. For example, the iShares Russell 2000 Index (ETF) (NYSE: IWM) is up just 0.2 percent, while the iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Index (ETF) (NYSE: IJR) is higher...

For a good portion of this year, investors have been regaled with tales of alleged small-cap strength by way of the rising dollar, which implies small-cap stocks and the exchange-traded funds that hold them should be beneficiaries of rising interest rates. That has not been the case, however, as...

For as much as financial services exchange-traded funds want the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, utilities want the Fed to continue its near zero interest rate policy for as long as possible. The reasoning is simple. Few sectors are as rate-sensitive as utilities. Recent showings by...

After falling significantly last week, the Shanghai Composite Index again fell 5.90 percent Wednesday. Taking into account this recent move, the index is down more than 30 percent from its mid-June peak. However, it is still up more than 8 percent year-to-date. Russ Koesterich, chief investment...

There are some certainties in life, death and taxes among them. These days, other certainties include the seemingly never-ending spate of disappointing Chinese economic data and the subsequent calls that stocks in the world's second-largest economy are inexpensive. With Chinese economic growth...

It has been a favorite battle cry of the most ardent emerging markets bulls: Developing world equities are inexpensive based on valuation. As these stocks and the corresponding ETFs have stumbled mightily this year, there has been a growing chorus of those highlighting supposedly compelling...

As reluctant as many investors may be to admit it, the leading sectors among U.S. stocks over the past three years are decidedly defensive. Meaning consumer staples, health care and utilities have lead the market higher. However, the second-best performer of the nine sector SPDR ETFs has been...

Market Master Russ Koesterich, chief investment strategist for BlackRock (NYSE: BLK), gave investment advice with a global angle on CNBC's Squawk Box Wednesday morning. "There are parts of the market right now that I think still look reasonably priced. Some of them are outside of the United...

Australia's economy, the world's 12th-largest, has dodged recession for 21 consecutive years and seems to be on firm footing. For investors, the environment for Australian equities and ETFs may not be as sanguine as it initially appears. The iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund (NYSE: EWA) is up 15....

On fears that Cyprus (a eurozone member with a population of just 1 million) could go bankrupt, see a run on its banks and depart the common currency program, emerging markets ETFs are languishing through another rough day. For example, the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSE: VWO) and the...