ETF Database submits: Ongoing protests in the capital of Thailand have left many investors wondering if the country will grind to a halt due to political turbulence caused by the Red Shirt movement. The Red Shirters are protesting what they believe is an illegitimate Abhisit government, which came to power via a December 2008 parliamentary vote after a controversial court ruling ousted former Thai leader Thaksin’s allies. Another court decision last month confiscated close to two billion dollars from the former leader, enraging his followers who are largely from the poor rural north and fervently support the populist policies he introduced before being ousted in a 2006 coup.

Michael Johnston submits:The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has seen its influence over the global energy market wane in recent years, as a prolonged economic downturn caused demand for oil to plummet, limiting the effectiveness of the group’s once eagerly-anticipated supply decisions. But with a seemingly stable recovery underway and many emerging markets demonstrating an insatiable thirst for raw materials and energy, OPEC once again finds itself in a position of power. The bloc of oil rich nations didn’t hesitate to flex its muscles on Wednesday, showing that its decisions are still capable of impacting oil markets.

Tom Lydon (ETF Trends) submits: Last year, the Obama administration implemented a Build America Bonds (BABs) program that helped states strengthen their struggling finances. The new government-backed bond, along with its related exchange traded fund, has become widely accepted and the BABs market is expected to attract billions more in assets.

ETF Database submits: So far in 2010 one of the worst-performing sectors has been alternative energy, with some ETFs on pace to post double digit losses in the first quarter.This sharp downturn is due to a variety of factors that have combined to yield one of the worst stretches for the industry in recent memory. First, trouble in Europe has led to a strengthening of the dollar, which has helped to keep crude oil prices in check (until recently at least). With oil below $80 for most of the early part of the year, cries for development of alternative energy sources have been quieted.Complete Story »

Tom Lydon (ETF Trends) submits: There are passive exchange traded funds (ETFs) that try to reflect a benchmark index and there are actively managed ETFs that try to beat the index. But what of the so-called “intelligent ETFs,” which try to do a little of both?

Tom Lydon (ETF Trends) submits: The name brands we grew up with may soon become brands recognized by people around the world. Packaged-food companies are targeting emerging markets for their wares and food-related exchange traded funds (ETFs) could hop aboard the gravy train.

Dan Pritch submits: Over the years, there has been much debate in the investment community over an equal-weighted index vs. weighting by market cap or share price. There are pros and cons to each method of weighting. For instance, while the S&P500 is comprised of 500 stocks representing a broad swath of sectors in the US, the top 10 holdings represent 19% of the total index weighting (2% of stocks represent 19% weighting for an almost 10X “over-representation”).

OptionMonster submits: As the market continues its slow but steady march further into overbought territory, Sabrient’s SectorCast-ETF rankings are holding steady. Energy, Healthcare and Financials still look undervalued, while Telecom, Industrials, and Materials look overvalued. At year end, SectorCast was flashing warning signals about the market getting ahead of itself, and soon thereafter the market corrected. Then the model showed indications that the market wanted to breakout to the upside, which it has. Now, SectorCast seems to be reflecting the uncertainty among analysts by appearing to give a more neutral stance on near-term market direction.Complete Story »

Tom Lydon (ETF Trends) submits: As our name states, we’re pretty much all about looking for trends in exchange traded funds (ETFs). There are three trends we’re noticing in the markets right now. Here’s what they are and how you can play them. Trend 1: Small Caps Kicking You-Know-What

George Spritzer submits: Montgomery Street Income Securities (MTS) is a closed-end bond fund that appears to a be a reasonable value now for conservative income-oriented investors. It invests in a diversified bond portfolio across the spectrum- about 50% in U.S. Governments and Agencies, about 40% in corporates and the remainder in mortgage bonds.

Gary Gordon submits: Many prognosticators describe the dire jobless recovery, then follows it up with bearish outlooks on the S&P 500. Similarly, you’ll read how increases in business confidence are a precursor to hiring, ergo, the cyclical bull for stocks has further to stampede. When did stock market analysts become so one-dimensional? At one point did jobs or even the broader economy receive an award for outstanding achievement in the field of market directionality. (Yes, there’s a Simpsons reference in there for animation enthusiasts.)Complete Story »

Thomas MacLeod submits:Two or three weeks ago simply mentioning that one was going long EURUSD would have been met by howls of derision. Perhaps a different reaction is order now.Let us look at how institutional investors are reacting. We do this by examining the performance of small-cap equities, CDS (Credit Default Swaps) and bond yields relative to U.S. Treasuries. From this we can see the flows of capital towards risky and safe assets, as well as see any changes in the price to insure capital. It is an avenue that is not really open to the typical investor.Complete Story »

Richard Shaw (QVM Group) submits: Good news or bad news on the fundamental and macroeconomic front, US stocks are on a clear up trend. The small-cap and mid-cap stocks are farther above their January highs than the large-cap stocks, but the large-cap stocks are doing well too. Pretty much no matter how you slice it (market-weighted, equal weighted, sector equal weighted, earnings weighted, revenue weighted, or dividend weighted), the S&P 500 (and large-cap) US stock market is in a clear up trend.Complete Story »

ETF Database submits: The rise of ETFs has led to the democratization of many asset classes which were once reserved for the ultra-rich. While investors have quickly adapted to ETFs offering exposure to commodities and quantitative strategies, another alternative asset has also seen a recent surge in popularity. Traditionally, hedge funds have been known for their ability to deliver strong returns with low volatility and low correlations to other asset classes. These returns often come in return for big fees; hedge funds generally charge 2% of assets per year plus 20% of profits, enabling fund managers to live handsomely off of profitable investments.

ETF Database submits: Equity markets finished the day slightly ahead after the Fed decided to hold rates at record lows at its meeting yesterday. The Fed signaled improving conditions with regards to business spending but remained cautious regarding unemployment levels and consumer spending. “The Fed is holding out for clearer signs of improvements in the labor market,” said Anthony Chan, chief economist at JP Morgan’s Private Wealth Management. “Until then, the Fed feels it needs the insurance policy of keeping rates low.”

Michael Johnston submits:Most of what’s written about ETNs is cautionary in nature, focusing on the credit risk inherent in any debt security. And with good reason; the risks of ETN investing are very real. While most exchange-traded notes are issued by major financial institutions with lofty credit ratings, the last few years have taught investors that credit risk, however negligible, can never be written off completely. But ETNs also offer some potential advantages to investors. For one, they often offer exposure to hard-to-access asset classes and indexes that traditional ETFs may have difficulties tracking accurately or in a cost-efficient manner.

Michael Johnston submits:Earlier this month, InvestmentNews released a list of the ten ETFs financial advisors researched the most in 2009.

Michael Johnston submits:The monthly data release of ETF trading data from the National Stock Exchange always provides a comprehensive industry snapshot, detailing fund flows, asset levels, and the latest update on an increasingly-competitive battle for market share. There is no shortage of number-crunching following each release, but most of the analysis focuses on high level industry trends, such as month-over-month growth, cash inflows, and success of recent high-profile launches.

Tom Lydon (ETF Trends) submits: Move over, gold. You’ve had your day in the sun. Right now, industrial demand from both developing and developed markets is powering a rally in base metal ETFs.Last year was the Year of All Things Gold as the safe haven metal supplied investors with a shelter for the market turmoil. But rampant fear in the marketplace has abated, and a bigger risk appetite is the order of the day. That means markets are moving, countries are growing and they’re hunting down the materials they need to get it going:Complete Story »

Tom Lydon (ETF Trends) submits: The bond market has been on a long bull run for about 30 years now, but the salad days may soon be winding to a close. Concerns about inflation and corporate debt coming do could hit ETFs right in the solar plexus and investors need to look out.Bonds of all shape and size – munis, Treasuries, junk and corporate – have long been in favor with investors.Complete Story »