The recent jobs reports was so well-received by the economy and the markets that it overshadowed the good news contained in the ISM reports. My latest article on the ISM reports was lukewarm at best, but this month has more silver linings.
The MacroView has discussed the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reports and explored the relationships between the reports and the general health of the economy over the last two years. After first exploring the December reports, this post will explore a new area of research along with some stock suggestions related with the ISM research. Read more about A Macro View: ISM Good Along with Lovers and Haters Picks
For U.S. equities, ETFs offer a higher percentage (10%) of attractive investment options than mutual funds (1%) at a lower cost. The radically higher number of US equity mutual funds (4,700+) versus ETFs (380+) is not indicative of better stock selection from active management. On the contrary, the vast majority of actively-managed funds do not justify the higher fees they charge. Read more about ETF vs Mutual Funds: The Winner Is…
As one financial scandal follows another, it seems the good guys are having a tougher time catching the bad guys. Recent revelations about MF Global’s ponzi scheme are another reminder of how our regulatory and oversight systems seem to let whales pass through their nets.
There are 36 “large cap value” ETFs. Per Figure 1, these 36 ETFs have drastically different stock holdings and, therefore, allocations. The lowest number of holdings is 30 while the highest is 1178.
How do investors pick the ETF that will deliver the best performance?
Anytime is a good time to consider adding dividend paying stocks to a portfolio and especially now with the market breaking the S&P 1040 technical support levels. Without short side protection this means less return derived from capital gains. So instead of feeling like Sisyphus and breaking through the DOW 10,000 mark {How many times?}, it might help to purchase value stocks with dividends to lock in gains through accumulation of cash. Read more about Rock Solid Yield: Sisyphus could have used a backstop like Dividend Stocks.
The recent jobs reports was so well-received by the economy and the markets that it overshadowed the good news contained in the ISM reports. 
For 