Economy & Markets
The important economic and stock market news that advisors need to know.
Small Caps On Top Again
By Kara P. StapletonThe small-cap Russell 2000 Index made a comeback in 2006 with a gain of 18.4%, outperforming the large-cap Russell 1000 Index (15.5%) for the seventh...
February 01, 2007
Benchmarking for DollarsWhen I lived in Washington, DC in the early 1980s, the fact that I was born in Russia almost always elicited an incredulous reaction. People...
January 24, 2007
The Ins and Outs of HOLDRsMerrill Lynch's HOLDRs are grantor trusts that resemble ETFs, but aren't registered or managed the same. Instead of charging an annual expense ratio, HOLDRs charge a small custody fee that varies depe
January 24, 2007
Part D Boosts WellPoint EarningsThe new Medicare prescription drug program helped fourth-quarter profits at a large managed care company.WellPoint Inc., Indianapolis, is reporting $801 million in net income for ...
January 23, 2007
Spectrem Survey Finds Affluent in Bullish MoodSpectrem Group announced today that its Spectrem Affluent Investor Index advanced 8 points in December to end the year at 12, returning to mildly bullish territory for the first time since February 20
January 23, 2007
How Lord Abbett's Ezrati Views '07 ProfitsWith the stock market up impressively during the past few months, many investors have raised questions about valuation--whether the fundamentals can indeed support any further rise in equity prices. Th
January 11, 2007
Monumental Kicks Off Funding ProgramA unit of AEGON Institutional Markets will be raising $700 million by issuing 7-year notes.The unit, Monumental Life Global Funding III, will be splitting the ...
January 05, 2007
Morningstar Announces 2006 Fund Managers of the YearMorningstar, Inc. has namedits 2006 mutual fund managers of the year, picking managers who "not only posted impressive returns for the year, but also . . . must have a record of delivering outstanding long-term performance and of aligning their interests with shareholders'." Morningstar uses its own research and evaluations...