One of My Favorite Ways to Play Gold Right Now
It seems like almost every analyst with even a small
interest in gold is on the GLD bandwagon. The exchange traded fund
introduced by State Street Global Advisors in November of 2004 has so much
popular appeal and media coverage that you'd think it was the only way to
invest in gold.
[ More » ]
The idea is, every share of GLD represents 1/10 of an ounce of real gold that the ETF's custodians keep in a vault in London. No, you can't visit your gold, nor can you have them ship it to you. Indeed, there's no way the gold in their vault will ever end up in your hands - but they do have daily and weekly updates about how much gold they have, and how much they've bought and sold. To date, they hold more than 1232 metric tons of gold bullion, worth more than $68 billion. 
ETFs For All Market ConditionsRight now, most investors rely on a small selection of mutual funds in their 401(k) accounts to make money in the stock market. I've seen plenty of the plans, and the offerings are remarkable similar. Investors can choose from small-cap, mid-cap and large-cap funds. There may be value funds or growth funds. And if you're lucky, you may have some global funds or emerging market funds. But if you want to invest your retirement money specifically in technology or oil stocks, good luck. These kinds of targeted funds are virtually non-existent in the retirement fund world. 
Small Is Beautiful (GM, DAL, VBK, SPY, MDY)Read any basic investment book and it will tell you that small-cap stocks are riskier than large-cap stocks. On an individual basis, that may be true. However, if you do your homework and dig deep into the financials of small-cap stocks, you can reduce risk and increase reward dramatically. For the record, small cap analyst Tyler Laundon points out that small caps tend to outperform large caps over the long-term. He believes that many investors mistake small cap 'risk' for what is actually short-term price volatility...
A Must Own Small Cap During These Volatile Times
Income investing has a place in every investment
portfolio, and can be used as a strategy for diversification.
[ More » ]
Just as importantly, these investments can provide a healthy source of income in periods when the stock market is moving sideways. And contrary to popular belief, investors can reap big profits in income generating investments - including fixed income securities such as bonds. Given the current market volatility, "safer" income-generating investments are increasingly considered by smart investors.
The Hottest Small Cap ETF in the World (EWY, SKOR)
The best performing "World ETF" over the past
52-weeks is the iShares MSCI South Korea Index (NYSE:
EWY). The return? An impressive 36.7 percent.
[ More » ]
However, year-to-date it has been the lesser known IQ South Korea Small Cap ETF (Nasdaq: SKOR) that has outperformed. The return - 23.2 percent. 
The Best Income Strategy for Small Caps (SLV, IWM)As an options trader I am often asked about my favorite options strategy for producing income. And recently, after working with Ian on an issue for SmallCap Investor Daily, "What You Need to Know spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer spacer
|
Research
|
