Mortgage rates in the US inched higher amid signals that the Federal Reserve is likely to keep its policy steady for some time.

Franklin Fixed Income CIO Sonal Desai discusses why the recent acceleration in productivity growth might prove durable, leading to higher potential returns on real investment and a higher equilibrium interest rate.

United Parcel Service Inc.’s largest layoffs in its 116-year history were made possible, in part, by new technologies including artificial intelligence, CEO Carol Tomé said last week. Citing one example, she said that machine learning allows salespeople to put together proposals without having to ask pricing experts for guidance.

Over long horizons, dividends’ growth and reinvestment of those payouts serve as vital factors in portfolio growth. However, dividends aren’t guaranteed and with bond yields still high, some skittish investors may be inclined to embrace fixed income over equity income.

One of the more fascinating and mysterious parts of watching the Federal Reserve is the ongoing dialogue between Fed leaders and Wall Street. We imagine private meetings held in great secrecy. Those may in fact occur, but I’m not sure they are even necessary.

Tomorrow marks the start of China’s Lunar New Year, meaning it’s out with the Rabbit and in with the Dragon… but all eyes remain on the Bear. And no, I’m not talking about the hit Hulu series, but Russia.

Many advisors may be surprised to learn how many securities are needed for effective portfolio diversification. A common misconception among advisors is that true diversification and risk reduction can only be achieved by holding a large number of individual securities.

Investors experienced a shift in global risk sentiment during Q4, marked by lower inflation and the anticipation of an end to the rate hiking cycle.

Stronger than expected earnings are leading companies on both sides of the Atlantic to announce share buybacks at a blistering pace as 2024 gets going — a potentially crucial pillar of support for global stock markets already trading at all-time highs.

The Bitcoin exchange-traded funds started by BlackRock Inc. and Fidelity Investments are gaining a liquidity edge over a larger rival from Grayscale Investments LLC, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. strategists.

One of the primary hurdles to broader adoption of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing principles and the related funds has been long-lacking clarity and regulatory framework covering ESG ratings and regulations.

Alongside great content, we’re also bringing some of the most prominent voices in finance to the stage. J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s chief global strategist Dr. David Kelly recently shared what he’s thinking about and watching in markets ahead of Exchange.

Matt Bush and Evan Serdensky share their updated outlook following the latest FOMC meeting and the January jobs report.

Foreign policy is not all that foreign. That’s a key message from Dr. Richard Haass. He is President Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations and Senior Counselor for Centerview Partners. Dr. Haass will also be at the Exchange conference in Miami on Monday. 

The SEC is using its authority over dealers to sneak in the back doors of these entities, which will inevitably create new or modified entities to reduce the cost of regulation.

The end of the Federal Reserve’s rate-hiking campaign and increased transaction activity will make 2024 a year of improved transparency and credit access for commercial real estate in the U.S., according to a new research paper by Morris Chen, Director of DoubleLine Capital’s Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities and Commercial Real Estate Debt team, and Product Specialist Phil Gioia.

Treasury yields rose further — with some reaching year-to-date highs — ahead of inflation data comprising the market’s next test after a string of Treasury auctions went off without a hitch.

Hedge funds are paid big bucks for making smart market bets. Yet these days, a simple feature of the financial plumbing — largely overlooked on Wall Street during the low interest-rate era — is helping juice industry returns.

With a laser focus on the future, David Mann, our Head of Global Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) Product and Capital Markets, shares his 2024 outlook for the ETF industry and the key trends he sees taking shape.

The recurring theme of artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t going away soon. Members of the Magnificent Seven, which include household big tech names, saw their earnings boosted along with rosier outlooks thanks to the inclusion of AI in their respective business operations.

With eight seconds left on the play clock, Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs kicked a chip shot field goal that put the nail in the coffin for the Philadelphia Eagles.

A new ETF playoff champion has been crowned. Artificial Intelligence routed spot Bitcoin ETFs to claim the first-ever ETF championship.

Ten spot bitcoin exchange traded funds came to market last month, increasing access to the largest cryptocurrency for scores of advisors and investors. While that event is obviously pertinent to bitcoin itself, there are derivative beneficiaries.

U.S. Stocks were positive in January as more Goldilocks economic data fueled investor optimism. U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) came at a +3.3% for Q4 2023, much stronger than the expected 2% gain.

On this episode of the “ETF of the Week” podcast, VettaFi’s Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth discussed the Natixis Vaughan Nelson Select ETF (VNSE) with Chuck Jaffe of “Money Life.” The pair talked about several topics regarding the fund to give investors a deeper understanding of the ETF overall.

The top US artificial intelligence companies will participate in a government-led effort intended to craft federal standards on the technology to ensure that it’s deployed safely and responsibly, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

This year’s turmoil in China has sparked a stock meltdown, blown up structured financial products, led to public disgruntlement, and now President Xi Jinping has put a new market regulator in control.

Bitcoin approached $45,000 for the first time in almost a month with the US exchange-traded funds holding the digital currency seeing a steady inflow of cash from investors and risk appetite rising across financial markets.

A roughly $61 trillion global benchmark of developed-market equities rose to an all-time high on Wednesday, with Wall Street’s technology behemoths leading the way.

In this interview, Dr. Richard Haass discusses geopolitical competition, global challenges, national security and why it's important for Americans to understand these topics on a deeper level.

Whether you have a family member turning 18, or someone in your life looking to build wealth from the bottom up, this primer provides a solid overview of the basic types of securities, investing strategies, and valuable lessons to help pave the path toward financial confidence.

Emerging-market equities have a bad rap. But a lost decade may have set up promising conditions for a recovery.

Your active managers are more competent than they look.

In February 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted rule amendments to shorten the standard settlement cycle to T+1 for transactions in U.S. securities including equities, corporate bonds, unit investment trusts, and exchange-traded funds.

In less than 2 weeks, advisors will flock to sunny Miami for the annual Exchange Conference. Content sessions this year offer advisors insight into growing their business models in unexpected ways, the macro and market environment of 2024, navigating the AI revolution, and more.

Janus Henderson Investors Portfolio Managers Greg Wilensky and Jeremiah Buckley discuss what they consider the three essential elements of an effective balanced strategy in the current environment.

At its core, inflation is too much money chasing too few goods. That was the case in 2020 through 2022. This is not the case anymore.

While the ability of humans to demonstrate empathy is invaluable, few appreciate the impact of “artificial empathy,” which is incorporated into AI and is likely to become more sophisticated.

To successfully navigate the minefield of acquisitions and consolidations, advisory clients should consider the cultural integration of an acquired firm and pay meticulous attention to the motives of the acquiring organization.

Exchange begins on Sunday, February 11! Like any big industry event, there are things you should do in advance that will make it easier for you to take advantage of the learning and networking opportunities.

It is certainly a confusing economic environment. Jobs growth is strong yet there are constant reports of high-profile company layoffs. The yield curve is inverted suggesting a recession yet the stock market is at a record high.

After the great financial crisis, China’s appetite for commodities and technology fueled a global economic recovery.

I received an email this past week concerning George Soros’ “Theory Of Reflexivity.” It’s an interesting question, and I have previously written about the “Theory of Reflexivity.” Notably, this theory begins to resurface whenever markets become exuberant.

To stay competitive with their peers, big tech companies will need to continue leveraging the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI). Given this competitive landscape, an alternate play on AI could be single-stock exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in companies like Microsoft.

Read enough financial publications and one is apt to find there’s no shortage of rankings. There’s the Fortune 500 as well as rankings of companies based on customer and employee satisfaction. There are also environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

VettaFi’s Roxanna Islam offers perspective on the “Magnificent Seven” and their growing concentration in market cap-weighted indices. BondBloxx’s Joanna Gallegos highlights the firm’s unique lineup of precision fixed income ETFs. Goldman Sachs’ Greg Tuorto discusses the Goldman Sachs Small Cap Core Equity ETF (GSC) and the potential opportunity in small cap stocks overall.

Here are some of my favorite digital tools that can help make running a growing financial advisory business easier.

It’s up to advisors to deploy technology without losing sight of what clients want. Consider these examples.

Tesla Inc.’s slide to the lowest level since May attracted a wave of bullish option buying not in the stock itself, but with an exchange traded fund that offers more leverage.

As I observed last month, the strongest stock market returns in the coming decade, perhaps longer, are likely to emerge during advances in the S&P 500 that attempt to catch up with the cumulative return of risk-free Treasury bills.