Morningstar 2010 ETF Invest Conference
Investable ideas and engaging strategies from Morningstar analysts and other ETF experts.
ETF Specialist
With investor interest in ETFs at an all-time high, exchange-traded funds' continued dramatic growth amid the last two volatile years, and ETFs' impact on the market greater than ever, Morningstar hosted its first ETF Invest Conference Sept. 16-17 in Chicago.
For those who couldn't attend the event, Morningstar.com offered on-the-spot coverage and commentary on the latest tactical and strategic themes in ETF investing, including emerging markets, currencies, commodities, alternative strategies, taxes, portfolio construction, dividends, income strategies, and active ETFs.
We also brought insight on the ETF landscape from some of the most important pundits in the space--including Morningstar's Scott Burns, ETF Trends' Tom Lydon, and IndexUniverse's Matt Hougan--and from past and present executives at ETF providers, such as iShares' former CEO Lee Kranefuss and experts from Vanguard, PIMCO, State Street, ProFunds, and PowerShares.
Click below for the latest conference coverage and highlights.
The Market & Economy
The Trend Is Still Up
Astor Asset Management's Rob Stein says health-care, tech, energy, and dividend-focused ETFs look attractive in an economy that is still improving, albeit slowly.
SSgA head of investments Dan Farley says his team is looking for stability of income and returns in areas such as large-cap dividend stocks.
A Stable, But Shallow, Recovery
Dan Farley offers views on the economy and market today, and opportunities in non-U.S. small caps.
Globalization at Mach Speed
The world is more stable today than at any time in history, says author and ETF Invest presenter Gregg Easterbrook.
Mining for Lessons After the Flash Crash
'We don't want to break something while we're trying to fix it,' says iShares' Noel Archard.
Portfolio Planning
The equity market is the place to go rather than extending duration or searching for yield in bonds, says Fran Kinniry of Vanguard's Investment Strategy Group.
ETFs and The Hunt for Yield
Panelists from Vanguard, PIMCO, and PowerShares discuss where to look, and not look, in the search for yield.
How to Size Up a Tactical Strategy
There are market inefficiencies that you can capture with a good disciplined process, says SSgA head of investments Dan Farley.
Rick Ferri's forthcoming book argue that the more actively managed funds you put in a portfolio, the lower the probability that the portfolio will outperform a portfolio of index funds.
Portfolio Construction: Best Practices From the Pros
Portfolio Solutions' Rick Ferri, Morningstar Associates' Hal Ratner, and Schwab's Michael Iachini discuss their overarching strategies, investment choices, and philosophy.
Planner Mark Balasa estimates that ETFs contributed to saving his clients up to one-third on their tax bills from 2007 to 2009.
Exposure to many different sources of returns can make a well-behaved, well-balanced portfolio over the long term, says Vanguard's Sandip Bhagat.
Buy-and-Hold Not Dead, But Needs Resuscitation
ETF Invest panelists Sandip Bhagat of Vanguard and Erik Ristuben of Russell say "buying" and "holding" are only part of the story.
Alternative ETFs in the Portfolio
The past decade has seen a flood of new alternative investment vehicles.
Overseas Investing
Emerging Markets: Shifting from Periphery to Core
Contrary to popular belief, emerging markets do not afford investors an opportunistic asset class, says Van Eck's David Semple.
Though they've traditionally traded at a discount to developed markets, emerging markets will command a growth premium going forward, says David Semple, Van Eck's director of international investment.
Opportunities in Emerging Markets
Van Eck's David Semple doesn't expect the boom-and-bust cycle that has traditionally plagued emerging markets to persist.
Options
ETF Option Strategies for Preservation and Income
A well-executed option strategy can separate an advisor from the pack and help serve clients better.
Currencies
Currency Diversification for Challenging Times
Besides sporting low correlations to traditional assets, currencies are less volatile than equities and even fixed income, argues Merk Funds Axel Merk.
Low volatility among bonds could be an indicator of a bubble, says Merk Investments' Axel Merk.
Commodities
In Defense of Commodity ETFs
What's the real issue troubling commodities-based-ETFs?
Micro and Macro Factors Create Opportunities in Commodities
Three veteran commodities traders opened up about the opportunities they forecast to emerge in the near- and mid-term future.
ETF Industry
The investment industry is shifting from one focused on stock-picking to one focused on tactical and strategic asset allocation using index-based investments, says IndexUniverse editor Matt Hougan.
Special CEF Weekly: There's No Diploma for Attaining Investment Knowledge
Our ETF conference takeaway for closed-end fund investors: There is always more to learn.
Kranefuss on the Role of Trust in ETFs
The former iShares CEO discusses the early work to expand ETF adoption beyond institutions to advisors and individuals.
Don't Blame ETFs for Volatility
Pundits discuss the role ETFs may or may not have played in the recent market roller coaster.
Pre-Conference
ETF Invest Preview
Get investable ideas and engaging strategies from Morningstar analysts and other ETF experts.