First-Half Asset Class Performance

Hickey and Walters (Bespoke) submit: Although we've slowed down a bit over the last week, stock markets around the world posted big gains in January. Below is a look at the recent performance of various asset classes using key ETFs.

Hickey and Walters (Bespoke) submit: Below is an updated look at our key ETF matrix, which highlights the recent performance of ETFs across all asset classes. For each ETF, we show how it has performed over the last week, month to date, and year to date.

Hickey and Walters (Bespoke) submit: For those interested, below we highlight the recent performance of key ETFs across all asset classes. For each ETF, we provide its performance over the last week, so far in March, and year to date.

Hickey and Walters (Bespoke) submit: Below is a look at the final 2012 performance numbers for key ETFs across all asset classes. We also include how each ETF performed in December and in the fourth quarter.

Hickey and Walters (Bespoke) submit: The "Sell in May" theory has been turned on its head so far this year. As shown in the left-hand side of our key ETF matrix below, US equities have jumped out of the gate strong over the first 8 trading days of May.

By Richard Bloch:So far this year, ETF fund flows indicate that investors are putting money to work in several sectors that were out of favor last year.I took at look at the nine major S&P500 sectors. Each stock in the S&P 500 belongs to one of these sectors, and each has its own SPDR Sector ETF. So looking at all nine offers some perspective on what's pushing the index higher this year,These ETFs include:

Gary Gordon submits: Analysts like Bob Doll at Blackrock believe that U.S. economic growth will accelerate, with GDP likely to come in at a vibrant 3.5% for 2011. Economists polled at the Economist Intelligence Unit may be a little less enthusiastic, but they have raised their forecasts from 3.0% to 3.1%.

Gary Gordon submits: On the surface, the last Monday in June has been no different than the other trading days in the first half of 2010. Investors have been dumping energy and materials ETFs; what’s more, they’ve been getting rid of country ETFs that depend heavily on the energy or materials sectors.