Thursday's ETF To Watch: MSCI Spain Index Fund

By Jarred Cummans:As we approach the halfway mark to the second quarter, investors have lost most of the confidence that defined Q1. With major equity benchmarks soaring and positive data piling in from all around the world, the U.S. economy seemed to finally have some solid ground to stand on. But recent weeks have seen a resurgence of the nagging euro crisis as a number of countries continue to deal with enormous debt piles.

Jarred Cummans submits:The fixed income ETF space has grown considerably over the past two years, as investors worried about a slowdown in developed markets have bought up bonds despite record low yields. The first 11 months of 2010 saw cash inflows of approximately $100 billion into the ETF industry, and about $29 billion of that total went to bond products.

By Jarred Cummans:This past week was chock full of data on the home front, as the U.S. poured on a number of key economic reports with the majority coming in positive. Despite a sell off on Friday, major indexes still covered some ground this week, as Tuesday saw the Dow close above 13,000 for the first time in years, sparking a bit of investor confidence across the board.

By Jarred Cummans:Natural gas has been one of the most talked about commodities this year, as its prices have been on a slippery slope, bringing them down to historical lows. NG futures have sank more than 17% on the year as investors have been scrambling in and out of positions which have continually turned sour. The issues for this fossil fuel started late last year, when winter failed to show up for all intents and purposes.

By Jarred Cummans:As earnings season begins to wrap up, stocks have yet to establish a decisive direction. Though this week saw the Dow close at its highest level in four years, most are still unsure as to where we are headed in the foreseeable future. Perhaps the most pressing issue will be the resolution, or lack thereof, of the European debt crisis.

By Jarred Cummans:After a miserable four day stretch, markets were able to open higher yesterday, as Alcoa (AA) started off earnings season with a positive report. For the next few weeks, the biggest and most important companies in the country will be shedding light on their performance in what was the best first quarter in roughly 14 years.

By Jarred Cummans:With the second quarter underway, stocks have gotten off to a rough start after a promising opening session. Two straight days of sell-offs sparked fears that Q2 may not fare quite as well as the previous three-month stretch. Many investors were distraught to hear that the Fed has no formal plans for a third quantitative easing program fearing that the U.S. economy may be unable to stand its ground without the helping hand of Ben Bernanke.

By Jarred Cummans:Tuesday saw a welcomed bull run on Wall Street as it was announced that a number of major banks had passed their respective stress tests, meaning that they would have enough capital to endure even the most severe scenarios. Investors cheered on the news with a buying trend that show the Dow up to its post-crisis high, as our economy has been showing signs of life as of late. But while the U.S.