Cannabis ETFs face a 'day of reckoning'

July 8, 2019

There may be trouble ahead for the growing number of exchange-traded funds that invest in cannabis companies. Pot ETFs face a "day of reckoning" within the next couple of years as investor interest in the industry — which has returned more...

Deutsche Bank to slash workforce by one fifth as part of radical overhaul

July 8, 2019

Deutsche Bank AG unveiled a radical overhaul that will see the lender exit its equities business, post a 2.8 billion-euro ($3.1 billion) second-quarter loss and cut the workforce by a fifth to reverse a slide in profitability. Chief Executive...

Party may be over for stocks in 2019

July 8, 2019

Summertime and the livin' is easy, right? The market is near a record, President Donald J. Trump delivered a nugget of good news on the trade front, the labor market is thriving and the Federal Reserve is at least considering a rate cut. And...

Morningstar emphasizes fees, performance in upgrade of fund ratings

July 8, 2019

In the latest iteration of its forward-looking analysts' ratings,​ Morningstar Inc. is placing more emphasis on fees and raising the bar for actively managed funds, which will be required to beat both their benchmark and their peer group to...

Correcting three misconceptions about ETFs

July 8, 2019

There are probably no hard numbers to prove it but I'm guessing the odds are good that, despite the increasing popularity of exchange traded funds, most investors don't really understand the mechanics of them. It's not that being an expert in...

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Zombie ETFs liquidated at a record pace in first half

July 3, 2019

It's getting more and more difficult to prevail in the crowded market for exchange-traded funds. A record 58 ETFs were liquidated in the six months through June, marking the industry's worst-ever start to a year, according to data compiled by...

SEC commissioner Jackson seeks data on potential harm of easing rules for private placements

July 1, 2019

SEC commissioner Robert Jackson Jr. voted in favor of publishing for comment a 211-page document on easing rules surrounding investments in unregistered securities. But he has qualms about allowing ordinary investors to participate in private...

Active managers putting pressure on index funds

July 1, 2019

It's too early to claim a revival for active management, but based on the solid performance this year, it might also be premature to give up on active management all together. According to CFRA, in the first half of this year, 49% of actively...

SEC bars head of terminated RIA, orders $1.3 million in payments

July 1, 2019

The Securities and Exchange Commission has censured Foxboro, Mass.-based Fieldstone Financial Management Group and charged the firm and its principal, Kristofor R. Behn, with defrauding clients by failing to disclose conflicts of interest. The...

White House considers capital gains tax break that would benefit wealthy

June 27, 2019

The White House is developing a plan to cut taxes by indexing capital gains to inflation, according to people familiar with the matter, in a move that would largely benefit the wealthy and may be done in a way that bypasses Congress. Consensus...

SEC charges financier for stealing $43 million in client funds

June 27, 2019

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Jason Sugarman, a Los Angeles financier, with directing a fraudulent scheme to gain control over two registered investment advisers so that he and others could steal $43 million of client funds...

Funds confront liquidity worries

June 27, 2019

The first blow-up shook an investment fund in Switzerland. The second and third rocked funds in the U.K. Now, with warnings growing louder about the risks money managers have taken with hard-to-trade investments, Wall Street is starting to wonder:...

Broker-dealer pays $9.5 million to settle alternative investment claims by Native American tribe

June 26, 2019

Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments will have to pay $9.5 million related to the sale of alternative investments to a Native American tribe in Michigan, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The independent...

As AssetMark files for IPO, experts value TAMP at more than $1.2 billion

June 26, 2019

AssetMark could be the next financial services firm to jump into the public equity markets, according to its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this week. The Concord, Calif.-based turnkey asset management platform, which...

Bond ETFs nearing record inflows for first half

June 26, 2019

As the risk of an economic slowdown lingers, exchange-traded fund investors are seeking shelter in bond funds. They've poured about $72 billion into fixed-income ETFs this year through Friday, with the funds on track for their biggest first-half...

American Century taps DFA vets for new factor-based business

June 26, 2019

If there was any doubt about American Century Investments' commitment to its expansion into the exchange-traded funds space, the $168 billion asset manager has put those doubts to rest with the launch of Avantis Investors. The new Los Angeles...

Asset managers hit by ever-rising costs as fees drop

June 25, 2019

Asset managers can add rising regulatory and technology costs to their list of woes as they struggle to expand revenue amid pressure to lower fees and expenses. Non-compensation costs, which also include back-office processing and office space,...

Advisers who pick stocks are hurting clients — and the value of their firms

June 25, 2019

If you're an adviser and you pick securities for your clients, you're not only wasting time and money, you're probably doing them a grave disservice. I've been a financial planner and adviser for almost three decades, and it never ceases to...