LISLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Claymore Advisors, LLC, is pleased to announce that today the following Claymore Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) have declared monthly distributions. The table below summarizes the distribution schedule for each Fund declaring a distribution.
The first-ever emerging market sector family of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) has been introduced by Emerging Global Advisors, LLC, (EGA) it was announced today.
The new Emerging Global Shares (EGS) family of ETFs is based on the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Sector Titans Indexes and is designed to provide institutional investors with broad-based exposure to leading emerging market companies across multiple industry sectors. The initial funds will focus on Energy and Metals & Mining. All the ETFs will be listed on the NYSE Arca electronic exchange.
"For the first time, institutional investors will have a transparent vehicle for gaining sector-based exposure to the emerging markets,” said Robert Holderith, chief executive officer at Emerging Global Advisors. "Our family of ETFs will provide the market access and liquidity to allow institutions to execute trading and investment strategies that have not been previously possible.” 
Coal was one of our best performing sector groups in latter 2007 through summer 2008. While much of the focus of late has been on natural gas, the coal stocks have been ripping in even larger magnitude. I was a bull on coal over natural gas (although the market in its student body left trading simply moves all commodities together) because of the portability of coal over natural gas. We were early on this theme as the market was so focused on oil stocks at the time, and made a lot of money [Dec 6, 2007: Coal Stocks Quietly in Bull Market] I wrote a bevy of pieces about this 1.5 years ago... but again, the market is not very granular nowadays; it likes big sweeping themes that are simple: i.e. commodities good.
I have a litany of posts on just about every major coal producer in the archives, but for a simple way to play the sector there is an ETF which we introduced January 2008 [Jan 14, 2008: New Coal ETF (KOL) Introduced from Van Eck Global] 
It was bound to happen, I suppose. While exchange-traded funds have not yet attracted the multi-trillions of dollars that mutual funds have, ETFs have become popular enough they're starting to acquire some of the bad habits of their older rivals.
The first generation of ETFs were low-cost, broadly diversified products from firms like Barclays and Vanguard, well suited to average investors wishing to expose the core of their portfolios to the broad equity market.
But we are well into the second phase of ETF proliferation, with more volatile sector ETFs sporting considerably higher price tags. How complex it's become can be inferred from the fact BetaPro Management Inc. is hosting an all-day Horizons ETF University session today at Ryerson University, part of a seven-city road show. 
If you're bullish on stocks, you should be shopping abroad.
THE DOLLAR CONTINUES to be yin to the stock market's yang.
As the perception that the worst of the economic and financial crisis has passed bolsters equities, the greenback is giving back its gains.
The dollar's declines are being blamed by the sado-monetarists (to steal once again a terrific turn of phrase from John Liscio, our late friend and colleague at Barron's) on the aggressive expansion of liquidity by the Federal Reserve.
And, indeed, the U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the greenback's value against a basket of America's major trading partners, broke below its 200-day moving a couple of weeks ago ("Green Shoots -- Bad for Greenbacks," May 7.) The further drop in the U.S. Dollar Index to below 82 essentially puts it back to where it started the year...... 
Catching the mega trend is a tricky business. If you’re paying attention, you might have a chance. Green energy was one such trend - and now we think another such trend may be developing in nuclear energy.
When oil jumped significantly a couple of years ago, Hummers were still popular. Most Americans didn’t mind filling up their 2 SUVs (remember those?). As long as gas was “reasonable” they just put it on the card. But as the global boom unfolded, the world consumed more energy than the market could supply at such “low” prices. Crude oil briefly shot up to around $150. This scared many Americans. They scaled back on their energy consumption - sometimes out of necessity.
At the same time, Al Gore (remember him?) came out with his movie about global warming. The resulting publicity about greenhouse emissions led to soaring interest in alternative energy sources. Suddenly the hybrid Toyota Prius was mainstream and incandescent light bulbs were a social faux pas. Green energy was in. Anyone who bought Green four years ago made out like a bandit. 
THE OFFERING:
USSO will be offering Creation Baskets consisting of 100,000 units through ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“Marketing Agent”) as marketing agent to Authorized Purchasers. The initial Authorized Purchaser will purchase one or more initial Creation Baskets of 100,000 units at an initial offering price per unit equal to $50.00. The initial Authorized Purchaser intends to offer the units of the initial Creation Basket(s) publicly. The effective date will be the date on which the SEC declares the registration statement relating to this prospectus effective and is expected to be the date of the sale of the initial Creation Basket(s). However, the proceeds are not expected to be invested until the order for the first Creation Basket has settled and cash is received from the initial Authorized Purchaser. The units are expected to begin trading on the day following the purchase of the initial Creation Basket(s) by the initial Authorized Purchaser. 
......But where to put the cash. A checking account will only pay you a fraction of a percent interest -- no thanks. Treasuries are safe but do not pay much either unless you invest long term. What I decided to do was find an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) that allowed me short term liquidity, security, relative stability and paid a higher yield. I also liked the idea of an ETF because it allowed me to keep the funds in the brokerage account and I could still keep score.
What I decided on was the Vanguard Total Bond Market (NYSE: BND) ETF. It is currently paying a 4.15% yield and I can trade shares anytime to get cash. 
Think this sounds like a scam? It's not. Our senior investing editor Jeff Kosnett sifted through piles of historical and current data from bond funds, ETFs, trusts and stocks looking for the highest and most reliable dividend-paying sources. Then he configured three portfolios to suit investors with various risk levels.
These investments are paid out monthly and are good for those who need more income now, versus 20 years from now.
See what it takes to maximize your dividend income?
Kosnett's High-Risk, High-Yield Plan for the Recession Aftermath
Estimated yield: 9.5% 
At a time when too much debt on the part of everyone from homeowners to hedge funds brought the world financial system to the brink, you'd think "leverage" would be a four-letter word. But if the explosive growth of leveraged exchange-traded funds is any indication, it seems like investors just can't get their hands on enough money in order to boost returns.
True, leveraged ETFs offer a cheap, liquid and transparent way to double- or even triple-down on the movements of their underlying indexes — both long and short — but they are unsuitable or even dangerous if you don't understand the product. Unfortunately, most regular folks just don't.
"For the most part leveraged ETFs are completely inappropriate vehicles for individuals," says Maury Fertig, partner at Relative Value Partners, an independent investment advisor in Northbrook, Ill. "They have to be constantly evaluated. It's a lot more work and risk. And just knowing how most individuals manage their money, why do it? You have to babysit the thing." 
The Euro Shares ETF broke through what some technical investors have called an important price threshold Wednesday, trading at $138.13, up $1.78, or 1.3%......
......"The recent spike is an encouraging sign, and it's not too late to take part," said Tom Lydon, an investor and founder of the ETF Trends newsletter......
......Other experts believe that caution is in order for those wanting to make a play in the ETF based on the euro dollar. "The EU still has member nations that are in serious trouble," said Ron DeLegge, editor of ETF Guide, who urged investors to be wary of the fundamentals.
Full Story: http://www.thestreet.com/story/10503810/1/euro-funds-etf-spikes-some-urge-caution.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN 
Biotech HOLDRs (NYSE: BBH) is seeing some upside action today after the biotech industry received its second major upgrade in the past few weeks. The ETF is up 1% today.
Today, Barclays upgraded the US Biotechnology sector from Neutral to Positive, citing valuation and saying they see significant opportunity for the group into 2nd-half of 2009.
Full Story: http://www.streetinsider.com/Upgrades/Barclays+Gets+Bullish+On+US+Biotechnology+Sector+(BBH)/4671142.html 
Stocks are rallying, portfolios are recovering, and the financial news is rosy. This seems to be the perfect recipe for more profits coming our way. The only fly in the ointment is that exactly this combination of events usually foreshadows lower prices, perhaps even another meltdown. Here’s what the recent news REALLY means.
We learn something new every day and often it turns out that what we learned the day before was incorrect. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and take – what we presume to be facts – at face value, even though it might be nothing more than hot air.
The spring rally in stocks has awakened a spring-like feeling of euphoria not seen for over a year. Obama’s budget chief thinks that the economy has almost bottomed out; Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley have applied to repay bailout funds; the Wall Street Journal reports that stocks rise as recovery hope builds; and Warren Buffett doubles down on derivatives while betting on America. 
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