This drove cumulative household debt down to its lowest level since 2006, and has helped to dramatically improve the economic sentiment in the U.S. Tentative growth in the labor market has also created a more positive outlook among consumers, as the national rate of unemployment fell from 7.9% to 7.6% between January and April this year.
The Dangers Posed by Soaring Consumer Confidence
Questions concerning the validity of job market growth in the U.S. have provided cause for concern, however, especially in terms of its capacity to sustain the current rate of consumer spending. According to statistics released by the Department of Labor, low-paid temporary jobs accounted for more than 55% of the 175,000 employment positions created in May, as the ranks of the rising poor have continued to swell. Despite this, consumer confidence has soared from 69 to 81.4 during the second financial quarter, which suggests that some households may be spending disproportionately to the amounts that they earn and their long-term financial prospects.
Top 10 Telecom Stocks To Own For 2015: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANEWF)
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) provides a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Company conducts its operations in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region. It also operates in a range of other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. The Company operates on a divisional structure with Australia, International and Institutional Banking (IIB), New Zealand, and Global Wealth and Private Banking. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had 1,337 branches and other points of representation worldwide, excluding automatic teller machines (ATMs). In September 2012, it sold its remaining shareholding in Visa Inc. In May 2013, the Company ceased to be substantial holder in respect of ING Private Equity Access Limited. Advisors' Opinion:- [By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks edged lower Thursday, as a mostly soft lead from the U.S. markets helped weigh on the S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) , which lost 0.2% to 5,306.40. Mining stocks moved mostly lower as a rising dollar depressed some key commodity prices overnight, with Oz Minerals Ltd. (AU:OZL) (OZMLF) down 1%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) off 1.5%, and Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) 1.1% lower. The big four banks all started lower as well, with Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) down 0.2% each, while National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) lost 0.4%, and Westpac Banking Corp. (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) fell 0.5%. Retailers were mixed ahead of retail-sales data due out later in the day, as Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. (AU:HVN) (HNORY) fell 0.5% and Myer Holdings Ltd. (AU:MYR) lost 0.7%, while David Jones Ltd.
- [By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks rose in early Monday trading, helped by Wall Street's gains Friday, with the S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) climbing 0.8% to 5,362.40 after closing the previous session at its highest level since before the start of the 2008 financial crisis. Miners were broadly improving, as Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) rose 1.3%, BHP Billiton Ltd. (AU:BHP) (BHP) added 0.9% ahead of its quarterly production report Tuesday, and Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) also climbed 0.9% despite a loss for gold at the end of last week. Financials saw gains as well, with many analysts now tipping the U.S. Federal Reserve to maintain its current level of easing through the end of the year. Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) advanced 1.1%, while Westpac Banking Corp. (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) and Macquarie Group Ltd. (AU:MQG) (MCQEF) rose 1.2% each. On the downside, shares of Qantas Airways Ltd. (AU:QAN) (QUBSF) fell 4.2% after the company warned of rough business conditions on Friday.
Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund (JFR)
Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund is a closed-end management investment company. The Fund invests primarily in senior loans whose interest rates float or adjust periodically based on a benchmark interest rate index. Under normal market circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its managed assets in adjustable rate secured senior loans and adjustable rate unsecured senior loans, which unsecured senior loans will be, at the time of investment, investment grade quality. In addition, at least 65% of the Funds assets will be invested in senior loans that are secured by claims on specific collateral. Nuveen Asset Management is the advisor of the Fund. The sectors covered by the portfolio include media, hotels, restaurants and leisure, healthcare providers and service, chemicals, United States of America, containers/packaging and other.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Dowdee]
The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:
BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut
Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: State Bank of India (SBIN)
State Bank of India (SBI) is an India-based commercial bank. Its primary banks include Treasury, Corporate / Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking and Other Banking business. The Treasury Segment includes the entire investment portfolio and trading in foreign exchange contracts and derivative contracts. The Corporate / Wholesale Banking segment comprises the lending activities of Corporate Accounts Group, Mid Corporate Accounts Group and Stressed Assets Management Group. These include providing loans and transaction services to corporate and institutional clients and further include non-treasury operations of foreign offices. The Retail Banking Segment consists of branches in National Banking Group, which primarily includes Personal Banking activities, including lending activities to corporate customers having banking relations with branches in the National Banking Group. This segment also includes agency business and automated teller machines (ATMs). Advisors' Opinion:- [By Calev Ben-David]
Credit-default swaps for the State Bank of India (SBIN), a proxy for the sovereign, have risen by almost two thirds since May 22, while the rupee slid about 10 percent. In Turkey, swaps jumped by about half, and the currency dropped about 6 percent.
- [By Lyubov Pronina]
India�� S&P BSE Sensex Index dropped 4 percent in Mumbai as State Bank of India (SBIN) tumbled to the lowest level in four years. ICICI Bank Ltd. slumped 5.2 percent. The rupee touched an unprecedented 62.0050 per dollar today before closing 0.3 percent weaker from Aug. 14 at 61.6550 in Mumbai, according to prices from local banks compiled by Bloomberg.
Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Flagstar Bancorp Inc (FBC)
Flagstar Bancorp, Inc. incorporated on October 28, 1993, is a savings and loan holding company. The Company�� business is primarily conducted through its principal subsidiary, Flagstar Bank, FSB (the Bank), a federally chartered stock savings bank. At December 31, 2012, its total assets were $ $14.1 billion. The Bank�� wholly owned subsidiary is Flagstar Capital Markets Corporation (FCMC). The Company operates in two segments: Community Banking and Mortgage Banking. The Community Banking segment offers a line of financial products and services to individuals, small and middle market businesses, and mortgage lenders. Its Mortgage Banking segment originates, acquires, sells and services residential first mortgage loans on one-to-four family residences. The Bank�� Other segment include corporate treasury, tax benefits not assigned to specific operating segments, and miscellaneous other expenses of a corporate nature.
Community Banking
Community Banking segment includes Branch Banking, Commercial and Business Banking, Government Banking, and Warehouse Lending. Community Banking segment originates loans and deposits to consumer, business and mortgage lending customers through its Branch Banking, Business and Commercial Banking, Government Banking, and Warehouse Lending groups. Products offered include checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, consumer loans, commercial loans and warehouse lines of credit. Other financial services available to consumer and commercial customers include lines of credit, revolving credit, customized treasury management solutions, equipment leasing, inventory and accounts receivable lending and capital markets services such as interest rate risk protection products. At December 31, 2012, Branch Banking included 111 banking centers located throughout Michigan. As of December 31, 2012, the commercial loans held-for-investment totaled $0.7 billion, and consisted of commercial real estate, commercial and in! dustrial and commercial lease financing. At December 31, 2012, its commercial real estate loans held-for-investment totaled $640.3 million.
Commercial and industrial held-for-investment loan facilities include lines of credit to its small or middle market businesses for use in normal business operations to finance working capital needs, equipment purchases and expansion projects. At December 31, 2012 its commercial and industrial held-for-investment loans totaled $90.6 million. Its commercial lease financing held-for-investment loan portfolio is comprised of equipment leased to customers in a direct financing lease. At December 31, 2012 its commercial lease financing held-for-investment loans totaled $6.3 million. The Company offers warehouse lines of credit to other mortgage lenders. As of December 31, 2012, there were 311 warehouse lines of credit to other mortgage lenders with an average size of $7.5 million.
Mortgage Banking
The Company�� Mortgage Banking segment originates, acquires, sells and services one-to-four family residential first mortgage loans. Mortgage loans are originated through home lending centers, national call centers, the Internet, unaffiliated banks and mortgage brokerage companies. Also, the Mortgage Banking segment services mortgage loans for others and sells MSRs into the secondary market.
In a home lending center transaction, loans are originated through a network of its loan origination centers, as well as referrals from its Banking segment and the national call center. At December 31, 2012, the Company maintained 31 loan origination centers. In a broker transaction, an unaffiliated bank or mortgage brokerage company completes the loan paperwork, but the loans are underwritten on a loan-level basis to its underwriting standards and it supplies the funding for the loan at closing thereby becoming the lender of record. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had active broker relationships with over 1,700 banks, credit unions! , and mor! tgage brokerage companies. In a correspondent transaction, an unaffiliated bank or mortgage company completes the loan paperwork and also supplies the funding for the loan at closing. As of December 31, 2012, the Bank had active correspondent relationships with over 1,300 companies, including banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jessica Alling]
Outside the Dow, insurer MBIA (NYSE: MBI ) is up 11.3% after settling a legal case with lender Flagstar Bancorp (NYSE: FBC ) over two mortgage-backed securities transactions. MBIA alleged that Flagstar misrepresented the securities, resulting in the insurer's payout of $165 million on the policies. Flagstar has agreed to pay MBIA $110 million to settle the case. This legal dispute is similar to the current battle between MBIA and Bank of America. The insurer recently lost its bid for a pretrial ruling on the case, driving the stock lower.
- [By Brian Pacampara]
What: Shares of mortgage insurer MBIA (NYSE: MBI) climbed 10% today after settling its lawsuit against Flagstar Bancorp (NYSE: FBC), in which it accused the bank of misrepresenting the loan quality underlying $1.1 billion in mortgage-backed securities. �
Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Sun Communities Inc (SUI)
Sun Communities, Inc. is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company leases individual parcels of land (sites) with utility access for placement of manufactured homes and recreational vehicles (RV) to its customers. It operates in two segments: Real Property Operations, and Home Sales and Rentals. The Real Property Operations segment owns, operates, and develops manufactured housing communities concentrated in the Midwestern, southern, and south-eastern United States and is in the business of acquiring, operating, and expanding manufactured housing communities. The Home Sales and Rentals segment offers manufactured home sales and leasing services to tenants and prospective tenants of its communities. In May 2011, it acquired Orange City RV Resort, a Florida RV community comprised of 525 developed sites. In February 2012, it acquired three additional Florida RV communities, Three Lakes RV resort, Blueberry Hill RV resort and Grand Lake Estates.
As of December 31, 2011, it owned and operated a portfolio of 159 properties located in 18 states, including 141 manufactured housing communities, eight RV communities, and 10 properties containing both manufactured housing and RV sites. As of December 31, 2011, the Properties contained an aggregate of 54,811 developed sites consisted of 47,935 developed manufactured home sites, 3,867 permanent RV sites, 3,009 seasonal RV sites, and approximately 6,400 additional manufactured home sites suitable for development. Most of the Properties include amenities oriented toward family and retirement living. Of the 159 Properties, 73 have more than 300 developed manufactured home sites, with the having 1,003 developed manufactured home sites. As of December 31, 2011, the Properties had an occupancy rate of 85.3 % excluding seasonal RV sites.
The Company�� properties contain improvements similar to garden-style residential developments, including centralized entrances, paved streets, curbs and gutters, an! d parkways. In addition, these communities also often provide a number of amenities, such as a clubhouse, a swimming pool, shuffleboard courts, tennis courts and laundry facilities. The owner of each home on its Properties leases the site, on which the home is located. The Company owns the underlying land, utility connections, streets, lighting, driveways, common area amenities and other capital improvements. Some of the properties provide water and sewer service through public or private utilities, while others provide these services to residents from onsite facilities. Each owner within its properties is responsible for the maintenance of the home and leased site.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bill Stoller]
After a banner 2013, the overall market has had a challenging start to 2014. However, these four companies have been crushing it: Alexander Real Estate (NYSE: ARE ) , BioMed Realty Trust (NYSE: BMR ) , CommonWealth REIT (NYSE: CWH ) , and Sun Communities (NYSE: SUI ) early on in 2014 vs. the S&P 500. Their relative out-performance can also be seen when compared to the Vanguard REIT Index ETF (NYSEMKT: VNQ ) a good yardstick to measure sector performance.
- [By John Udovich]
Trailer parks may have a bad reputation, but Yahoo! Finance�� Breakout segment was recently touting trailer parks as a hot new investment area���meaning its time for retail investors who don�� want to invest in physical parks to start taking a closer look at trailer park stocks Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc (NYSE: ELS), Sun Communities Inc (NYSE: SUI) and UMH Properties, Inc (NYSE: UMH). According to the segment, roughly 6% of Americans lived in trailer homes as of 2012 with the�supply of designated trailer parks being quite low because no one wants one in their backyard. Anthony Effinger, the author of another article about trailer parks for Bloomberg, was quoted as saying:
Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Simmons First National Corp (SFNC)
Simmons First National Corporation is a multi-bank financial holding company. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had total loans of $1.7 billion, deposits of $2.7 billion and equity capital of $408 million. As of December 31, 2011, it owned eight community banks, which are located throughout Arkansas and conduct its operations through 88 offices, of which 84 are branches, or financial centers, located in 47 communities in Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. Its community banks are supported by its subsidiary bank, Simmons First National Bank (SFNB or lead bank), which allows its community banks to provide products and services, such as a bank-issued credit card. As of December 31, 2011, SFNB had total loans of $0.9 billion and total deposits of $1.5 billion. Simmons First Trust Company N.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of SFNB, performs the trust and fiduciary business operations for SFNB and for the Company. Simmons First Investment Group, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SFNB, is a broker-dealer and performs the broker-dealer operations for SFNB. Its subsidiary banks provide complete banking services to individuals and businesses throughout the market areas they serve. These banks offer consumer (credit card and other consumer), real estate (construction, single family residential and other commercial) and commercial (commercial, agriculture and financial institutions) loans, checking, savings and time deposits, trust and investment management services and securities and investment services. In September 2012, through its wholly owned bank subsidiary, Simmons First National Bank (SFNB), it acquired assets of Truman Bank of St. Louis from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the FDIC). In October 2012, SFNB acquired Excel Bank of Sedalia from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In November 2013, the Company acquired Metropolitan National Bank. Efffective November 25, 2013, the Company acquired Rogers Bancshares Inc.
Lending Activities
During the year ended December! 31, 2011, the Company�� loan portfolio, excluding loans covered by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) loss share arrangements, averaged $1.621 billion. As of December 31, 2011, total loans, excluding loans covered by FDIC loss share arrangements, were $1.580 billion. The components of the loan portfolio were loans to businesses (commercial loans, commercial real estate loans and agricultural loans) and individuals (consumer loans, credit card loans and single-family residential real estate loans).
Consumer loans consist of credit card loans, student loans and other consumer loans. As of December 31, 2011, consumer loans were $346.6 million or 21.9% of total loans. As of December 31, 2011, the student loan portfolio balance was $47.4 million. As of December 31, 2011, student loans were 3% of total loans. Real estate loans consist of construction loans, single family residential loans and commercial loans. As of December 31, 2011, real estate loans were $1.001 billion or 63.4% of total loans. As of December 31, 2011, its construction and development (C&D) loans represent 7% of its loan portfolio and commercial real estate (CRE) loans (excluding C&D) represent 34% of its loan portfolio. Commercial loans consist of commercial loans and agricultural loans. As of December 31, 2011, commercial loans were $227.2 million or 14.4% of total loans.
Investment Activities
Securities within the portfolio are classified as either held-to-maturity, available-for-sale or trading. Held-to-maturity securities include any security for which management has the positive intent and ability to hold until maturity, are carried at historical cost, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. As of December 31, 2011, held-to-maturity and available-for-sale investment securities were $525.4 million and $172.2 million. As of December 31, 2011, $312.8 million, or 59.5%, of the held-to-maturity securities were invested in United States Treasury securities and o! bligation! s of the United States government agencies, 60.0% of which will mature in less than five years. In the available-for-sale securities, $153.6 million, or 89.2%, were in the United States Treasury and the United States government agency securities.
Sources of Fund
Deposits are the Company�� source of funding for earning assets and are developed through its network of 84 financial centers. It offers a range of products designed to attract and retain customers with a continuing focus on developing core deposits. Its core deposits consist of all deposits excluding time deposits of $100,000 or more and brokered deposits. As of December 31, 2011, core deposits comprised 86.5% of its total deposits. As of December 31, 2011, its total deposits were $2.65 billion. As of December 31, 2011, non-interest bearing transaction accounts were $532.3 million. As of December 31, 2011, interest bearing transaction and savings accounts were $1.240 billion. As of December 31, 2011, it had $20.6 million of brokered deposits.
As of December 31, 2011, Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase were $114.8 million. As of December 31, 2011, its other short-term borrowings, consisting of the United States Treasury Tax and Loan (TT&L) Notes and short-term Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) borrowings were $272,000. As of December 31, 2011, its long-term debt was $120.8 million. As of December 31, 2011, the outstanding long-term debt balance includes $89.9 million in FHLB long-term advances and $30.9 million of trust preferred securities.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Melvin]
Finally, Simonds First National Corp. (Nasdaq: SFNC) is a Midwestern bank with 96 branches in Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas. The stock has been strong this year, but CEO George Makris thinks there is additional upside ahead for the shares.
- [By CRWE]
Simmons First National Corporation (Nasdaq:SFNC) reported, through its wholly-owned bank subsidiary, Simmons First National Bank (“SFNB”), that it has expanded into the St. Louis, Missouri market by acquiring approximately $282 million in assets of Truman Bank of St. Louis from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”).
Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: SouFun Holdings Ltd (SFUN)
SouFun Holdings Limited (SouFun), incorporated on June 17, 2004, operates as a real estate Internet portal in China. The Company also operates home furnishing and improvement Websites. Through SouFun's Websites, it provides marketing, e-commerce, listing, and other value-added services for China's real estate and home-related sectors. SouFun's Internet portal focuses and supports SouFun's users in seeking information on the real estate and home-related sectors in China. SouFun maintains about 100 offices to focus on local market needs and its Website and database contains real estate related content covering more than 320 cities in China. Its www.soufun.com Website contains links to other specialized real estate and home furnishing and improvement Websites, including its www.jiatx.com Website, its e-commerce transaction and payment platform. The Company's service offerings include marketing services, E-commerce services, listing services and other value-added services.
Marketing Services
The Company offers marketing services on its Websites, mainly through advertisements, to real estate developers in the marketing phase of new property developments, as well as to real estate agencies and suppliers of home furnishing and improvement and other home-related products and services who wish to promote their products and services. Its marketing services are delivered through its Website www.soufun.com and include traditional Internet advertisements, such as banners, links, logos and floating signs, as well as featured promotions, such as Internet advertisements, combined with its other services.
E-commerce services
The Company offers e-commerce services, including SouFun membership services and online transaction platform services. It provides both free and paid SouFun membership services to registered members its SouFun cards. Its free services include primarily regular updates regarding local property developments, tours to visit property developments an! d other services relating to property purchases. The Company�� paid services primarily include offers to purchase properties with discounts from its partner developers and information and related services to facilitate property purchases. In addition, through its www.jiatx.com Website, it offers an online transaction platform and related e-commerce services to home furnishing and improvement vendors in China.
Listing services
The Company offers basic and special listing services. Its basic listing services are mainly offered to real estate agents, brokers, developers, property owners and managers and suppliers of home furnishing and improvement and other home-related products and services. Its basic listing services allow its customers to post information of their products and services on its Websites. The Company�� special listing services offer customized marketing programs involving both online listings and offline themed events.
Other value-added services
The Company offers subscription-based access to its information database and research reports and total Web solution services. The Company provides online content subscription services on either a flat-fee subscription basis for database access or a per-project basis for its research services. It charge subscription fees based on the number of databases that the subscriber would like to access.
The Company competes with E-House (China) Holdings, Sohu.com Inc.�� focus.cn, Anjuke.com, Tencent�� fangqq.com, Szhome.com and House365.com.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Kevin Cook , Zacks Investment Research]
The Chinese have made it clear they like to build their own dominant companies in key industries, like the Internet for instance. For this reason, hedge fund manager John Burbank of Passport Capital has major investments in Baidu (BIDU), Qihoo 360 (QIHU), which specializes in Internet security, search, and mobile apps, and SouFun (SFUN) which he calls the “Zillow of China.”
- [By Selena Maranjian]
For example, consider Lone Pine Capital, founded by Steve Mandel�in 1997. Lone Pine is one of the biggest hedge fund companies, and it has reportedly outperformed�the S&P 500 handily since inception. Its reportable stock portfolio totaled $23 billion�in value as of March 31, 2014. According to its recently released 13F statement, Lone Pine established or added to positions in Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ: JAZZ ) , SouFun Holdings Ltd (NYSE: SFUN ) , and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE: VRX ) .
- [By Belinda Cao]
SouFun Holdings Ltd. (SFUN), China�� biggest real estate website, fell 2.8 percent to $23.01 April 5, extending its drop in the week to 12 percent. Short seller Glaucus Research Group rated the company a ��trong sell��in an April 4 report, saying that SouFun spent millions of dollars buying luxury real estate in New York and transferred money to charities of ��ubious authenticity.��
- [By Vera Yuan]
OverviewThe Wasatch International Growth (Trades, Portfolio) Fund returned 0.67% in the second quarter of 2014, underperforming the 3.64% return of the MSCI All Country (AC) World Ex-U.S.A. Small Cap Index.The world is showing uneven signs of economic recovery, with some positive advances being felt throughout many of the developed and emerging markets. Within this environment, the Fund�� relative performance was adversely affected largely by its investments in consumer-discretionary companies, many of which have not been the main beneficiaries of recent investor optimism. To a lesser, but still noticeable extent, it is apparent that much of the stock-market gains have come from cyclicals. And there�� been a lack of participation by some of the high-quality growth companies we prefer. We focus on companies that we believe have top-tier managements, strong business models, and leading market-share positions or innovative products or processes. Investors have also favored financials and industrials, areas where our stock selection has been strong, but where we are significantly underweighted.Although our stocks generally underperformed for the second quarter and for the past 12 months, we��e optimistic going forward. In Europe, we��e seeing increased numbers of interesting companies, and more companies going public. Overall, the pace of economic recovery seems somewhat slower than in the U.S., but there are encouraging signs. The economy is relatively strong in the United Kingdom (U.K.), where the financial system is recovering along with the property market. European industrial activity has been mixed, with softness in France but increased activity in Spain and Portugal. In Spain, we��e even seeing initial-public offerings,��� which were almost nonexistent a year ago. While strong economic growth is far from pervasive throughout Europe, consumer-confidence levels are generally decent and overall stock valuations��are more attractive than in the U.S
No comments:
Post a Comment