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Inside JPMorgan U.S. Mid Cap ETF

The broader U.S. market has been in a tight spot since the beginning of 2016 due to a host of global issues and uncertainty about the rate hike. Amid these concerns, mid-cap funds offer the best of both worlds, growth and stability when compared to small-cap and large-cap counterparts. Mid-cap funds are believed to provide higher returns than their large-cap counterparts, while witnessing a lower level of volatility than small-cap ones. Given the swings in the broader market segment so far this year, mid-cap funds have garnered a lot of attention as they are not very susceptible to volatility (read: 5 Mid Cap Value ETFs Are Top Picks Now–Here is Why ). Recently, one of the renowned ETF issuers, JPMorgan, introduced a product in the U.S. targeting the mid-cap space. The new product – JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF (NYSEARCA: JPME ) – hit the market on May 11. Below, we highlight the product in detail: JPME in Focus The fund seeks to track the performance of the Russell Midcap Diversified Factor Index. JPME does not seek to outperform the underlying index nor does it seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued. Its sole intention is to replicate the constituent securities of the underlying index as closely as possible. JPME is a well-diversified fund, where Westar Energy Inc. (NYSE: WR ) takes the top spot with 0.61% weight. Other stocks in the fund have less than 0.60% exposure individually. In total, the fund holds about 602 stocks. Sector-wise, Consumer Goods gets the highest exposure with 15.5% of the portfolio. Utilities, Financials, Consumer Services, Health Care, Industrials and Technology also get double-digit exposure in the basket. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.34%. How Does it Fit in a Portfolio? The fund is a good choice for investors seeking high return potential that comes with lower risk than their small-cap counterparts. With the tone of the minutes from the April FOMC meeting, released last week, being more hawkish than expected, chances of a rate hike in the June meeting have gone up. This could be due to a series of recently released upbeat U.S. economic data (read more: Fed to Hike in June? Expected ETF Moves ). Meanwhile, global growth worries are still at large. So, mid-cap stocks with higher exposure to the U.S. markets than their large-cap counterparts look attractive at this point. Thus, the launch of the new ETF targeting the U.S. mid-cap market seems well timed. ETF Competition The newly launched ETF will have to face competition from mid cap-focused ETFs like the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA: IJH ) . IJH is one of the most popular ETFs in the space with an asset base of $26.3 billion and average trading volume of 1.3 million shares. The fund tracks the S&P MidCap 400 index and charges 12 basis points as fees which is much lower than the aforementioned product. The SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF (NYSEARCA: MDY ) is another popular fund in the space with an asset base of $15.3 billion and trades in a good volume of more than 2.1 million shares a day. The fund tracks the S&P MidCap 400 Index. The fund charges 25 basis points as fees. Apart from these, JPME could also face competition from the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA: IWR ) tracking the Russell MidCap Index. The fund has an asset base of $12 billion and volume of almost 359,000 shares a day. It has an expense ratio of 20 bps. Thus, the newly launched fund is costlier than the popular ETFs in the space. So, the path ahead can be challenging for JPME. Link to the original post on Zacks.com

What To Look For In A Successful Money Manager Today: Mindsets And Beliefs

We have been discussing for weeks the effects of globalization on all economies, financial markets, companies and money managers. Last week I listened to the speakers at the Sky Bridge Alternatives Conference in Las Vegas talk about the demise of the hedge fund industry. I say: Instead of dwelling on the past, let’s look at what is needed today to be a successful money manager regardless of asset class. In this article I will look at the mindsets and beliefs of a successful money manager. In the next article, I will examine the skill set and track record necessary to successfully manage money. Then in a third article, I will discuss the personal attributes necessary in the character of a successful money manager. In order to be successful, a money manager must have the right mindset and system of beliefs. To be specific, a successful money manager must: Have core beliefs that can be articulated and supported by the facts. You do not want a manager who reacts to every piece of news and trades out of his positions. Look for someone who gathers all the data; understands the inter-relationships between all markets utilizing a systematic approach; reflects and pauses before reacting; considers first the proper asset allocation with risk controls; and finally does in-depth independent research on each investment Think long term. Stop thinking as a trader. You cannot be overly concerned about daily performance, because in fact, it will impact/jeopardize your long-term returns. Market psychology is such that investors like the idea of buying low and selling high but unfortunately act in reverse. It is ironic that hedge funds were so hot after 2008 when risk management and protecting assets were the major emphasis but are so cold now as hedge funds have under-performed in an historic 7-year up market. Think globally regardless of asset class and have a holistic perspective. Linear thinkers who trade rather than invest unfortunately dominate the markets causing excessive volatility and confusion. Have cardinal rules for investing that can be applied to all economic environments, asset classes, regions, industries and companies. Think like a master chess player focusing both three or four moves down the board while contemplating the very next move. Be good for all seasons, which means protecting assets in down markets, performing reasonably well in up markets, therefore outperforming over market cycles. This is the mindset a money manager must have to be successful. He must think globally and long-term. In my next article, I will discuss the skill set of a successful money manager and also offer advice about what the track record of a manager you hire should be. Invest Accordingly!

Forget Broader Retail; Bet On Online Retail ETFs

Retail earnings in the first-quarter earnings season and retail sales data for April were completely diverging, with the former mauling investor sentiment and the latter ushering in sweet surprises. The reason for this deviation was disappointing results from several traditional brick-and-mortar operators, while web-based shopping surged. In a nutshell, consumers’ purchasing pattern is changing. Department stores like Macy’s (NYSE: M ), Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS ), J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP ), Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN ) and many others soured investor mood this earnings season. With this, while many started to wonder if consumers are running short of cash and doubt economic well-being, a 1.3% jump in retail sales (sequentially) in April cleared all misconceptions. As per Trading Economics , sales growth was witnessed in 11 out of the 13 major categories. Sales at motor vehicle and parts (up 3.2%), gasoline stations (2.2%) and non-store retailers (2.1%) were the major growth drivers. In fact, April retail sales beat economists’ forecast of a 0.8% rise . Online Retailers Crushing Earnings Estimates The online e-commerce behemoth Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ) came up with stellar Q1 results. The company trumped the Zacks Consensus Estimate on both lies by wide margins. Higher-than-expected results were credited to increased demand for quick-turnaround delivery and gadgets like the Kindle and Echo as well as a fast-growing cloud computing business. Another top player in this field, eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY ), beat on both lines. In fact, the company partnered with BigCommerce to benefit online retailers. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group’s (NYSE: BABA ) revenues came in higher than our estimate, though profitability was a letdown. This clearly explains online-retailers’ edge over the mall-based retailers. Inside the Rise of Online Retailers As of now, online retail sales make up one-tenth of total retail and about 5% of annual e-commerce revenue in the U.S. The space is developing fast with the increased usage of smartphones and other mobile Internet devices. As per Statista , in 2013, 41.3% of global internet users had purchased products online; the figure is expected to grow to 46.4% by 2017. More than the U.S., the real growth opportunities lay in the underpenetrated emerging markets. Forget Retail, Be Bullish on Online Retail This situation makes it crucial to have a pure-play online ETF. Amplify Exchange Traded Funds thus launched a new product, namely the Amplify Online Retail ETF (NASDAQ: IBUY ), about a month ago. Except this, it is hard to get targeted exposure to online retail. But several consumer discretionary and internet funds serve this idea to a large extent. Below, we highlight all of them in detail. IBUY in Focus This new fund holds about 44 stocks and charges 65 bps in fees. The fund is heavy on the U.S. (75%), followed by China (8%). The fund’s top three holdings are Overstock.com (NASDAQ: OSTK ), Del and Wayfair (NYSE: W ). No stock accounts for more than 3.39% of the portfolio. Emerging Markets Internet & Ecommerce ETF (NYSEARCA: EMQQ ) The fund gives exposure to the internet and ecommerce sectors of emerging economies. Its top three holdings are Tencent ( OTCPK:TCEHY ) (8.47%), Alibaba (8.36%) and Naspers ( OTCPK:NPSNY ) (6.8%). The fund charges about 86 bps in fees. Since Goldman sees a boom in the Chinese internet segment, this ETF is worth a look given its notable exposure to the Chinese e-commerce segment. Apart from these two, investors can also look at the First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index ETF (NYSEARCA: FDN ), with considerable exposure on Amazon (11.93%) and eBay (3.69%). Among the broad retail ETFs, the VanEck Vectors Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: RTH ) deserves a look, as it invests about 15.43% weight in Amazon. Original Post