Category Archives: Investment Products
FINRA Settlement: Two Florida Financial Advisors Barred for Churning the Account of an Elderly Investor
On October 21st, 2019, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced a settlement with two former securities brokers (Disciplinary Proceeding No. 2016049321302). Ami Kathryn Forte (CRD No. 2457536) and Charles Joseph Lawrence (CRD No. 3131566) have both been barred from the securities industry for their role in churning the brokerage account of an impaired… Read More »
Devon Still and Other Athletes Lose Millions in Investment
Cincinatti Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still, Washington Wizards Drew Gooden, former Pro Bowl running back Thomas Jones, former nose tackle Brandon McKinney, and Chicago Bears cornerback Timothy Jennings are among the investors that lost money investing in promissory notes in a Virginia company, CFP Group, Inc. (“CFP Group”). CFP Group was described to the… Read More »
Several Brazilian ETFs Down Over 25% in 2014
The Brazilian Bovespa had a volatile year in 2014 due to commodity and currency fluctuations. The index was only down 2.9% in local currency, but the Brazilian Real declined over 10% versus the US Dollar, causing Brazil-based investments to decline in USD terms. Several Brazil-focused investment funds actively trade in the US in the… Read More »
Brazilian Leveraged ETFs Performed Poorly in 2014
The Brazilian Bovespa had a volatile year in 2014 due to commodity and currency fluctuations. The index was only down 2.9% in local currency, but the Brazilian Real declined over 10% versus the US Dollar, causing Brazil-based investments to decline in USD terms. Several leveraged Brazil-focused investment funds actively trade in the US in… Read More »
Inverse Leveraged S&P MidCap 400 ETFs Down Over 32% in 2014
The S&P MidCap 400 Index had a very strong year in 2014 by gaining 8.19% for the year. Several inversely leveraged S&P MidCap 400-focused investment funds, however, which actively trade in the US in the form of exchange traded funds (ETFs), performed poorly in 2014. Leveraged ETFs are set up to track the daily… Read More »
Inverse Leveraged Semiconductor ETFs Down Over 52% in 2014
Semiconductor stocks were amongst the best performing stocks throughout 2014. Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) and Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM) comprise 35% of the Market Vectors Semiconductor Index, which was up over 30% for the year. Several inversely leveraged semiconductor investment funds, however, which actively trade in the US in the form of exchange traded funds… Read More »
The PowerShares DB 3X Short US Dollar Index Futures ETN Down 31% in 2014
The PowerShares DB 3X Short US Dollar Index Futures ETN (NYSEArca: UDNT) is a leveraged exchange traded note that seeks to match 300% of the inverse monthly performance of the Deutsche Bank Long US Dollar Futures Index (USDX). In other words, the fund attempts to move three times as much as the index in the opposite direction on a monthly basis…. Read More »
The ProShares UltraShort Consumer Services ETF (SCC) Down 30% in 2014
The ProShares UltraShort Consumer Services ETF (NYSEArca: SCC) is a leveraged exchange traded fund that seeks to match 200% of the inverse daily performance of the Dow Jones US Consumer Services Index. In other words, the fund attempts to move twice as much as the index in the opposite direction on a daily basis…. Read More »
The ProShares UltraShort NASDAQ Biotech ETF (BIS) Down 55% in 2014
The ProShares UltraShort NASDAQ Biotech ETF (NASDAQ: BIS) is a leveraged exchange traded fund that seeks to match 200% of the inverse daily performance of the NASDAQ Biotech Index. In other words, the fund attempts to move twice as much as the index in the opposite direction on a daily basis. The fund seeks… Read More »
The ProShares UltraPro Short Dow30 ETF (SDOW) Down 30% in 2014
The ProShares UltraPro Short Dow30 ETF (NYSEArca: SDOW) is a leveraged exchange traded fund that seeks to match 300% of the inverse daily performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index. In other words, the fund attempts to move three times as much as the index in the opposite direction on a daily basis. The fund seeks to invest its assets… Read More »
