1. Could Bond Funds Experience Their Own Bubble?
(Matching tags: bonds,mutual funds,investor behavior)

So much money has flowed into bond funds lately, some analysts are wondering if a bubble might be developing. Taxable bond funds have attracted $96.9 billion in flows since one year ago. Some think they ...

2. Between Doom And Gloom Predictions And Investors' Flight To Fixed Income, Equity Markets Are Full Of Negative Sentiment
(Matching tags: US investing,bonds,mutual funds)

There’s plenty of negative sentiment in the equity marketplace. One analyst bases a scenario tied to a third Fed easing, saying the markets will have difficulty resuming an upward trajectory with ...

3. Analyzing Long Term Bonds In A Retirement Portfolio; 10-Year Treasurys Versus Dividend Stocks
(Matching tags: retirement planning,dividends,interest rates,bonds)

Oh, how advisors and their clients long for the days when it was easy to earn 6% on a U.S. Treasury bond. The income alone was enough to see many people through their retirement years.   It used ...

4. Municipal Bondholders May Suffer If Municipalities Go Into Bankruptcy
(Matching tags: bonds,municipal bonds,investing for income)

Bond holders of municipalities usually think their money is safe. But the deep effects of the recession put many cities and towns in severe financial straits. Reorganizing through bankruptcy may not ...

5. New Proposed Platform Would Increase Bond Trading Transparency
(Matching tags: bonds,investing,markets)

The days of intermediaries in the credit markets may be growing fewer. A new platform developed by Blackrock will allow asset managers to trade bonds directly rather than go through an investment bank. ...

6. As The World Economic Environment Reduces Leverage, Gross Advises Taking Greater Risk To Boost Alpha
(Matching tags: bonds,Economic Outlook,global investing,US investing)

Bill Gross, founder and chief investment officer of Pimco, says the bond and other global markets are still in a delevering environment. His latest economic commentary (for April) traces the levering-delevering ...

7. Renewed Confidence In The Economy Is A Warning Sign For Bond Investors, Analyst Says
(Matching tags: Treasury bonds,bonds,Economic Outlook)

U.S. Treasurys may be a bad bet for investors this year as the growing economy hurts bonds and supports stocks.  ...

8. Vanguard Founder Is Bullish On Stocks But Questions The Value Of ETFs For Investors
(Matching tags: ETFs,stocks,bonds)

John Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group Inc., believes stocks will outperform bonds over the next decade and turn in an average annual return of 7%. Just don’t invest in stocks through exchange-traded ...

9. Buffett Advises Investors To Steer Clear Of Bonds, Other Currency-Related Assets, And Gold
(Matching tags: bonds,currency,stocks,gold)

Low interest rates and the likelihood of rising inflation make bonds and other holdings tied to currencies “among the most dangerous of assets,” Buffett wrote in his annual letter to shareholders. ...

10. Easing Inflationary Pressures Should Bring U.S. Stocks And High-Yield Corporate Bonds Into Favor
(Matching tags: inflation,U.S. economy,world economy,stocks,bonds,European zone,asset allocation)

Inflationary pressures have subsided in the United States and worldwide, primarily due to weakening global growth and softening commodity prices.

11. Dodd-Frank Could Result In Big Downgrades For Munis This Year, Analyst Says
(Matching tags: municipal bonds,bonds,Dodd-Frank)

Municipal bonds are at risk of being downgraded two or more notches this year, which could have a big impact on prices.  ...

12. Investors Who Seek Refuge In Traditionally Safe Harbors May Pay A Heavy Price
(Matching tags: bonds,Treasury bonds,risk,gold)

Spooked by market volatility, many investors want to put their money into supposedly safer investments such as gold and U.S. Treasury bonds.  ...

13. Stocks And High-Yield Bonds Look Promising Over The Long Term: Fidelity
(Matching tags: stocks,bonds,world economy,U.S. economy,China,European zone,emerging markets)

... and high-yield bonds.  ...

14. Diversify Bond Portfolios To Prepare For Coming Changes In The Fixed-Income Market, Fidelity Urges
(Matching tags: bonds,diversification,inflation)

Bond prices have risen over the past three decades as interest rates fell. But rates have been at historic lows now for an extended period of time, and the risk of higher inflation has increased.

15. The Year In Review: Domestic And Foreign Stocks In 2011, And For The Last 86 Years
(Matching tags: stocks,style classification,core,emerging markets,bonds,portfolio construction)

U.S. stocks suffered a 1% loss in 2011, but that was stellar in comparison with the 11% sell-off experienced in foreign markets.

16. The Municipal Bond Market Is Not Likely To Repeat This Year’s Performance In 2012
(Matching tags: municipal bonds,Treasury bonds,bonds,Economic Outlook)

Don’t expect municipal bonds next year to turn in another year like 2011, with its 10.7% average return.  ...

17. Investing In 2012: Proceed With Caution Among Dividend Stocks, Emerging Markets And Bonds
(Matching tags: dividends,bonds,emerging markets,Economic Outlook)

Many investors are looking eagerly to dividend-paying stocks and emerging-market funds to produce yield in 2012.

18. U.S. Stocks And Bonds Outperformed Other World Markets By Large Margins In 2011
(Matching tags: stocks,bonds,world economy,U.S. economy,dividends,Treasury bonds)

The S&P 500 Index is finishing the year flat, but it is outpacing other world stock markets by 15 percentage points or more.

19. Top 10 Investment And Economy Stories Of 2011
(Matching tags: stocks,bonds,investing,investment advisors,investor behavior,world economy,U.S. economy,U.S. credit rating,ETFs,European zone,emerging markets,China)

It was another challenging year for advisors. You helped clients cope with record volatility, moribund stock prices, a slow-motion economic recovery, and an unprecedented downgrade of the United States’ ...

20. S&P Downgrade Has Not Harmed U.S. Assets As Economy Stages Slow Comeback
(Matching tags: U.S. credit rating,U.S. economy,stocks,bonds,dollar)

Dollar-denominated financial assets have appreciated across the board since Standard & Poor's downgraded the United States’ credit rating four months ago.