financials

On a year-to-date basis, the Global X MSCI Greece ETF (Global X Funds (NYSE: GREK)) is the only single-country exchange-traded fund tracking a PIIGS economy that is trending upward. Then again, none of those ETFs have been nearly has bad as the iShares MSCI Italy Index (ETF) (NYSE: EWI). The...

Would the adoption of digital currency, such as Bitcoin, solve central banks' problems? Probably not, said Bloomberg View columnist Leonid Bershidsky. Central banks are mulling to get paper currency out of people's hands due to money laundering issues and negative rates. Bershidsky recalled that in...

Financial stocks are mostly lower on Friday, a trend that investors have seen almost all week. With two hours of trading remaining on Friday, the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE: XLF) erased its early morning losses and was trading higher by just 0.17 percent. At the close, the ETF was up 0...

Fintech has burst onto the scene in the past decade to challenge the status quo of the banking industry. While many companies have begun to pose serious threats to traditional banks, other fintech startups have relied upon suspect business models and reckless lending and spending. The Chinese...

Hedge fund Fansanara Capital believes that financial markets are currently overly optimistic about a lackluster global economy. The firm’s four “conviction ideas” for the next year are all bearish ones. “As we re-assess the validity of the underlying risks, we expect a shift...

This year is barely more than four months old, but it is not a stretch to say investors are tired of hearing about the negative impact low interest rates are having on financial services stocks and the relevant exchange-traded funds. The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE: XLF), the largest...

The financial sector has lagged market in the past year as banks continue to struggle with heightened post-crisis regulation and historically low interest rates. Here’s a look back at how the “Big Four” U.S. banks fared in Q1. Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C) reported EPS of $1.10 on...

Bank stocks were under heavy pressure Thursday morning as several large institutions reported their quarterly earnings. Shares of PNC Financial Services Group Inc (NYSE: PNC) were lower by nearly 2.50 percent after the company reported that it earned $1.68 per share in its first quarter on revenue...

Bank earnings season kicks off this week, but not all investors will be focusing on the same details. Here’s what Deutsche Bank analyst Matt O’Conner’s says investors in each of these top banks should be watching for. Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) Look for the company to boost...

While the public discussion over whether or not to break up “Too Big To Fail” U.S. banks typically focuses on the size of the banks, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods argues that the market should decide which banks get broken up and which banks should stand on their own. According to analyst...

Two things are abundantly clear about the financial services sector and its corresponding exchange-traded funds this year. First, the sector is the second worst performer in the S&P 500 behind healthcare. Second, the Federal Reserve is catching plenty of flak for the financial services sector...

Bank stocks have had a rough go of it so far in 2016, but the next big catalyst for three top names could be coming next week. In a new report, Jefferies analyst Ken Usdin previewed what shareholders should expect from next week’s Investor Days for JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), State...

In a new report, Barclays analyst John Aiken explained why Canadian bank investors need to start facing the harsh reality that Q1 performance will likely be weak. Barclays has reduced its earnings estimates and price targets for most banks and believes that Q1 numbers will fall well short of...