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Are You Using Exchange Traded Funds? - Mike Swanson (09/19/09)

Submitted by Mike Swanson on Sat, 2009-09-19 19:19.

As of June 2007, SPY ETF has become the largest exchange stock trading fund in the world. It is sponsored by PDR services LLC, which in itself is a subsidiary of American Stock Exchange LLC. It does, however, have some considerable competition on the market. The most formidable ETFs holding stock picks are listed on the New York Stock exchange as IVV, RSP, SH, RSU, SSO, RSW, SDS, UPRO and SPXU.

The ETF (exchange-traded fund) is a way of conducting business on the stock exchange. The value of an ETF is set at the value of the stocks or bonds it represents. This means the value of said assets over the course of the trading day. There are currently 680 active ETFs on the US markets, which are worth about $610 billion.

Many have criticized the ETF for several reasons. Many argue that they do not facilitate sufficient diversification, and that they only have short-term applications. The tax advantages gained o not apply to those who use tax deferred accounts. Corruption has also led many to manipulate market prices using ETFs. However, an ETF can still be a wise investment if used correctly.

Many critics have railed against ETFs for various reasons. Firstly, they do not provide sufficient flexibility. Secondly, they are short-term in their scope. Thirdly, any tax advantages are minimal to investors that usually use tax deferred accounts. Finally, it has been shown that they can often be used to manipulate market prices. However, many agree that an ETF can still be a wise investment.

They were conceived in the late 1980s, and had their origins in Index Participation Shares (IDSs). These were briefly traded on a variety of stock exchanges. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange then served a lawsuit that stopped sales of IDSs.

Later that year the Toronto Stock Exchange began to trade in IDSs. The American Stock exchange looked for anything similar that could pass regulations. The ETF was the result. The very first ETF in the United States was the SPDR (Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts). SPDRs are often known as "spyders" or "spiders".

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