Weekly Market Matters

Russ Koesterich - iShares Global Chief Investment Strategist

Week of January 30, 2012 - Looking for income?

In the current low interest rate/low return environment, many investors are looking for income. Click to read iShares ETFs for Income, which highlights iShares ETFs that investors can use to tilt their portfolios toward income. While generating income is important, you will also get all the benefits that you can expect from iShares ETFs: Transparency, Efficiency and Trading Flexibility.

Week of December 7, 2011 – Overweight on global energy

Energy stocks are up roughly 5% (USD) year-to-date, well ahead of global equities. Despite the outperformance, the sector remains cheap. The energy sector currently trades at roughly 11x trailing earnings, a 15% discount to the broader market. In addition, global energy stocks look particularly inexpensive, and offer a yield of around 2.25%. Finally, our expectation is that despite the slow recovery, oil will remain elevated due to strong demand out of emerging markets, supply constraints, and geopolitical risks.

iShares ETF Solutions:
XEG- iShares S&P/TSX Capped Energy Index Fund