ETFdesk's  Instablog

Trying to interpret what the markets are doing can be just as crazy-making as attempting to predict what’s happening. That’s why it might be necessary to add in some income-producing ETFs along with the risky funds. buy PowerShares Dynamic Utilities Portfolio (PUI) buy PowerShares Financial Preferred Portfolio (PGF) buyiShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (HYG) buy iShares S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index Fund (PFF) buy PowerShares Insured National Municipal Bond Portfolio (PZA) buy SPDR Lehman High Yield Bond ETF (JNK) buy Market Vectors High Yield Muni (HYD) buy JPMorgan Alerian MLP Index ETN (AMJ); Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

The housing market is facing swelling ranks of homeowners who are seriously delinquent but have yet to lose their homes, and this is threatening a new wave of foreclosures that could hit just as the real estate market has begun to stabilize buy UltraShort Real Estate ProShares (SRS) sell SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) sell iShares Dow Jones U.S. Home Construction Index Fund (ITB) sell iShares DJ US Real Estate (IYR); Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

And these days not much — aside from the possibility of a double-dip recession in the U.S. — has more economists, international investors, hedge-fund managers and bankers tearing their hair out than the deceptively simple question, Is China's property market a bubble? sell Claymore/AlphaShares China Real Estate ETF (TAO); Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

The United States should not make a political issue out of the yuan, a Chinese central banker said on Friday, as the two countries lurched towards a potential bust-up over Beijing's currency regime. sell WisdomTree Dreyfus Chinese Yuan Fund (CYB); Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

The rush of European interest in shale underscores wider awareness of a change in the outlook for gas supplies. A surge in US production has meant that within three years the world has gone from running out of natural gas to being drowned in it. buy First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index Fund (FCG); Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

The U.S. finally is enjoying some strength in exports, thanks to economic recovery in Asia and a generally weak dollar. But just as U.S. goods find demand abroad, there's a problem getting them there. (Looks like shippers are finally getting some pricing power) buy Claymore/Delta Global Shipping Index ETF (SEA); Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

Goldman Sachs' Jan Hatzius lays out three reasons the recovery will sputter out. Specifically they expect consumer spending growth to fall from a current rate of around 3.25% to 1-2%: sell Retail HOLDRS (RTH) sell SPDR-Consumer Discretionary (XLY) sell SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) sellClaymore/Robb Report Global Luxury Index ETF (ROB); Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion

THE much-vaunted gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could play a critical role in determining the gold price this year if holders of the instrument start selling out and cause a large amount of physical metal to come onto a market where demand is relatively weak. sell iShares COMEX Gold Trust (IAU) sell PowerShares DB Gold Fund (DGL) sell streetTRACKS Gold Trust (GLD) sell UBS E Tracs CMCI Gold TR (UBG) sell ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares (SGOL); Check out how others are using ETFs to capitalize on this news or add your own opinion