The Financial Select Sector SPDR® Fund, before expenses, seeks to closely match the returns and characteristics of the Financial Select Sector Index. Our approach is designed to provide portfolios with low portfolio turnover, accurate tracking, and lower costs.
See more details on sponsor's website
Thursday, March 15, 2012, 12:13 PMDon't be fooled by stress tests into thinking U.S. banks are nearing recovery, Roger Nusbaum warns, comparing the sector to tech stocks - "earnings have gone up plenty since 2000... yet there are plenty of stock prices just a fraction of what they once were." Nusbaum also says the argument that valuations are cheap on a book value basis is flawed since more real estate writedowns are likely to come.
1 Comment[Financials, Quick Ideas]
Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 9:49 AM
A big day yesterday for bank stocks isn't the end, says Dick Bove, calling for another 25% gain in the sector before year's end. The test "forced people to start looking at (positive) fundamentals and recognize that this industry for the last year has been doing extraordinarily well."
6 Comments[Financials]
Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 3:27 PM
Other bank stocks react to JPMorgan (JPM) receiving Fed permission to return capital to shareholders: C +6.4%, BAC +4.6%, WFC +4.9%, MS +4.5%, GS +6.2%. Financials ETF: XLF +3.6%.
2 Comments[Financials, On the Move]
Tuesday, February 28, 2012, 5:32 PM
The DOJ is conducting a criminal investigation into whether the world's largest banks manipulated the Libor inter-bank lending rate, a source tells Reuters. Though it was well-known that investigation was ongoing, it wasn't previously known to have a criminal aspect to it.
Comment![Financials]
Sunday, February 26, 2012, 8:55 AM
"We see some risks to our financial system" from the Volcker Rule, says Manuel Medina-Mora, Citigroup's head of global consumer banking. The rule will likely have an "averse" impact on the liquidity of sovereign securities, which will curb the ability of banks to manage their own risks. He suggests foreign sovereign debt be exempt from the prop trading ban.
9 Comments[Financials]
Thursday, February 16, 2012, 2:59 PM
Financial stocks (XLF +1.3%) rally to the head of the pack among S&P sectors after an early slump following Moody’s warning that it could make severe cuts to the ratings of big banks. Hopeful news out of Greece and strong U.S. data are taking priority; and hey, that's just one guy's opinion. BAC +4%, C +2.9%, JPM +1.5%, GS +1.2%, MS +0.8%, RY +0.3%.
Comment![Financials, On the Move]
Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 10:08 AM
Fidelity National Information Services (FIS +6.2%) is the S&P 500's biggest gainer so far after the handler of payment and bank processing services posted better-than-expected Q4 earnings and boosted its dividend and share buyback plan. Meanwhile, most financial sector stocks (XLF -1.4%) are floundering in early trading.
Comment![Financials, On the Move]
Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 3:01 PM
New York AG Eric Schneiderman will hold a media call at 6 PM ET. CNBC reports he is expected to join the multi-state foreclosure fraud settlement. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer - to this point Schneiderman has resisted Administration attempts to neatly wrap this up, but the President days ago named him co-chair of a MBS working group investigating fraud.
1 Comment[U.S. Economy]
Monday, February 6, 2012, 2:25 PM
Bank loans to businesses rose just 1% in January's first three and a half weeks, a possible sign of slowing growth in commercial lending. Investors have bought bank stocks (XLF -0.6%) lately on the belief that more loans will mean better earnings, and Stifel Nicolaus is concerned that "slower-than-anticipated loan growth could result in... investor disappointment heading into Q1 earnings."
Comment![Financials, U.S. Economy]
Friday, February 3, 2012, 1:57 AM
Banks have been steadily releasing reserves against bad loans, which has boosted their earnings reports. But with loan-loss cushions now heading back to pre-crisis levels, some analysts believe banks will have to slow reserve releases, adding pressure to profits already hit by slower growth and tighter rules.
2 Comments[Earnings, Financials]
Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 1:29 PM
Don't be fooled by apparently cheap valuations for financials and the sector's finest January performance since 1997, writes Brian Belski. The "whole new world" of increased regulatory scrutiny and higher capital requirements is sure to hurt profits and share performance for anyone looking to hold for the longer-term.
3 Comments[Financials]
Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 11:31 AM
DoubleLine's Bonnie Baha compares the big banks to the legacy airlines, suggesting they have yet to find a sustainable profit-making model in a new world. Focus on the balance sheet - the "good news" of stronger capital ratios - is misplaced, she contends. "Deleveraging ... is not a business model."
1 Comment[Financials]
Thursday, January 26, 2012, 6:14 AM
Banks could find their profitability hurt by the FOMC yesterday pledging to keep interest rates at minimal levels until 2014, as the policy makes it difficult for lenders to find investment with high enough yields to support their to support their net interest margins.
2 Comments[Financials, U.S. Economy]
Thursday, January 19, 2012, 2:28 PM
Better-than-expected results from BofA (BAC +3.3%) and Morgan Stanley (MS +5.9%) extend bank stocks' (XLF +1.1%) impressive January run, but they're clearing a significantly lowered bar. In July, the consensus saw Q4 financial sector EPS growth of 36.6%, by early October it was 26.6%, on Jan. 3 it was 10.1%, and as of yesterday it stood at 2.1%.
Comment![Financials, On the Move]
Thursday, January 19, 2012, 2:11 PMIncreased lending to companies grabs attention in Q4 bank results that otherwise follow a pattern of weak trading revenues, a focus on expenses, and worries about mortgage businesses and litigation. But Nomura's Glenn Schorr sees a caveat: seasonality, "as loans usually shrink in January and February... in 20 of the past 25 years industry loans have ended February at a lower level than the start of the year."
Comment![Financials]
Thursday, January 19, 2012, 11:30 AM
Market internals continue to favor beta and an uptrend given that financials (XLF) are performing well, bonds (TLT) are dropping, and defensive sectors such as utilities (XLU), healthcare (XLV), and consumer staples (XLP) are significantly underperforming the S&P 500. Animal spirits appear to be returning in a very real way despite continued investor skepticism that the bull may be charging ahead. (submitted by Michael Gayed)
Comment!
x oil -field: ..between Mr.Miller and Mr.DeMurth Jr. both covered the topic concerning the meaning of noise and it's influence on market perception(s).JMO
x oil -field: *Both short articles were ''in the same camp'' in my mind when it comes to investing. I loved both of these SA short Read's.JMO
Mar 2, 9:04 PM
•!Report Abuse
x oil -field: Articles helped take my mind off of all the sequester noise. Plus it distracted me from [ranting] on the ''noise of the sequester'' topic.
Mar 2, 9:10 PM
•!Report Abuse
x oil -field Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Offers Strong New Assurances He Won't Back Away from Easy-Money Policies. $XLF Dow Jones Newswires