A new type of ETF is becoming popular, offering alternatives to traditional sector funds in targeting different types of companies.

(Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from an article in the Exchange-Traded Funds Report in July. Subscribers to ETFR can read the complete piece here.)

Specialty-sector ETFs—also called “thematic” ETFs—have emerged as a major force in the ETF industry.

These ETFs run the gamut of investment possibilities, but have one thing in common: They look past traditional size and sector designations to carve out new investment areas, often driven by a single investment thesis.

Clean energy, infrastructure, nuclear power—by our count, there are now more than 40 of these unique ETFs on the market, with more than $10 billion in assets under management.

Investment manager Van Eck Global has been one of the most successful companies in carving out a foothold among specialty ETFs. Its Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE Arca:

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[Editor’s Note: If you’re new to the commodities-investing arena, and are uncertain about the landscape – or even if you’re an “old hand” at natural-resource stocks, but want some insights into the new profit plays and new players – consider hiring a guide: Money Morning Contributing Editor Peter Krauth, a recognized expert in metals, mining and energy stocks, is also the editor of the Global Resource Alert trading service, which ferrets out companies poised to profit from the so-called “Secular Bull Market” in commodities. A former portfolio advisor, Krauth continues to work out of resource-rich Canada, which keeps him close to most of the companies he researches. Against the growing global financial malaise, Krauth says that commodities are among the most-profitable and least-risky investments available, and notes that this may well be the most powerful bull market for commodities we’ll see in our …

Upbeat headlines have been everywhere in recent weeks, and they all seem to point to a single conclusion: The U.S. economy is in the early stages of a very rapid recovery.

In fact, when you peruse the news it’s difficult to come to any other conclusion. For instance:

A number of key earnings reports have been much better than expected, and company executives buttressed those profit figures with positive comments about the next 18 months. The trading operations of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) both just reported record profits. U.S. housing prices rose in May for the first time in three years. Initial jobless claims have plunged 15% since their April peak. The Conference Board’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators rose 0.7% in June, its third successive positive reading. And just ...

Investing in Commodities: How to Buy Gold During Secular Market Cycles

by Peter Krauth, Contributing Editor

Editor’s Note: With the incredible amount of interest in buying gold and investing in commodities, we’ve turned to Money Morning commodities expert Peter Krauth to give us an idea on where we are in regards to their historic cycles and how investors can take advantage of where we are right now…

There’s never been a better time to begin investing in commodities.

That’s a very simple statement, but it’s backed by three powerful points:

Commodities tend to do well when more popular investments (with retail investors) are doing poorly, and when economic conditions are less than ideal. When the typical economic underpinnings are at play, a “Secular Bull Market” for commodities tends to last for about 17 years. And right now, the underpinnings are far from typical - and may even be exemplary, meaning this bull-market ...

Since early last year, stock EM ETFs have nearly doubled in popularity among fund investors, says global markets researcher Brad Durham.

 

Brad Durham is co-founder and managing director at EPFR Global. The Cambridge, Mass.-based research firm tracks global fund flows, both institutional as well as retail for financial institutions. It tracks an estimated $10 trillion in sector, country and asset class flows on a daily, weekly and monthly basis for both fixed income and equities.

Before helping to start EPFR 14 years ago, Durham was editor of publications focused on the economics and politics of emerging markets. That included launching and operating several Russian financial publications, including Kommersant and a joint venture with Hearst Corp. and Izvestia. Durham has earned a doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University.

On Monday, IndexUniverse.com Editor Murray Coleman caught up with the analyst for his views on changes

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Since early 2008, assets in emerging market stock ETFs have doubled in size to represent almost a third of the total market, says analyst.

Brad Durham is co-founder and managing director at EPFR Global. The Cambridge, Mass.-based research firm tracks global fund flows, both institutional as well as retail, for financial institutions. It tracks an estimated $10 trillion in sector, country and asset class flows on a daily, weekly and monthly basis both for fixed income and equities.

Before helping to start EPFR 14 years ago, Durham was editor of publications focused on the economics and politics of emerging markets. That included launching and operating several Russian financial publications, including Kommersant and a joint venture with Hearst Corp. and Izvestia. Durham has earned a doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University.

On Monday, IndexUniverse.com Editor Murray Coleman caught up with the analyst for his

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With the global economy on the mend, could gold be gearing up for another record-setting run? It sure looks that way. 

After peaking north of the $1,000 per ounce price level last year, gold hit a stumbling block when deflationary fears in the world’s largest economy sucked the air out of commodities prices and sent hoards of investors stampeding into the safe-haven of U.S. Treasuries, and helped spawn a rebound in the U.S. dollar.

Since that time, the global economic outlook - especially beyond U.S. borders - has improved, and gold prices have stabilized.

The next step - many gold bulls say - is for the yellow metal to make a run for new highs.

Whipsaw Trading Patterns

Gold started 2009 at about $870 an ounce - down substantially from early 2008 when prices hit a record-high $1033.90, but significantly higher than the $712.30 an ounce it was trading at in mid-November.

Then, when talk of inflation

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[Editor's Note: If you're new to the commodities-investing arena, and are uncertain about the landscape - or even if you're an "old hand" at natural-resource stocks, but want some insights into the new profit plays and new players - consider hiring a guide: Money Morning Contributing Editor Peter Krauth, a recognized expert in metals, mining and energy stocks, is also the editor of the Global Resource Alert trading service, which ferrets out companies poised to profit from the so-called “Secular Bull Market” in commodities. A former portfolio advisor, Krauth continues to work out of resource-rich Canada, which keeps him close to most of the companies he researches. Against the growing global financial malaise, Krauth says that commodities are among the most-profitable and least-risky investments available, and notes that this may well be the most powerful bull market for commodities we’ll see in our lifetimes. He …

[Editor's Note: If you're new to the commodities-investing arena, and are uncertain about the landscape - or even if you're an "old hand" at natural-resource stocks, but want some insights into the new profit plays and new players - consider hiring a guide: Money Morning Contributing Editor Peter Krauth , a recognized expert in metals, mining and energy stocks, is also the editor of the Global Resource Alert trading service, which ferrets out companies poised to profit from the so-called “Secular Bull Market” in commodities. A former portfolio advisor, Krauth continues to work out of resource-rich Canada, which keeps him close to most of the companies he researches. Against the growing global financial malaise, Krauth says that commodities are among the most-profitable and least-risky investments available, and notes that this may well be the most powerful bull market for commodities we’ll see in …

Many investors are somewhat dazed and befuddled as they watch what used to be called “The Natural Resources Sector” bounce up and down as the summer season commences.  With the dollar up again, commodities including the precious metals and oil were off sharply yesterday. All in all, it was just a broadly negative day. Little was spared, including equities, which also took a serious hit.  Even perennial bull James Moore, of TheBullionDesk.com, was forced to write that, “Short-term the metal [gold] could extend lower as a result of the dollar.”  John Reade, of UBS in London, concurred, writing that, “We would not be surprised to see further short-term declines, especially in the absence of any material jewelry, physical-investment or ETF demand.”

How do you put a happy face on that? Easy, according to the folks at Casey Research. “However, the current correction is likely to prove beneficial longer-term with the

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