Growth and value investing has been on life support for a long time now. Last year, someone finally pulled the plug.

A quick search of the ETF database will show you something quite telling—71 ETFs are dedicated to a slice of the market self-defined as either “growth” or “value.” That’s nearly 10 percent of the U.S. ETF market.

But honestly, why?

First, there’s a definitional issue. Russell (just to pick one index provider) defines their growth and value universe based on two characteristics: price-to-book and “projected growth” based on IBES (Institutional Brokers’ Estimate System) consensus estimates. This very distinction makes the indexer in me cringe. By taking the market and slicing it into buckets, and then picking one, investors are fundamentally picking stocks, and I still believe that rarely makes sense.

Let’s take a look under the hood at one family of growth and value: the iShares Russell 3000 series.

 

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Wrapping up its Emmy Awards activities on Sunday, Muscle Flex Inc. today provided investors with an overview of the many events the company was a part of.

The two-day GBK Productions Emmy Awards Gifting Lounge was held on Friday and Saturday from 11 am – 6 pm. Muscle Flex met and showcased its Muscle Flex VATA Brasil(TM) Sports and Active Wear Line to a number of individuals from the press and media outlets, including three television / online interviews as well as magazines and online columns. Additionally, Danny Alex spent time with and showcased the Muscle Flex VATA Brasil Collection to a number of high profile celebrities such as Jennifer Love Hewitt, Morgan Fairchild, Randy Jackson and Neal McDonough, to name a few.

According to the press release, a total of 39 various television celebrities visited the Muscle Flex suite and

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Muscle Flex Inc. announced this morning that the Muscle Flex VATA Brasil Sports and Active Wear Line will be featured on Fox Morning News in Las Vegas on Thursday September 17 at 8:50 am and on FOX Evening News in Los Angeles (Southern California) on CBS KCAL on Friday September 18 at 6:00 pm. Lash Fary, Founder of Distinctive Assets, will be on the Fox News broadcasts to showcase his “Everybody Wins at the Emmys Gift Basket”, in which the Muscle Flex VATA Brasil Sports and Active Wear line is included.

Lash Fary is regarded as one of Hollywood’s most influential product trend setters and high profile celebrity event organizers. Under his leadership, Distinctive Assets has set new standards for Gift Baskets and Gift Lounges for events such as the GRAMMYs, the Tony Awards, the Latin GRAMMYs, the People’s Choice Awards,

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Home Depot Inc. (HD) recently signed a deal with diversified media and merchandising company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. (MSO) to create a new line of home improvement products.

The strategic move is aimed at outsmarting rival specialty retailers like Lowe Co.s Inc. (LOW). The new product line will primarily feature outdoor living, home organization and home decor items.

The outdoor living products are scheduled to hit US markets by January next year and will be available in Canada by February. Home organization products are expected to be launched across the globe in February. Martha Stewart plans to promote the products through diverse marketing channels including its magazine, TV shows and web portals like Twitter - a free social networking and micro-blogging website.

The home improvement industry has deteriorated drastically due to the overall decline in the housing industry. Increasing unemployment and foreclosures amid the continued

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Muscle Flex Inc. announced this morning that its VATA Brasil(TM) Sports and Active Wear Collection will be included in the prestigious and exclusive “Everybody Wins at the Emmys Gift Basket” produced by Lash Fary and Distinctive Assets (www.DistinctiveAssets.com). Lash Fary founded Distinctive Assets which has provided the most coveted and sought after Gift Baskets to Hollywood celebrities and industry elite for more than ten years.

Lash Fary is regarded as one of Hollywood’s most influential product trend setters and high profile celebrity event organizers. Under his leadership, Distinctive Assets has set new standards for Gift Baskets and Gift Lounges for events such as the GRAMMYs, the Tony Awards, the Latin GRAMMYs, the People’s Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards and many others. Lash Fary and Distinctive Assets have gifted many famous entertainment figures including Paris Hilton, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart,

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Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) recently reported dismal second quarter 2009 results with declining top-line and negative EPS, which were offset to some extent by cost savings measures and robust Internet advertising revenue. The company reported net loss per share of $0.02 for the quarter under review compared to an EPS of $0.01 reported in the prior year quarter. However, it did surpass Zacks Consensus Estimate of net loss per share of $0.04. On a reported basis, the company reported net loss per share of $0.12. Revenue for the reported quarter plummeted 26.1% year over year to $57 million reflecting challenging magazine advertising market and decline in merchandising revenue, offset by sustained growth in Internet advertising revenue. Total adjusted EBITDA also declined 47.6%. Publishing revenue fell 27.5% to $33.5 million due to lower advertising pages and softness in newsstand revenue. Total print advertising revenue declined 33% and ...

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) has recently entered into a partnership with Sandals Resorts International (SRI). The partnership aims to bring customizable Martha Stewart Weddings commencing January 1, 2010 to all couples interested in destination weddings at resorts or beaches across the Caribbean.

The bookings will start from October 2009 for any of the 12 Sandals Resorts or 4 Beaches Family Resorts. Destination weddings now represent 31% of all weddings, up from the previous range of 10% to 12%.

In addition, Martha Stewart will bring its craft expertise to the guests at resorts and beaches. Martha Stewart's crafts business continues to be robust, driven by ongoing distribution expansion, integrated marketing initiatives and an ever-improving line-up of products.

The partnership provides a boost to the Martha Stewart’s growing weddings franchise, which began in 1994 with the launch of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. Since then, the company has gained a significant position in the

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Highlights include Citigroup Inc. (C) and Bank of America Corp. (BAC).Part of the Plan: Is Valuation or Solvency the Culprit?Few, if any, investors really remember the saga of the Loans to Developing Countries (LDCs) or Highly Leveraged Transactions (HLT). Mr. Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, is finishing his plan (somewhat akin to The Brady Plan) to purge the nation's banks of the toxic mortgage assets -- predominately the poster children Citigroup (C) and Bank of America (BAC) in order to get our country's lending mechanism back on track.However, these same institutions appear to have found a potential loophole to prop up revenues while utilizing, it would appear, government funds to be in a position benefit from Mr. Geithners Public Private Investment Program (PPIC), by aggressively scooping up the same securities in the secondary market.So far, Citigroup ...

Much on my mind on a Friday morning.  So let’s dive right in.

Item: GDP contracts an annualized 6.2% in the fourth quarter.

Comment: Let’s break down the four major components of GDP.  Consumer spending?  Down the worst since 1980.  Business investment?  Down the worst since 1975.  Exports?  Down the worst since 1971.  Government spending?  Up slightly.  Lots more where this came from, I’m afraid.

Item: U.S. government taking 36% stake in Citi.

Comment: I love how in journalistic shorthand, these sorts of stories become, “U.S. taxpayers will soon own a big share of Citigroup (NYSE:C).”  Like hell I do.  If I own a piece of it, where do I sign up for the dividend checks?

Item: War spending no longer to be done off-budget.

Comment: As much as the new president’s first budget proposal is an abomination, let’s at least give him credit for declaring an end to the practice of “supplemental” appropriations for

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The winds of feigned outrage promise to blow hard from Washington, D.C. today.  The new president will announce limits on executive pay for companies slopping at the TARP trough.  And at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Congresscritters will hold hearings on Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.

Thus it’s pretty clear the power elite has settled on a dual-distraction strategy.  Madoff and executive pay will serve as convenient whipping boys for public consumption, lest the booboisie actually wake up to how the culture of bailout and endemic legalized corruption is robbing them blind.

Madoff is especially convenient in this regard.  It’s so easy to take the case of a guy who committed obvious crimes that anyone with room-temperature IQ can understand, and make him the poster child for everything that’s gone wrong in the finance sector and even the wider economy the last several months.  Sure beats having to slog through things

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