The number of exchange traded products on ETF Deathwatch dropped below 100 for the first time since November 2008.  Whether this drop is permanent or temporary remains to be seen.  I believe it to be a temporary event caused by a slowdown in new product introductions a year ago.  Some 70 new funds introduced in the past six months are currently enjoying the six-month grace period which gives them a chance to develop some traction.  Many of these could be added to the list as their grace periods expire.

This month’s list contains 69 ETFs and 30 ETNs for a total of 99.  The $100,000 threshold in average daily trading activity is a relatively small amount and it doesn’t take much to push a product above or below the cutoff.  Those escaping the list this time could very well be back next month.

WisdomTree recently announced plans to close 10 funds in March.  Most of the affected products are regular members of ETF Deathwatch, but they somehow managed to escape the current list. WisdomTree was the first firm to announce closings in 2010, but I predict they won’t be the only one.

Elements Ben Graham Large Cap Value ETN (BVL)…

Not only does Chris Potter stand by his claim that India’s big gold buy late last year was a game-changer, the way he explains it in this exclusive Gold Report, interview, it’s a 21st century take on the classic alchemist’s quest of old—transforming lead into gold. Nowadays, the alchemists are the central bankers of the world, and they’re successfully managing to turn the paper money their countries are producing (their devaluating currencies, that is) into the precious metal. Poof. There’s gold in them there rupees, renminbi, pesos, yen, euros and dollars. And even if you’re not a central banker, Chris shares some ideas about riding the rising tide in gold prices.

The Gold Report: Just after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) bought 200 tons of gold last November, you wrote an article for Kitco entitled Game Changer, highlighting previous transactions such as China’s Central Bank 99-ton purchase gold in ‘02 and Argentina’s 55 tons in ‘09. Since no other central bank has stepped forward in the months since India’s announcement, was that really a game changer?

Chris Potter: I think so. For as long as I can remember, gold bears have warned that central bank gold is a massive…

This week we’ll take a closer look at some actual stocks and company-related ETFs you can buy which capitalize on the strength of the company itself and that of its underlying currencies.

To help clarify what we looked at last week, here’s two currency charts featuring the following currency ETFs …

·        WisdomTree Dreyfus Brazilian Real Currency ETF (BZF)
·        CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust (FXC)
·        WisdomTree Dreyfus Japanese Yen (JYF)
·        WisdomTree Dreyfus New Zealand Dollar ETF (BNZ)
·        CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust (FXA)
·        WisdomTree Dreyfus Euro (EU)

The first chart shows performance over 18 months of trading (406 days at 22 trading days per month on average). As you can see, the yen reigns supreme over its competition. The herd lags badly and is level since the start of the comparison. You’ve made (or lost) nothing if you’ve been holding BZF, FXC, BNZ, FXA, or EU for a year and a half.

From this viewpoint, the yen is the only game in town, right?

This second chart shows the last 12

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