America's battered housing sector also got a dose of encouraging news, with a national index reporting a three percent jump in housing prices in the second quarter of this year.

VOA: standard.2009.08.25

Two sector ETFs are the MSCI Emerging Markets Financials Sector Index Fund and the MSCI Emerging Markets Materials Sector Index Fund.

FORBES: Intelligent Investing Panel

In managing a portfolio that has a bias toward equities the balance is usually a combination of cash equity and index or sector tracker funds.

FORBES: Optional Opportunity

Among reports of recent weeks that came in better than forecasts were consumer sentiment, retail sales, home sales, construction spending, auto sales, factory orders, the ISM Mfg Index, the ISM Non-Mfg (service sector) Index, and so on.

FORBES: Jobs Report Be Damned, Economy Chugs Higher