After new Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's testimony on Feb. 27, both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 fell about 1%, while the 10-year Treasury bond yield jumped to 2.9% from 2.4% just two months ago. Powell's statements reflected his view that the labor market is strong and inflation is moving up to target, which, in turn, signals the Fed's continuation of its tightening policy. While investors shouldn't make dramatic changes based on anticipated rate increases, iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF is a great option for those looking for a cash alternative as shelter from market volatility.This fund invests in Treasury securities with less than a year remaining until maturity, taking minimal credit and interest-rate risk, which translate to a low yield. Accordingly, pricing is one of the most important factors driving … Full Story

In January, Morningstar manager research analysts affirmed the Morningstar Analyst Ratings of 92 funds and six target-date series, upgraded the ratings of seven funds, downgraded the ratings of one fund and one target-date series, and assigned new ratings to three funds. Below are some of January’s highlights, followed by the full list of ratings changes.Upgrades Fidelity Small Cap Discovery was raised to Silver from Bronze because of increased confidence in new lead manager Derek Janssen. Janssen joined former lead manager Chuck Myers on Fidelity Small Cap Value in 2013 to get up to speed on the process and portfolio before becoming sole manager there in 2015. Since then, Janssen has posted benchmark-beating risk-adjusted results on that fund. In a similar fashion, Janssen joined Myers on this … Full Story