Stoxx, a leading index provider, has introduced the Euro Stoxx 50 BuyWrite 100% Index. The index measures the performance of a buy-write or covered-call strategy based on the Euro Stoxx 50 Index, the eurozone’s leading blue-chip equity index. The new index, which has been designed to underlie index-linked financial products such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), represents a hypothetical portfolio of a long position in the Euro Stoxx 50 and a sold – or written – call option based on the same index.

Standard Life recently revealed plans to enhance its wrap platform aimed at UK financial advisers. One of the key upgrades scheduled over the next 12 months is to deliver improved access to exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The move to enhance access to ETFs is reflective of the growing interest in the product since the introduction of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR).

Credit Suisse has added to its range of innovative exchange-traded notes (ETNs) with the launch of the Credit Suisse Silver Shares Covered Call ETN (SLVO), an ETN providing exposure to a covered call strategy on iShares Silver ETF (SLV). The new product, which is designed to pay out variable monthly coupons, is the second precious metals covered call strategy launched by Credit Suisse and follows the January launch of GLDI, an ETN tracking a similar strategy on gold.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has approved a massive multi-asset purchase programme, including the purchase of billions of dollars worth of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), designed to stimulate the Japanese economy. The BoJ will purchase Topix and Nikkei 225 ETFs so that the amount outstanding will increase at an annual pace of 1 trillion yen – approximately $10.5 billion per year.

NYSE Euronext Indices and Bloomberg New Energy Finance have re-branded their family of clean energy indices to better represent the involvement of both NYSE and Bloomberg. The family is now known as NYSE Bloomberg Clean Energy Indexes. The indices were launched in April last year and are based on Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s database of organisations involved in clean energy and related sectors. The database includes more than 1,000 listed companies with at least 10% or more of their activity in clean energy.

Credit Suisse has launched a new exchange-traded note (ETN) that offers investors exposure to the performance of gold, as represented by SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), in addition to monthly income distributions. Listed on the Nasdaq exchange, the Credit Suisse Gold Shares Covered Call ETN (GLDI) becomes the first exchange-traded product in the US to deploy a covered call strategy on gold.

In a recent research report, analysts at AXA Investment Managers came out bullish on Asian emerging market equities, putting it among their top calls. One way to implement this trade is via exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to the MSCI Emerging Markets Asia Index (MSCI EM Asia), an index which targets the precise region the AXA analysts are positive on.

Market Vectors has announced that the NYSE Arca-listed Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (KWT) is to adopt an in-house index. The fund currently tracks the Ardour Solar Energy Index, an index designed by alternative energy specialists Ardour Capital Investments, but will switch to the Market Vectors Global Solar Energy Index in March.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to the Nikkei, Topix and MSCI Japan finished the week strongly after the Japanese cabinet, led by new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, approved a 10.3 trillion yen ($116 billion) stimulus package to bolster the country’s long-suffering economy. Topix-based ETFs, such as the Lyxor ETF Japan Topix, have now advanced 24% since 14 November 2012 when elections were announced.

BlackRock, owner of iShares, has agreed to acquire the exchange-traded funds (ETF) business of Credit Suisse, further strengthening its position in Switzerland and wider Europe. The transaction comprises assets under management of $17.6 billion across 58 funds. Laurence D. Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, said: “This transaction keeps with BlackRock’s growth strategy in the region and provides the necessary scale and presence in the market to further enhance our product suite and deliver client solutions in Switzerland and all of Europe.”