Archive for August 2012
Aug 24th, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
A comprehensive study into securities lending in physically-replicated exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by Morningstar has revealed that transparency and safeguards have generally improved following investor concern over counterparty and collateral risks. However, there is still room for improvement across the industry.
Posted in ETF and Index News |
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Tags: ETF and Index News, ETF Industry News, Europe
Aug 22nd, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Investors have unfairly penalised the European insurance sector by rating it the same as banks, yet earnings and dividend growth are markedly superior and the risk profile different, according to a report from investment bank Nomura. The investment bank finds the reluctance to own European insurance stocks hard to understand and believes the sector is due for a re-rating. An efficient way for investors to gain exposure to this sector is via a European insurance exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Posted in Equities |
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Tags: Amundi, ComStage, DWS Xtrackers, Equities, Europe, iShares, Lyxor, MSCI, Source, STOXX, Themes and Strategy
Aug 22nd, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Five new ETFs from Deutsche Bank’s exchange-traded fund (ETF) platform, db X-trackers, mean that more than 1,000 ETFs are now tradable on Deutsche Börse’s Xetra. The exchange’s comprehensive ETF offering, together with an average monthly trading volume of €12 billion, makes Xetra one of the most important trading venues for ETFs in Europe.
Posted in ETF and Index News |
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Tags: Asia Pacific, DWS Xtrackers, Emerging and Frontier, Equities, ETF and Index News, ETF Industry News, ETF Launch, Europe, MSCI
Aug 21st, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Contrary to what you might expect, internet and social media exchange-traded funds (ETFs), such the PowerShares Nasdaq Internet Portfolio ETF (PNQI), the First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index ETF (FDN) and the Global X Social Media ETF (SOCL), have held up relatively well this year despite the slump in well-known names such as Facebook, Groupon, Zynga and Angie’s List.
Posted in Equities |
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Tags: Dow Jones Indexes, Equities, First Trust, Global, Global X Funds, Invesco, Themes and Strategy, United States and Canada
Aug 21st, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
S&P Dow Jones Indices has announced the launch of the S&P Europe 350 Low Volatility Index, which is designed to measure the performance of the least volatile stocks within the S&P Europe 350, an equity index drawn from 17 major European markets, covering approximately 70% of the region’s market capitalisation. The launch of the S&P Europe 350 Low Volatility index comes after interest from exchange-traded fund (ETF) providers and follows similar low volatility launches of indices covering emerging markets and developed countries ex-US.
Posted in ETF and Index News |
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Tags: Dow Jones Indexes, Equities, ETF and Index News, ETF Industry News, Europe, FTSE, Invesco, Lyxor, MSCI, Ossiam, Russell Indexes, S&P Dow Jones, STOXX, Volatility
Aug 21st, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
BrokerTec, a global electronic fixed income trading platform owned by broker-dealer ICAP, and MTS, a fixed income trading venue in Europe, which is majority owned by London Stock Exchange Group, have announced plans to launch a daily repo index series for the euro. The indices could offer an alternative to the eurozone’s Eurepo index, compiled by the European Banking Federation, which also sets the Euribor rates that aim to track unsecured lending among the bloc’s banks.
Posted in ETF and Index News |
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Tags: Currencies, DWS Xtrackers, ETF and Index News, ETF Industry News, Europe, Fixed Income
Aug 21st, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
AdvisorShares, a US-based sponsor of actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs), recently celebrated the two-year anniversary of its NYSE-listed international active ETF, the WCM/BNY Mellon Focused Growth ADR ETF (AADR).
Posted in Equities |
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Tags: AdvisorShares, Equities, Global, United States and Canada
Aug 20th, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Following a strategic review, Russell Investments has formally announced the termination and liquidation of the company’s US passively managed family of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Russell will continue to focus on offering solutions in the actively managed, asset allocated ETF space, including maintaining the Russell Equity ETF (ONEF), as part of its core capability in investment strategy implementation as well as in the passive ETF space through its index licensing business.
Posted in ETF and Index News |
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Tags: Equities, ETF and Index News, ETF Industry News, FocusShares, Russell, Russell Indexes, United States and Canada
Aug 20th, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
US technology sector exchange-traded funds (ETFs) rallied last week as tech giant and sector bellwether Cisco Systems (CSCO) surged after the company reported positive earnings results and issued a cautiously upbeat financial forecast. The positive results come after S&P Capital IQ last month upgraded the technology sector and gave ‘overweight’ ratings to a number of technology-focused ETFs.
Posted in Equities |
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Tags: Amundi, Credit Suisse, Equities, Lyxor, S&P Dow Jones, Source, SSGA SPDR, Themes and Strategy, United States and Canada, Vanguard
Aug 17th, 2012 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Motif Investing, a California-based online broker specialising in theme-based stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) baskets, has expanded its product offering by introducing 10 new fixed income baskets (or ‘motifs’, as the company calls them) containing bond ETFs tied to certain macro-economic trends.
Posted in ETF and Index News |
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Tags: Fixed Income, United States and Canada