Archive for February 2013
Feb 20th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
First Trust Advisors, a leading provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), is expected to launch into Europe sometime early this year. First Trust is the eleventh largest ETF provider in the US, with over $9 billion in ETF assets under management. The provider is perhaps best known for its popular AlphaDEX range of smart beta products, and it is this range that First Trust is understood to be planning to roll out in Europe, subject to regulatory approval.
Posted in Equities |
No Comments »
Tags: Equities, ETF Industry News, ETF Launch, Europe, First Trust, iShares, United Kingdom
Feb 19th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Exchange rate volatility has spiked considerably over the past two months following the election of a new government in Japan. With murmurings that a “currency war” is about to break out, volatility in the FX market looks destined to remain at elevated levels for some time to come. This creates opportunities for investors looking to speculate on further shifts in the market. An effective way to capitalise on FX moves is via leveraged currency exchange-traded products (ETPs) which amplify the returns of currency pairs such as USD/JPY, GBP/USD, GBP/EUR and EUR/USD.
Posted in Alternatives / Multi-Asset |
No Comments »
Tags: Barclays, Currencies, DWS Xtrackers, ETF Securities, ETNs and ETCs, Global, Guggenheim, JP Morgan, Leveraged and Inverse ETFs, ProShares, Themes and Strategy, Volatility
Feb 18th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Canada’s lowest cost ETF, the Horizons S&P/TSX 60 Index ETF (HXT), has joined the select few of Canadian ETFs that have surpassed C$1 billion in assets under management. Launched by Horizons ETFs in September 2010, the fund seeks to replicate the performance of the S&P/TSX 60 Index (TR), an index comprising 60 of the largest Canadian publicly traded companies by market capitalisation.
Posted in ETF and Index News |
No Comments »
Tags: Equities, ETF Industry News, Horizons, S&P Dow Jones, United States and Canada
Feb 18th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Yorkville ETF Advisors has expanded its line-up of master limited partnership (MLP) products with the launch of the Yorkville High Income Infrastructure MLP ETF (YMLI). The NYSE-listed fund provides exposure to infrastructure MLPs, which are expected to benefit significantly over the next decade in response to demand for pipelines, storage facilities and processing systems required by rapidly growing US energy production.
Posted in Equities |
No Comments »
Tags: Equities, ETF Industry News, ETF Launch, Exchange Traded Concepts, High Income, UBS, United States and Canada
Feb 15th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
db X-trackers, the exchange-traded funds (ETF) platform of Deutsche Bank’s Asset & Wealth Management unit, has cross-listed its Australian dollar cash ETF on the London Stock Exchange. The fund provides European investors with liquid, easily traded access to Australian money market rates and will likely appeal to investors searching for income in the current low-rate environment and those looking to diversify their currency exposure or take a view on the movement of the Aussie dollar.
Posted in Alternatives / Multi-Asset |
No Comments »
Tags: Asia Pacific, Currencies, DWS Xtrackers, ETF Industry News, ETF Launch, ETF Securities, Leveraged and Inverse ETFs
Feb 15th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Gold demand reached an all-time high of $236.4 billion in 2012, despite a decade-plus long bull market which has lifted the price of the metal more than six-fold. The precious yellow metal looks set to continue its strong performance, as Chinese, Indian and central bank buying show few signs of abating. Investment into exchange-traded products was also up significantly in 2012.
Posted in Commodities |
No Comments »
Tags: Commodities, DWS Xtrackers, ETF Securities, Global, Gold and Precious Metals, iShares, Source
Feb 14th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Despite thriving and affluent Islamic communities across Europe and North America, Muslims living in these regions have traditionally been underserved when it comes to investment. The reason for this is that managing investments according to Shariah principles can be time consuming since the vast majority of investment decisions need to be pre-approved by Islamic scholars. Shariah-compliant exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which provide low-cost exposure to conventional equity markets while strictly adhering to Islamic investment principles, provide a much-needed solution to this problem.
Posted in Equities |
No Comments »
Tags: Alternatives, DWS Xtrackers, Equities, FTSE, Global, iShares, MSCI, S&P Dow Jones, Themes and Strategy
Feb 14th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
ETF Securities, one of the world’s leading providers of exchange-traded commodities (ETCs), has conducted a survey which suggests that senior investment professionals across Europe are planning to increase their average allocation to commodities in 2013, particularly into industrial metals such as copper.
Posted in Commodities |
No Comments »
Tags: Alternatives, Commodities, ETF Industry News, ETF Securities, ETNs and ETCs, Europe, Gold and Precious Metals
Feb 14th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
Invesco PowerShares, a leading global provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), is to expand its suite of low-volatility ETFs with the launch of new strategies covering the US mid-cap and small-cap segments. The new PowerShares S&P MidCap Low Volatility Portfolio ETF (XMLV) and PowerShares S&P SmallCap Low Volatility Portfolio ETF (XSLV) are to be listed on the NYSE Arca and take the suite to five funds.
Posted in Equities |
No Comments »
Tags: Equities, ETF Industry News, ETF Launch, Invesco, S&P Dow Jones, United States and Canada, Volatility
Feb 13th, 2013 |
By Simon Smith, CFA
The Ossiam ETF FTSE 100 Minimum Variance (UKMV), the first and only low-volatility exchange-traded fund based on the FTSE 100 index, has recorded an impressive first year on the London Stock Exchange. Managed by smart beta specialist Ossiam, an affiliate of Paris-based Natixis Global Asset Management, the fund has posted markedly superior risk-adjusted performance relative to the FTSE 100 since making its debut on the exchange in January 2012.
Posted in Equities |
No Comments »
Tags: Equities, ETF Industry News, FTSE, Ossiam, United Kingdom, Volatility