Archive for 2014

Amundi targets $100bn in ETF and indexed AUM

Oct 2nd, 2014 | By
ETF satisfaction at very high levels, according to EDHEC-Risk Institute

Amundi has affirmed its ambition to double assets under management in its exchange-traded fund and indexing business in the next three years. The Paris-headquartered asset manager is targeting its passive expertise as one of the core axes of its development strategy, with the aim of reaching $100 billion in ETF and indexed AUM by 2017. Valérie Baudson, Global Head of ETF & Indexing at Amundi, said: “Our ETF and indexing business has demonstrated dynamic growth, having attracted net flows of some $6 billion since the beginning of the year. We are now in the process of speeding up this progress”.


Vanguard expands ETF range on LSE

Oct 1st, 2014 | By
Vanguard expands ETF range on LSE

Vanguard, one of the world’s largest providers of exchange-traded funds, has launched four new ETFs on the London Stock Exchange. The new ETFs provide diversified exposure to UK, developed Europe ex-UK, developed world and North American equity markets and take the total number of Vanguard ETFs on the LSE to 13. Since unveiling its range in May 2012, the provider now has more than $10 billion in European ETF assets under management. Ken Volpert, head of investments for Vanguard in Europe, said: “ETFs are coming of age in Europe as both retail and institutional investors value their low costs, liquidity and transparency.”


SSGA cuts fees across core equity and fixed income ETFs

Sep 30th, 2014 | By
WisdomTree adds multifactor screen to equity income ETFs

State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), one of the world’s leading ETF issuers, has announced a reduction in fees across its core equity and fixed income SPDR ETFs. According to SSgA, the reduction in fees will result in investors, on average, paying 20 percent less across the 15 core equity and fixed income ETFs with the largest reduction being made on the SPDR S&P 500, down from 15 basis points to 9 basis points as of 1 October 2014.


UBS adds four ETF listings on LSE

Sep 23rd, 2014 | By
UBS launches EM ex-China ESG ETF

UBS Global Asset Management has announced the listing of four exchange-traded funds on the London Stock Exchange. The new ETFs track the Dow Jones Global Select Dividend, MSCI Emerging Markets SRI and MSCI USA (with listings in both USD and GBp) indices. The UBS DJ Global Select Dividend UCITS ETF (UC75) offers exposure to the top dividend paying companies globally; the UBS MSCI Emerging Markets Socially Responsible UCITS ETF (UC79) provides exposure to large and mid-cap emerging market companies with strong sustainability profiles; while the UBS MSCI USA UCITS ETFs provide exposure to large and mid-cap US equities.


Source lists debut US ETF

Sep 23rd, 2014 | By
Source lists debut US ETF

Source, the European ETF provider which recently confirmed its entry into the US market, has announced the launch of its debut US ETF, the Source Euro Stoxx 50 ETF (ESTX). The ETF, which has been listed on the NYSE Arca, offers highly liquid exposure to the European equity market via the Euro Stoxx 50 Index of large-cap Eurozone stocks. Peter Thompson, Source President, said: “Entering the US is the next step in the growth of our global business. We see a tremendous opportunity to deliver market-driven, value-added products to American investors, and are excited about the opportunity ahead to serve the US market.”


BATS Chi-X Europe announces new ETF transparency initiative

Sep 23rd, 2014 | By
BATS Chi-X Europe unveils ETF transparency initiative

BATS Chi-X Europe, a European stock exchange, has announced a new trade reporting initiative designed to bring greater transparency to the European market for exchange-traded funds. Mark Hemsley, CEO of BATS Chi-X Europe, said: “Since our approval as a Registered Investment Exchange, we’ve worked to improve market structure for the benefit of ETF trading and investing in Europe. By pairing these efforts with BXTR [trade reporting service], we will allow the industry a clear view of true ETF liquidity for the first time.”


Source enters US ETF market

Sep 16th, 2014 | By
Source enters US ETF market

Source, one of Europe’s leading and most innovative exchange-traded fund providers, has crossed the Atlantic and entered the much-larger US ETF market. The firm’s US launch is spearheaded by a management team of ETF veterans led by co-founders Ted Hood, CEO and Peter Thompson, President. They are joined by Executive Chairman Lee Kranefuss, an ETF pioneer and the architect of iShares, and Senior Advisor Richard Goldman, formerly CEO of Rydex and COO of Guggenheim Investments.


SSgA rolls out actively managed “risk aware” ETF

Sep 13th, 2014 | By
SSgA rolls out actively managed “risk aware” ETF

State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) has unveiled its sixth actively managed ETF: the SPDR SSgA Risk Aware ETF (RORO). The new ETF, which has been listed on the NYSE Arca, is designed to help investors manage risk-on and risk-off market cycles and is based on a proprietary quantitative market risk measurement model intended to identify, quantify and benefit from risk factors moving the markets at any given time. Scott Ebner, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Product Development and Research at SSgA, said: “The SPDR SSgA Risk Aware ETF is targeted at providing investors an innovative solution for capitalizing on risk-on and risk-off fluctuations in the US equity market.”


First Asset launches actively managed Canadian REIT and dividend ETFs

Sep 13th, 2014 | By
Middlefield converts two active mutual funds to ETFs

First Asset, a Toronto-based investment manager, has announced the launch of two new active exchange-traded funds: the First Asset Active Canadian REIT ETF (FRF) and the First Asset Active Canadian Dividend ETF (FDV). The ETFs, which have been listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, provide actively managed exposure to real estate equities and dividend-paying stocks, respectively, listed in Canada.


Lyxor unveils “brave value investor” smart beta ETF

Sep 9th, 2014 | By
Lyxor unveils “brave value investor” smart beta ETF

Lyxor Asset Management, Europe’s third largest provider of exchange-traded funds, has unveiled an ETF designed for the “brave value investor”. Listed in both London and Paris, the Lyxor UCITS ETF SG Global Value Beta (SGVB) is linked to the SG Value Smart Beta Index, an index developed by quants Andrew Lapthorne (pictured) and Georgios Oikonomou which invests in the 200 cheapest stocks on a sector relative basis in global developed markets. The fund, which has an expense ratio of just 0.40%, should appeal to investors seeking to gain from a share price recovery in companies currently heavily discounted by the market.