Source, a leading European provider of exchange-traded funds, has launched its third volatility ETF in collaboration with investment bank JP Morgan. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the Source JP Morgan Macro Hedge Dual Vega Target 4% TR UCITS ETF (MHVT) aims to provide cost-effective exposure to volatility and is designed for sophisticated investors. The fund switches from long to long/short US equity exposure depending on market conditions. During times of market stress, it adds long exposure to European equity volatility.

Boost, a leading European provider of short and leveraged exchange-traded products and a division of WisdomTree, has listed Europe’s first ever triple inverse fixed income ETP. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the Boost Gilts 10Y 3x Short Daily ETP (3GIS) will provide a return comprised of three times the inverse daily performance of the BNP Paribas Long Gilt Future Index, plus the interest revenue earned on the collateralised amount. The BNP Paribas index tracks front-month long-Gilt futures, which are traded on LIFFE and deliver UK government bonds with 8.75-13 years to maturity.

FTSE, a leading provider of indices to the exchange-traded funds industry, has announced the launch of the FTSE Global Factor Index Series, a new suite of indices designed to represent the performance of specific factors. A factor can be thought of as any characteristic relating a group of securities that is important in explaining their return and risk. The new indices are derived from the market capitalisation-weighted FTSE Developed and FTSE Emerging stock universes and are constructed to achieve a controlled exposure to the following factors: liquidity, momentum, quality, size, value and volatility.

Compass Efficient Model Portfolios has launched its fourth “smart beta” exchange-traded fund on the Nasdaq stock market. The listing follows last month’s ETF debut by the Tennessee-based investment adviser. Compass EMP’s latest ETF, the Compass EMP US Discovery 500 Enhanced Volatility Weighted Index ETF (CSF), is designed to offer investors US small-cap exposure while ameliorating downside risks by reducing equity exposure in the event of a market decline. Stephen Hammers, Chief Investment Officer of Compass EMP Funds, said: “It’s exciting to introduce our latest, innovative smart beta product that seeks to outperform both traditional indexes as well as active ETFs over the long-term.”

The iBillionaire ETF has gone live on the NYSE Arca in what is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated exchange-traded fund launch of the year so far. Launched in partnership with Direxion Investments, the Direxion iBillionaire Index ETF (IBLN) enables ordinary, everyday investors to invest alongside some of the United States’ best known billionaire investors. The ETF is linked to the iBillionaire Index, an index which tracks the top stock picks of Wall Street titans such as Warren Buffett, George Soros, Carl Icahn, John Paulson, Ray Dalio, David Tepper, Edward Lampert and David Einhorn.

The Merk Gold Trust (OUNZ), a deliverable gold exchange-traded fund, has successfully completed its first gold delivery. The ETF, which launched on the NYSE Arca in May, possesses an innovative feature which gives investors the option to take delivery of physical gold vaulted in London in exchange for their shares. On Wednesday, July 16, 2014, such a request was made. An investor submitted 5,406 shares of OUNZ to Merk requesting 54 American Buffalo gold coins to be delivered; the gold was successfully delivered on Tuesday, July 22, 2014.

Direxion Investments, a leading provider of short and leveraged exchange-traded funds, has listed three new 2x leveraged ETFs on the NYSE Arca, offering exposure to the NYSE 7-10 Year Treasury Bond, S&P Mid Cap 400 and Russell 2000 indices. Brian Jacobs, President of Direxion Investments, said: “These three ETFs are part of our effort to build up our suite of 2x leveraged funds and provide as many options as possible for experienced traders to achieve risk-managed returns regardless of market conditions, or their preferred amount of leverage.”

Cerulli Associates, a Boston-based asset management research firm, has published research noting that interest in specific investment outcomes will play a major part in driving institutional exchange-traded fund adoption. Outcome-oriented investment approaches typically ignore conventional benchmarks and instead focus on achieving a particular goal. “Smart beta” strategies appear to have a growing roll in this investment approach. One ETF sponsor told Cerulli that institutional use of smart beta will be a key driver of institutional asset management mandates over the next three years and that exposure will likely come via ETFs.

MSCI, a leading index provider to the exchange-traded funds industry, has released data highlighting the continuing strength of its brand within the ETF market. According to the provider, ETF investors directed a larger proportion of new funds into ETFs based on its indices than any other index provider during the first six months of 2014. The provider also noted that ETF issuers launched more new funds based on its indices than those of any other provider. Baer Pettit, Managing Director and Global Head of MSCI’s index business, said: “We are delighted with these numbers which are further evidence of MSCI’s strength in the ETF market”.

Boost, a leading European provider of short and leveraged exchange-traded products, has launched Italy’s first triple-leveraged long and short copper ETPs and the country’s first ever short and leveraged palladium ETPs (of any leverage factor). They are linked to sub-indices of the Nasdaq Commodity Benchmark Index. The launch takes the total number of Boost ETP listings in Europe, across the London Stock Exchange, Borsa Italiana and Xetra, to 72.