Archive for September 2015

ETF innovation steps up on Taiwanese Stock Exchange

Sep 7th, 2015 | By
Taiwan sees significant inverse & leveraged ETF listing activity in October

Three innovative exchange-traded funds are being launched this week in Taiwan, one tracking the return on oil futures and two offering either a leveraged or inverse return on the Japanese TOPIX. These ETFs are a first for the Taiwanese Stock Exchange. Yuanta Securities, a subsidiary of Yuanta Financial, a Taiwanese financial institution, is behind the oil ETF listing, while Fubon Asset Management, part of Fubon Financial, Taiwan’s second largest financial institution, is sponsoring the short & leveraged ETFs.


First Trust lists global AlphaDEX smart beta ETF in Europe

Sep 4th, 2015 | By
DeAWM offers access to global bond market via single ETF

First Trust Global Portfolios, a leading provider of exchange-traded funds, has announced the launch in Europe of a new global equities ETF, the First Trust Global AlphaDEX UCITS ETF (FGBL), based on the popular “AlphaDEX” smart beta methodology. The fund, which is linked to the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Global Index, has been listed on the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Paris. Commenting on the launch, Derek Fulton, CEO of First Trust Global Portfolios, said: “We are delighted to bring to market in Europe the First Trust Global AlphaDEX UCITS ETF. With this launch, investors now have a single ticker solution to investing globally using the proven AlphaDEX multi-factor methodology.”


Multi-factor smart beta ETFs perform well amid volatile conditions

Sep 4th, 2015 | By
DWS unveils risk-controlled high yield ETF

For many, the investment holy grail is a strategy that will outperform across all stages of the market cycle. Multi-factor smart beta strategies are one of the more recent attempts to achieve this. The solid recent performance of the Scientific Beta Multi-Beta Multi-Strategy Index, which underlies exchange-traded funds from Amundi and Morgan Stanley, appears to suggest that multi-factor strategies can indeed deliver in some of the most testing environments as well in more benign periods.


S&P Europe 350 Dividend Aristocrats Index celebrates 10th anniversary

Sep 4th, 2015 | By
Lyxor launches SG European Quality Income ETF

As the S&P Europe 350 Dividend Aristocrats Index marks its 10-year anniversary, we take a quick look at the methodology and the performance of this smart beta index. “The S&P Europe 350 Dividend Aristocrats has hugely outperformed the S&P Europe 350 over almost every interval, which is expected given that these are quality companies that have both the ability to grow their business and their payouts consistently over time. The outperformance of the S&P Europe 350 Dividend Aristocrats over 10 years is almost 300bps annually,” said Vinit Srivastava, Senior Director of Strategy Indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices.


Thomson Reuters partners with Future Super on pair of Aussie SRI indices

Sep 4th, 2015 | By
Ossiam launches quant-driven global ESG ETF

Thomson Reuters, a financial data vendor and index provider, and Future Super, an Australian superannuation fund with a focus on fossil fuel-free investments, have collaborated on two new environmental, social and governance (ESG) indices: the Thomson Reuters/Future Super Australia Fossil Free Index and the Thomson Reuters/Future Super Australia Sustainable Leaders Index. “At a time when ESG investing around the world gains momentum, we’re excited to be partnering with Future Super to raise awareness of the performance of fossil fuel-free companies and to provide investors with a mechanism to invest ‘responsibly’ in fossil-fuel free and ethical portfolios,” said Stephan Flagel, Head of Indices at Thomson Reuters.


LOIM, ETF Securities unveil fundamentally weighted EM government bond ETF

Sep 3rd, 2015 | By
Emerging markets ETF redux by David Stevenson

Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM), a leading smart beta specialist, and ETF Securities, a specialist exchange-traded fund provider, have launched an emerging market local government bond ETF: the ETFS Lombard Odier IM Emerging Market Local Government Bond Fundamental GO UCITS ETF (LOCL LN). Listed on the LSE, the ETF provides exposure to the local currency debt of emerging markets countries that are best placed to repay their debt. Kevin Corrigan, Head of Fundamental Fixed Income, LOIM, commented: “LOIM has over five years of experience in fundamentally weighted fixed income investing and our partnership with ETF Securities enables us to offer a wide range of investors an innovative approach to investing in emerging debt markets.”


Company-specific problems dent AUM of ETF managed portfolios segment

Sep 3rd, 2015 | By
Demand for ETF managed portfolios grows

Company-specific problems at three of the largest US-based providers of ETF managed portfolios have seen total assets under management within the segment drop by 7% this quarter, according to the Morningstar ETF Managed Portfolios Landscape report. “Despite this major disruption, the remaining firms were largely unaffected as collective assets remained roughly steady. The net result was a further flattening of the landscape,” noted Ling-Wei Hew, ETF Managed Portfolio Research Analyst at Morningstar.