Amundi, a leading European provider of exchange-traded funds, is adding to its suite of Japanese equity ETFs with the launch of hedged and unhedged funds tracking the broad TOPIX Index. According to Amundi, in a market characterised by significant monetary easing – aimed at boosting the local economy – these ETFs will allow investors to access, in a single transaction, a broad exposure to the most liquid Japanese listed stocks with or without currency hedging.

BATS Global Markets has unveiled the BATS ETF Marketplace, an exchange specifically designed for the listing and trading of ETPs. Launched concurrently with the new exchange are two initiatives aimed at offering incentives to issuers and market makers respectively. The BATS Issuer Incentive program offers an annual rebate to issuers based on the consolidated average daily volume (CADV) of trading occurring on their ETPs, while the BATS Lead Market Maker program is a rewards-based program providing incentives through possible rebates to market makers for providing liquidity on their assigned ETPs. Collectively they seek to broaden the scope and boost the liquidity of BATS-listed products.

WisdomTree Europe, a provider of exchange-traded funds, has introduced an emerging Asia equity income ETF, providing investors with access to the yield opportunities of companies in the region. Hector McNeil, Co-CEO of WisdomTree Europe, commented: “WisdomTree Europe is delighted to launch the WisdomTree Emerging Asia Equity Income UCITS ETF. This new ETF is Europe’s first dividend-focused ETF covering emerging Asian equity markets. WisdomTree’s methodology combines experience and track record, with a high yielding diversified index thereby combining an attractive yield with exposure to one of the key regions within emerging markets.”

Huygens Capital, the robo-advisor and ETF strategist, has brought its tactical, risk-focused robo-advisor offering to market. “Most robo-advisors manage risk by constructing an initial, diversified, multi-asset portfolio for a client, and then maintaining that static asset allocation with periodic rebalancing whenever the portfolio deviates from it,” said Walter Vester, chief executive officer of Huygens. “Our approach addresses a need not satisfied by today’s robo-advisors. We believe the key to growing our clients’ assets is to invest them in US equities while striving to protect against periods of high equity market risk.”

iShares, the world’s largest provider of exchange-traded funds and a division of investment giant BlackRock, has introduced the iShares Currency Hedged JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF (HJPX). Jane Leung, Managing Director of BlackRock iShares, said: “iShares Currency Hedged JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF allows investors to gain broad exposure to Japanese companies that have been selected based on perceived shareholder-friendly activities, while mitigating for currency movements. Investors can easily combine the fund with its unhedged version, to tailor currency risk while maintaining consistent Japanese equity exposure.”

State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), the asset manager behind the SPDR brand of exchange-traded funds, has expanded their range of sector-specific SPDR ETFs by introducing two new funds that track firms operating in the US financial services and the real estate space respectively. The inclusion of the Financial Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLFS) and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) bring the number of ETFs within the suite to eleven, broadening the options for investors making sector allocations within the S&P 500.

State Street Corporation, the asset manager behind the SPDR brand of exchange-traded funds, has announced the launch of the State Street Liquid Private Equity Investable Index, providing a liquid proxy for private equity investment and the basis for index-linked products such as ETFs. The index was conceived from research generated by State Street’s academic partnership, State Street Associates, which highlighted the superior return private equity managers have historically delivered when compared to broad equity market indices. The findings point to the managers’ ability to correctly predict the outperformance of certain economic sectors as a key driver of return.

WisdomTree Europe, a provider of exchange-traded funds, has launched an equity income ETF dedicated to the UK market at a competitive 0.29% total expense ratio. Hector McNeil, Co-CEO of WisdomTree Europe, commented: “Based on client demand for WisdomTree’s Equity Income methodology, this is the first ETF which WisdomTree Europe is launching dedicated to the UK market. WisdomTree’s methodology combines experience and track record, with a high yielding broad index – something which investors will find useful in today’s low interest rate environment”. The fund has been listed on the London Stock Exchange.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed a package of reforms designed to enhance effective liquidity risk management by open-end funds, such as exchange-traded funds and mutual funds. “Promoting stronger liquidity risk management is essential to protecting the interests of the millions of Americans who invest in mutual funds and ETFs,” said SEC Chair Mary Jo White. “These significant reforms would require funds to better manage their liquidity risks, give them new tools to meet that requirement, and enhance the Commission’s oversight.”

IndexIQ, a New York based asset management firm, has announced the launch of the IQ Leaders GTAA Tracker ETF (NYSE Arca: QGTA) which provides exposure to the performance characteristics of leading global allocation mutual funds. The ETF does not invest in these mutual funds itself, but rather in a portfolio of highly liquid, low-cost ETFs that, when taken as a whole, is designed to replicate leading global allocation mutual funds’ aggregate performance. Global Allocation mutual funds are able to rapidly switch between asset classes and geographic regions, allowing them to pursue opportunities and avoid painful downturns.