State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), the asset manager behind the SPDR brand of exchange-traded funds, has launched three smart beta ETFs based on FTSE Russell indices. The ETFs offer core US equity exposure to investors looking for an opportunity to improve risk-adjusted returns. “The adoption of smart beta strategies has been one of the most powerful trends in investing over the recent years and investors are now rethinking their core exposures to leverage approaches that seek to bridge the gap between active and passive,” said James Ross, executive vice president and global head of SPDR Exchange Traded Funds at State Street Global Advisors.

BlackRock, the asset manager behind the iShares suite of exchange-traded funds, has released their Global ETP Landscape Report for November. The paper highlights continued net gathering of assets among the global ETP sector during the month, spurred on by significant demand for US equity ETFs. Meanwhile, a substantial slowdown in net inflows for fixed income ETFs and outflows in emerging market equity ETFs were a drag on global gathering performance.

Markit, a leading global provider of financial information services, has announced that key participants in the exchange-traded fund industry; namely, BlackRock, BNY Mellon and State Street, have accepted Markit’s ETF collateral lists for inclusion in their collateral management schedules. “A lack of standardised criteria, market opacity and the onerous management process for risk departments mean that many market participants have historically not accepted ETFs as collateral. Our lists aim to bring transparency and simplicity to the market, facilitating access to ETFs for use as collateral,” said Pierre Khemdoudi, managing director of securities finance at Markit.

Van Eck Global, the asset manager behind the Market Vectors range of exchange-traded funds, has cross-listed the Market Vectors Morningstar US Wide Moat UCITS ETF (MOAT) on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The fund tracks the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index, an equally-weighted reference for the top 20 most attractively priced US firms that are deemed to have sustainable long-term competitive advantages within their industries, according to Morningstar’s proprietary methodology.

S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI), one of the world’s leading providers of financial market indices and a major player in the exchange-traded funds industry, has announced the launch of the S&P 500 Low Volatility Target Beta Index. “The S&P 500 Low Volatility Target Beta Index is a dynamic index,” commented Vinit Srivastava, Senior Director, Strategy Indices, S&P Dow Jones Indices. “The index measures the performance of low volatility stocks within the S&P 500, while maintaining the S&P 500’s level of overall market risk.”

iShares, the exchange-traded fund arm of asset manager BlackRock, has launched euro-denominated share classes of existing ETFs, targeting US sector-specific exposure, on Deutsche Borse’s Xetra and Frankfurt exchanges. The five cross-listed ETFs invest in securities of S&P 500 companies that are classified as operating within the healthcare, financials, information technology, consumer discretionary, or energy sectors as determined by the Global Industry Classification Standards.

ETF Securities has published its market outlook for 2016, containing a mix of consensus and contrarian calls. Among them is the forecast that the US dollar is set to weaken and that supply side destruction may support commodity prices. James Butterfill, Head of Research and Investment Strategy at ETF Securities, commented: “US official policy interest rates are going to rise; however, the Federal Reserve balance sheet has never been this vast and so most asset classes will be entering unchartered waters during this tightening cycle. ETF Securities’ analysis of previous Fed hiking cycles suggests, contrary to popular belief, that there could be a US dollar sell-off.”

Direxion Investments, a US-based provider of short and leveraged (S&L) exchange-traded funds, has launched three new ETFs offering short exposures to the biotech, healthcare and natural gas industries. These ETFs complement existing funds offering bullish exposures in their respective sectors, affording investors with greater flexibility to tailor their desired exposure. S&L funds are usually held for a limited period of time and serve the purpose of allowing investors to capture movements in price attributable to short-term event-driven news.

State Street Global Advisers (SSGA), the asset manager behind the SPDR range of exchange-traded funds, has launched two new funds, the SPDR Barclays US TIPS UCITS ETF (SYBY) and the SPDR Barclays 10+ Year US Corporate Bond UCITS ETF (SYBN). Alexis Marinof, EMEA head of SPDR ETFs commented, “These launches reflect our continued commitment to offer investors precise fixed income solutions that suit not only the current economic environment, but also allow them to take a view on potential market developments in the future.”

Tilney, a UK-based investment manager, is set to reveal its intention to launch a new range of smart beta funds. These risk-graded, multi-asset funds aim to provide a lower cost investment solution with the potential to outperform traditional passive indices. Miles Robinson, Head of Tilney for Intermediaries, commented: “There’s a clear increase in demand from advisers for lower cost investment solutions, but many advisers also recognise there are significant drawbacks with traditional passive products, which leave their clients’ assets fully exposed to the risks of valuation bubbles and also losses in overall market downturns.”