Archive for February 2016

Janus launches smart beta growth ETFs

Feb 29th, 2016 | By
Janus Capital Launches Smart Growth ETFs

Janus Capital Group, a global investment manager, has rolled out two smart beta exchange-traded funds on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange: the Janus Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSML) and the Janus Small/Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSMD). Linked to proprietary in-house indices, the funds utilise the firm’s “Smart Growth” strategy – a systematic process that seeks to identify resilient small- and mid-cap companies poised for long-run sustainable growth. Nick Cherney, Senior Vice President, Head of Exchange Traded Products at Janus, said: “These ETFs marry Janus’s expertise as a fundamental manager in the small-cap arena with our robust quantitative abilities in exchange-traded products. As client interest in ETFs grows, we will continue to look for innovative ways to create value for clients in the future.”


Global X Funds switches to MSCI for Greece ETF

Feb 29th, 2016 | By
Russell Indexes downgrades Greece to emerging market

Global X Funds, a New York based sponsor of exchange traded funds, has announced that the Global X FTSE Greece 20 ETF (NYSE Arca: GREK) will begin tracking the MSCI All Greece Select 25/50 Index as of 1 March 2016. The fund, which currently tracks the FTSE/ATHEX Custom Capped Index, will subsequently change its name to the Global X MSCI Greece ETF.


Recon Capital closes its FTSE 100 ETF

Feb 29th, 2016 | By
BlackRock slashes price of flagship iShares FTSE 100 ETF (ISF)

Recon Capital Series Trust, a Connecticut-based investment advisor, has announced that the Recon Capital FTSE 100 ETF (Nasdaq: UK) will close to new investors on 8 March 2016 and begin liquidation on or about 11 March 2016. Trading of the fund’s shares will be suspended at this point. Between 8 – 10 March 2016, shareholders may be able to sell their shares to certain broker-dealers.


Robo-advisor MoneyFarm launches in UK

Feb 26th, 2016 | By
Robo-advisor MoneyFarm hits UK shores

MoneyFarm, an Italian automated wealth management company, has launched in the UK offering investors the choice of six pre-designed exchange traded fund portfolios. The robo-advisor firm is looking to grab market share with the intention of becoming a leading provider of automated investments by waiving certain fees. The robo-advisor offers its six portfolios at various levels of risk tolerance and will waive its fees on accounts with total assets below £10,000 or above £1m. MoneyFarm is also the first robo-advisor in the UK to launch with an IOS app, allowing users to manage their investments on their smartphones.


Horizons ETFs launches US dollar share class for Active US Dividend ETF

Feb 26th, 2016 | By
Global X launches USD money market ETF on HKEX

Canadian exchange traded fund provider Horizons ETFs has launched a US dollar version of its Horizons Active US Dividend ETF (HAU) on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The launch coincides with the one-year anniversary of HAU’s initial launch in Canadian dollars. The actively managed fund provides regular dividend income and modest long-term capital growth by investing in high quality US dividend paying stocks. Sub-advised by Guardian Capital, the ETF uses Guardian’s proprietary stock selection process in an effort to outperform the fund’s benchmark – the S&P 500 Index.


Eaton Vance launches long awaited exchange traded mutual fund

Feb 26th, 2016 | By
Regulatory approval of Eaton Vance's new active ETF structure edges closer

Eaton Vance Corp has launched its long awaited exchange-traded mutual fund, the Eaton Vance Stock NextShares (Nasdaq: EVSTC), on Nasdaq. It is the first of eighteen anticipated NextShares funds expected to be launched. The fund is the first of its kind and is classed as a hybrid between an actively managed fund and an ETF. It will follow a research-driven core investment strategy, primarily holding a diversified portfolio of common stock to seek long-term capital appreciation. The initial fund launch has been made available to individual investors, financial advisors and institutions through leading online broker-dealers Folio Investing and Folio Institutional.


Vanguard adds four fixed income ETFs on LSE

Feb 25th, 2016 | By
Vanguard rolls out accumulating share classes for regional equity ETFs

Vanguard has unveiled four new fixed income exchange-traded funds on the London Stock Exchange designed to provide investors with low-cost building blocks to construct a broad-based fixed income portfolio. The ETFs are linked to Barclays indices and offer exposure to European and US corporate bonds, US Treasuries and eurozone government debt. Priced competitively with TERs of 0.12%, the new additions build out Vanguard’s fixed income offering, which previously only included UK gilt exposure. Fixed income ETFs are one of the fast-growing segments of the ETF industry, with investors attracted to their convenient and cost-effective structure.


WisdomTree launches S&P 500 PutWrite ETF

Feb 25th, 2016 | By
WisdomTree’s ETF model portfolios now available through Envestnet Wealth Management platform

US-based WisdomTree has launched a new exchange trade fund tracking the PutWrite index, a reference that is often used by investors as a solution to potentially increase the yield and lower the volatility of equity returns over various market cycles. The CBOE S&P 500 PutWrite Index (PUT) is used as a benchmark index to measure the performance of a hypothetical portfolio selling S&P 500 index put options against collateralized cash reserves held in a money market account. The CBOE S&P 500 PutWrite Strategy Fund (NYSE Arca: PUTW) is launched on NYSE Arca.


Amplify Investments launches new ETF platform in US

Feb 25th, 2016 | By
Amplify ETFs launches YieldShares Dividend & Option Income ETF

US-based investment advisory house Amplify Investments has launched an exchange traded fund platform designed to introduce innovative investment strategies into the ETF marketplace. The new platform, Amplify Exchange-Traded Funds (Amplify ETFs), will complement Amplify Development, an affiliate of Amplify Investments providing strategic support to third-party ETFs that do not use the Amplify ETF brand or trust. Amplify ETFs aims to provide a full range of marketing, distribution and operational support to clients as a means of adding value relative to competitors. The first Amplify-branded ETF is anticipated to launch later this month.


Purpose Investments launches US Cash ETF

Feb 25th, 2016 | By
Global X launches USD money market ETF on HKEX

Purpose Investments, a Toronto-based asset manager, has launched the Purpose US Cash ETF (PSU) on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The fund aims to maximise monthly income while preserving capital and liquidity by investing primarily in US dollar-denominated high interest deposit accounts and high-quality money market securities. Securities chosen for inclusion will generally have term maturities of one year or less.