As the ETF industry has continued to expand at a breakneck pace, the introduction of first-to-market products has become somewhat commonplace. Well more than 100 ETFs have debuted this year, many of them targeting an asset class or investment strategy not previously accessible within the ETF wrapper. Recent weeks have seen the debut of the first car ETF, a pure play fishing ETF, and a bond ETF dedicated to debt of Latin America issuers. Unlike the reaction to hyper-targeted funds that have debuted in years past, investors have given many of these niche products a relatively warm reception. [click to continue…]
In recent years interest in achieving exposure to emerging markets has intensified tremendously, as the developing economies of the world have established themselves as the clear leaders of GDP growth while advanced economies have struggled to regain their footing. While there are dozens of countries that fall under “emerging” status, exposure to this investment strategy [...]
Today marks the first day of trading for the Market Vectors Russia Small-Cap ETF (RSXJ), the first exchange-traded product offering U.S. investors exposure to small cap Russian stocks. The new fund from Van Eck will seek to replicate the performance of the Market Vectors Russia Small-Cap Index, a benchmark that includes about 35 small cap [...]
Van Eck announced the latest addition to its fast-growing ETF lineup today, rolling out a fund that offers exposure to small cap German companies. The Market Vectors Germany Small-Cap ETF (GERJ) will seek to replicate the Market Vectors Germany Small-Cap Index, a benchmark that includes small cap companies listed in Germany or that generate at least [...]
In recent years, emerging markets have been established as the clear leaders of global GDP growth, while the economies of the U.S. and western Europe have stalled. Developed markets are facing stubbornly high unemployment and limited flexibility thanks to mounting debt burdens, while emerging markets continue to race ahead. In a recent economics paper, Goldman [...]
Once upon a time, exposure to the Chinese stock market was a binary decision for U.S. investors–they either had it or they didn’t. Thanks in part to increased flexibility in cross-border listings and in part to the proliferation of exchange-traded funds, investors now have countless options for exposure to the world’s second largest economy.
No matter where investors look in the developed world, the picture isn’t pretty. In the U.S. unemployment remains intolerably high, and uncertainty over the latest round of QE will continue to hang over stock markets. In Europe efforts to control surging deficits have been met with protests and public outrage, complicating the process of reeling [...]
After watching rival Vanguard roll out more than a dozen domestic equity ETFs earlier this month, iShares continues to focus its attention on international stock markets, rolling out three new ETFs on Wednesday. The new funds include the MSCI Philippines Investable Market Index Fund (EPHE), MSCI Small Cap Brazil Index Fund (EWZS), and MSCI Small [...]
As the ETF world continues to expand at an impressive pace, a number of companies have sought to bring their own lineup of funds to the market in order to grab a piece of this rapidly-increasing pie. However, some have taken a different approach to gaining an ETF foothold, preferring to buy up existing issuers [...]
Emerging markets ETFs have become tremendously popular in recent years, as investors frustrated by the stagnant growth in the developed world have been lured in by the impressive economic expansion occurring in the developing world. Though there are many options available, the most popular way to play emerging markets is through VWO or EEM; two [...]
Van Eck announced on Wednesday the latest addition to its ETF product lineup, rolling out the Market Vectors Small Cap India ETF (SCIF). The new ETF will seek to replicate the performance of the Market Vectors India Small-Cap Index, a benchmark that includes about 120 constituents with an average market capitalization of approximately $450 million.
