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International Bond ETF Guide: All the Options For Ex-U.S. Fixed Income Exposure

Michael Johnston — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:09 +0000

Just a few years ago there were only a handful of bond ETFs available to U.S. investors, and almost all of them focused on securities from U.S. issuers denominated in U.S. dollars. One of the most noteworthy innovations to shape the ETF industry over the last several years has been a significant growth in international bond products; as issuers have worked around concentration-related issues and other hurdles, the universe of bond ETPs targeting markets beyond U.S. borders has grown tremendously. The current economic environment has no doubt contributed to the growth of international bond ETFs; paltry yields on U.S. debt and concerns over the long-term outlook for the euro have understandable sparked interest in ex-U.S. bonds as a way to both boost yields and diversify away some risk [see Better-Than-AGG Total Bond Market ETFdb Portfolio]. With dozens of international bond ETPs now on the market, investors have the flexibility to [...]

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Top 10 Noteworthy ETF Trends Of 2011

Michael Johnston — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:00:48 +0000

The curtain is about to drop on 2011, a year that will go down as a record-breaking period for the rapidly-expanding ETF industry. More than 300 exchange-traded products began trading this year, with dozens of issuers rolling out new products. While some of the new additions bear a striking resemblance to more established products on the market, the recent growth has been market by innovation that has made new asset classes and strategies available through the exchange-traded wrapper. In a year full of ETF firsts, a few developments are particularly noteworthy; below, we highlight some of the events of the past year in the ETF world that have had the biggest impact on the way financial advisors and investors manage their portfolios [for more ETF insights, sign up for the free ETFdb newsletter]: 1. Investment Discipline / Factor ETFs One of the more exciting developments over the last year has [...]

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Euro Bond ETFs: Big Yields, Big Risks

Daniela Pylypczak — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:00:03 +0000

Europe has been in the spotlight throughout the last several months as the continent has fought an increasingly desperate battle to ward off a wave of sovereign debt defaults that could ultimately lead to the end of the euro. While much of the attention–particularly from international investors–has focused on tumbling stocks, bond markets across the euro zone have been also been feeling the pressure. The recent volatility has weighed heavily on bond markets as well, as uncertainty over the ability of some large European countries to make good on their financial obligations has pushed up borrowing costs dramatically [see Three Long/Short Ideas For Euro Zone Debt Drama]. While the countries facing the most immediate and severe cash crunches–members of the PIIGS bloc–have been impacted most directly, the more “stable” countries are also seeing their costs of borrowing rise. Italian bond auctions for three-year notes have recently sold at yields of [...]

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WisdomTree Rolls Out Australian Bond ETF (AUNZ)

Michael Johnston — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:00:51 +0000

WisdomTree, the issuer behind a number of popular international debt ETFs, followed through today on the previously announced conversion of its Dreyfus New Zealand Dollar Fund (previously traded under the ticker BNZ) to the Australian & New Zealand Debt Fund (AUNZ). The revised fund will continue to be actively managed, with the investment objective changing to focus on bonds denominated in the local currencies of Australia and New Zealand. While there are now a number of international bond ETFs, AUNZ is yet another ETF first; the fund becomes the first to focus exclusively on the two developed Pacific economies. Aussie Dollar On A Roll Australia and New Zealand also represent two developed economies that have largely managed to avoid the deterioration of fiscal health that has plagued the U.S. and Western Europe. Both countries are rich in natural resources, and that commodity wealth is a major reason for the relatively [...]

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WisdomTree Tweaks Seven Equity ETFs

Michael Johnston — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:00:14 +0000

WisdomTree completed a number of previously announced changes to its ETF lineup this week, making minor changes to seven of the company’s equity funds. Four ETFs received new tickers as a result of the overhaul: Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Fund (DRW): The investment objective of this fund, previously known as the International Real Estate Fund, was broadened to include emerging markets. DRW had focused almost exclusively on developed markets outside the U.S. Global ex-U.S. Utility Fund (DBU): This ETF, previously known as the International Utilities Sector Fund, underwent a similar change. Emerging markets exposure was added to what had been a developed ex-U.S. product. Commodity Country Equity Fund (CCXE): This fund previously traded as the International Basic Materials Sector Fund (DBN). The new ETF will implement a broader commodity-focused equity strategy; the underlying WisdomTree Commodity Country Equity Index is a fundamentally-weighted benchmark that measures the performance of dividend-paying stocks from [...]

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Complete List Of Active ETFs

Michael Johnston — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:00:14 +0000

Since PowerShares debuted its first active ETFs in the spring of 2008, this corner of the exchange-traded product market has grown tremendously. Though many active ETFs have been somewhat slow to accumulate assets, the increase in the size of the lineup highlights the trend towards vehicles that combine active management with the exchange-traded structure. There are now dozens of actively-managed ETFs offering exposure to a number of asset classes, including stocks, bonds, and currencies. The following tables present all of the active ETFs currently available to U.S. investors, including expense information, inception date, and the applicable benchmark. New active ETFs are added as they are launched, providing a real time list of active ETFs [filter by active / passive and other fields with the free ETF Screener]. Equity ETFs There are a number of different active equity ETFs, including funds that offer exposure to both domestic and international equity markets. [...]

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WisdomTree Swings To Profit On Surge In Inflows

Michael Johnston — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:00:53 +0000

WisdomTree, the New York-based firm behind more than 45 ETFs, reported first quarter net income of $0.2 million, the first profitable quarter for the publicly-traded ETF issuer. ETF assets at the end of Q1 totaled $11.3 billion, up nearly 70% from the same period a year earlier. “WisdomTree is extremely pleased to report our first quarter of GAAP net income on the back of another strong quarter of net inflows and overall ETF industry market share,” WisdomTree CEO Jonathan Steinberg commented. “I am proud of the track record we are building as we execute the corporate goals we outlined for our shareholders.” The company’s cash inflows in the first quarter represented about 4.7% of the total for the ETF industry, making WisdomTree one of the fastest-growing issuers. Those inflows were boosted by a favorable market response to two new products that have debuted so far this year: Ticker ETF Launch [...]

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Ten Worst Performing ETFs Of 2010

Michael Johnston — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 12:00:54 +0000

In general, 2010 has been a pretty solid year for most portfolios. Despite lingering concerns about unemployment and mounting debt burdens, most global equity markets have moved higher on the year. Commodity markets have been red hot, with prices of many natural resources climbing to new highs thanks to strong demand from emerging markets and a shaky dollar. And while bonds have shown exceptional volatility during the last 12 months, many fixed income securities have managed to deliver at least modest gains as well. But there have, of course, been some disappointments this year as well. Below, we offer up some potential inspiration for contrarian investors: a list of ten of the worst performing ETFs of 2010. Performance data is as of December 21, and this list excludes all leveraged and inverse funds, as well as any ETFs that began trading during the year: 10. iPath EUR/USD Exchange Rate ETN [...]

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Time For A Leveraged Euro ETF?

Michael Johnston — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:00:03 +0000

It seems like ages ago that the future of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency was in serious doubt, with the euro being held out as one viable replacement. But with Greece on the brink of a fiscal collapse and several major European economies struggling to reel in ballooning budget deficits, it is the very existence of the euro zone common currency that is in doubt (see Six ETFs To Watch As The Greek Drama Unfolds). These days, just about everyone has an opinion on the future of the euro. Most are of the belief that a continued slide is likely; BNP Paribas recently projected that the euro will sink to $1.00 by the first quarter of 2011, and several other banks have issued equally grim forecasts (see Three ETFs For Euro/Dollar Parity). And there are signs that euro aversion is beginning to spread, with money managers and [...]

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Five Surprising Facts About The ETF Industry

Michael Johnston — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:00:50 +0000

As ETFs have transitioned from a closet industry to a mainstream investment vehicle, a growing number of investors has become familiar with the exchange-traded structure and the nuances of of the industry. Most advisors now recognize the “super tickers”–SPY, GLD, EEM, etc.–and have a good feel for the size and scope of the industry. But there are some interesting stats about the industry that may surprise even the most experienced ETF investors. Below, we present five surprising ETF stats (for more ETF features, sign up for our free ETF newsletter): 1. Expense Ratios Under 0.02% And Above 4%? Going by the official numbers, VTI has the cheapest expense ratio in the ETF industry at 0.07%. GSC and MES come in at the most expensive (excluding acquired fund fees) at 1.25% and 1.00%, respectively. But the expense methodology employed by the line of HOLDRS products from Merrill Lynch throws a wrench [...]

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ETF Database » EU

International Bond ETF Guide: All the Options For Ex-U.S. Fixed Income Exposure

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Top 10 Noteworthy ETF Trends Of 2011

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Euro Bond ETFs: Big Yields, Big Risks

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WisdomTree Rolls Out Australian Bond ETF (AUNZ)

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WisdomTree Tweaks Seven Equity ETFs

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Complete List Of Active ETFs

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WisdomTree Swings To Profit On Surge In Inflows

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Ten Worst Performing ETFs Of 2010

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Time For A Leveraged Euro ETF?

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Five Surprising Facts About The ETF Industry

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