The vast majority of the more than 1,400 ETFs now available are pretty straightforward; most investors can pretty quickly grasp the investment objectives based on a quick glance at the name and holdings. There are, however, some ETFs that investors do not understand well at all–products that are actually quite different from the perceptions that many have about them.
Below, we highlight a couple classes of ETF that are commonly misunderstood–and set the record straight [for more ETF insights, sign up for the free ETFdb newsletter]. [click to continue…]
Socially responsible investing is by no means a new concept; mutual funds that limit holdings deemed to companies deemed to be good corporate citizens have been around for nearly 40 years. Socially responsible or “sustainable” investing has been slow to make its way into the ETF industry, but there are signs of that changing; last [...]
Earlier today, Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based Pax World announced the launch of ESG Shares, the first group of ETFs focused exclusively on sustainable investing. The name “ESG” stands for environmental, social, and governance, which are the three main factors that the line of funds will focus on when determining investment choices. Pax World has been at [...]
ETFs started February on a down note, with most equities slumping to finish the week. The euro sank to a new eight-month low against the dollar as sovereign debt concerns, specifically from Greece, continue to hang over the economic bloc. Meanwhile in the U.S., the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 9.7% despite losing 20,000 jobs [...]
Barclays Global Investors is planning to develop and introduce an iShares Genocide-Free ETF, offering an alternative to investors who are uneasy about holding securities of companies associated with genocide. According to a press release, the company plans to partner with an index provider to identify and screen out companies around the world that they believe [...]
Among the 30 new exchange-traded products Deutsche Bank plans to launch through its db x-trackers unit in 2009 is a proposed fund that would track the S&P Carbon Efficient Index, a benchmark based on the performance of large-cap U.S. companies with relatively low carbon emissions while seeking to replicate the return of the S&P 500. “This [...]
In April, FaithShares Advisors filed with the SEC to launch a line of ETFs targeted at religions investors. While “socially responsible ETFs” (such as KLD) and clean energy ETFs (such as PBW) are nothing new, FaithShares proposed to narrow the scope of socially responsible investing significantly by offering funds focusing on specific denominations, including:
As the ETF industry has exploded and investors have poured cash from traditional mutual funds into these investments, a number of interesting ETFs have popped up attempting to establish market share. One interesting sector consists of socially responsible ETFs, which generally invest in companies with positive and ethical environmental and social policies. These funds will often avoid companies [...]
