ETF Database » PFF

iShares Launches International Preferred Stock ETF (IPFF)

Michael Johnston — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:37:05 +0000

iShares, the issuer behind the most popular product in the Preferred Stock ETFdb Category, debuted an international counterpart to PFF this week. The recently-launched S&P International Preferred Stock ETF (IPFF) will be linked to an index consisting of preferred stock from ex-U.S. developed market issuers, with a hefty allocation to Canadian banks. IPFF becomes the sixth U.S.-listed ETF to tap into this asset class, and just the second to offer access to preferred securities offered in developed markets outside the U.S. Preferred Stock 101 Preferred stock is classified as equity, but these securities exhibit characteristics of both stocks and bonds. Preferred stock generally carries no voting rights and offers a fixed dividend payout that is subordinate to debt payments but senior to dividends on common stock. Some preferred stock is convertible to common equity at a predetermined ratio, a feature that allows investors to maintain some potential for upside appreciation [...]

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NSX Data: VWO Leads All ETFs In YTD Inflows

Michael Johnston — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:00:03 +0000

The latest ETF industry data from the National Stock Exchange is out, and after a small step back in May, exchange-traded products resumed their upward trajectory in June. Total ETP inflows totaled more than $8 billion last month, after May saw about $800 million in outflows–attributable in large part to big outflows from the S&P 500 SPDR (SPY). The world’s largest ETF had about $92 billion at the halfway point of 2011, and the ETF industry expanded to just under $1.1 trillion thanks to an impressive late June rally and another month of solid inflows. Both U.S. ($1.4 billion) and international equity ETFs ($1.4 billion) saw net inflows last month, though the combined total of those two categories fell short of the June haul for fixed income funds ($3.3 billion). The number of ETPs with at least $50 million in assets climbed to 672 in June; a year ago, that [...]

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Dividend ETF Special: 25 Equity ETFs With Attractive Distribution Yields

Michael Johnston — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:00:55 +0000

For investors looking to generate current returns from the equity portion of their portfolio, there is no shortage of exchange-traded products offering attractive dividend yields in the current environment. From ETFs linked to dividend-weighted indexes to those that focus on companies with stellar distribution histories to simply sector-specific funds in high yield corners of the market, there are dozens of options to choose from. Below, we profile 25 dividend ETF options [for more ETF ideas, sign up for our free ETF newsletter]: 1. 2x Monthly Leveraged Business Development Company ETN (BDCL) Business development companies (BDCs) are a unique type of entity engaged in lending money to small and mid-sized companies and making various types of strategic investments. In order to maintain certain tax advantages, BDCs must pay out almost all of their current earnings–making this asset class an interesting option for yield-hungry investors. BDCL is a monthly leveraged ETN, meaning [...]

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Global X Debuts First Canada Preferred Stock ETF (CNPF)

Michael Johnston — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:00:44 +0000

Wednesday marks the first day of trading for another Global X ETF, as the company introduced a fund offering exposure to a basket of preferred stocks from Canadian issuers that trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Global X Canada Preferred ETF (CNPF) seeks to replicate the Solactive Canada Preferred Index, a benchmark that includes nearly 60 different preferred stock issues from companies operating in various sectors of the Canadian economy. Financials are the biggest allocation within the portfolio, making up nearly 75% of assets. Energy firms (10%), telecom companies (6%) and consumer discretionary companies (5%) make up the remainder of the exposure. Preferred Stock Appeal Preferred stock is a unique asset class, exhibiting characteristics of both equities and fixed income. Preferred stock has been a popular source of financing for banks for decades, and has been popular with investors because of the ability to generate stable cash flows while [...]

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iShares Planning International Preferred Stock ETF

Michael Johnston — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 15:00:13 +0000

iShares hasn’t launched any new ETFs since rolling out its short-term TIPS fund (STIP) in early December, but the issuer responsible for close to 45% of all U.S. ETF assets continues to expand its product pipeline. The San Francisco-based ETF giant recently detailed plans for a international preferred stock ETF in an SEC filing; the proposed S&P International Preferred Stock Index Fund would seek to replicate the S&P International Preferred Stock Index. That index consists of preferred stocks from non-U.S. developed market issuers and traded in non-U.S. developed markets, with a heavy tilt towards securities of Canadian banks. As of January 24, 2011, Canadian issues accounted for about 73% of the underlying index, while financial companies made up more than 80% of the index. Also represented in the S&P International Preferred Stock Index are Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. iShares currently offers the S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index [...]

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December ETF Roundup: $1 Trillion And Counting

Michael Johnston — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:00:14 +0000

U.S. ETF assets topped $1 trillion for the first time in December, as a year-end rally in global equity markets and another strong month of inflows pushed the industry past the milestone. ETF assets also finished the year above this key mark, according to the latest data from the National Stock Exchange, representing an increase of 28% over the previous year. Since the end of 2005, ETF assets have grown by nearly 225%. Year ETP Assets Dec ’05 $311.3 Dec ’06 $432.7 Dec ’07 $622.6 Dec ’08 $539.0 Dec ’09 $790.9 Dec ’10 $1,008.7 Source: NSX.com. $ in billions The ETF industry remains top heavy, with the four largest firms accounting for about 88% of total assets. iShares remains the market leader, accounting for about 44% of U.S.-listed ETF assets at the end of last year–down from about 47% in 2009. Among the “big four” Vanguard posted the strongest growth [...]

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2010: Year Of The Bond ETF

Jared Cummans — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:00:52 +0000

After lingering in the background of the ETF industry for the last several years, fixed income funds have stepped up in recent months to become one of the primary drivers of growth. Through the first seven months of 2010, cash inflows to ETFs totaled $49 billion. Of this amount, more than $23 billion has been attributable to fixed income ETFs, reflecting that investors have become increasingly comfortable with the idea of achieving their fixed income exposure within the ETF wrapper. The movement to bonds has also come at a time when equity market uncertainty and volatility has surged. With uncertain prospects for economic growth, the safe haven of fixed income securities has new appeal; it’s not uncommon now for even the most risk tolerant investors to have bond allocations approaching 50%. Tremendous innovation in the fixed income ETF space has given investors more options than ever before. Once upon a [...]

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Three ETFs To Own If Paul Krugman Is Right

Eric Dutram — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:00:44 +0000

On the surface, the G-20 meeting in Toronto last weekend appeared to be relatively uneventful, especially after a debate on China’s currency policies was effectively canceled by Beijing’s surprising shift. One of the few resolutions to come out of the summit was a pledge by G-20 leaders to cut deficits and bring their respective fiscal houses in order. While many analysts and economists cheered the proposal, some decried the plan as a step in the wrong direction, proposing that governments need to continue to spend in order to keep the economy afloat. One popular economist who has espoused this view is Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize winner for Economics and one of today’s leading Keynesian economists. Krugman believes that the sudden and premature obsession with austerity with kill any hopes of a recovery and send the global economy into another depression. “It’s almost as if the financial markets understand what [...]

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PFF vs. PGX: Preferred Stock ETFs Head-To-Head

Michael Johnston — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:48:34 +0000

The first wave of growth in the ETF industry came as investors embraced the exchange-traded structure as an improvement over traditional actively mutual funds–a more cost-efficient and tax-friendly way to access traditional asset classes such as stocks and bonds. But in recent years much of the growth in ETF assets has been attributable to “democratizing” products that bring previously hard-to-reach or inefficient asset classes within reach. Commodities are the most obvious example, as all types of investors have flocked to both physically-backed precious metals ETFs and futures-based funds targeting everything from cotton to sugar (see What Every Investor Should Know About Commodity ETF Investing). Preferred stocks were never quite as difficult to access as gold bars or corn futures for most investors, but this hybrid asset class hasn’t exactly been a regular component of typical retirement portfolios. Preferred stock ETFs have seen remarkable success in recent years. At the end [...]

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Preferred Stock ETFs Continue Winning Streak

Michael Johnston — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:41:27 +0000

Recent growth in the ETF industry has been due in large part to surges in popularity of asset classes to which many investors would otherwise have fairly limited access. Exchange-traded commodity products have seen billions of dollars in cash inflows, as have fixed income and currency funds. While the number of ETFs offering exposure to preferred stock can still be counted on one hand, this corner of the ETF industry has witnessed tremendous growth as well, as investors have embraced ETFs as a way to gain exposure to this “hybrid” asset class. At the end of February, the four preferred stock ETFs available to U.S. investors had aggregate assets of about $6.2 billion, up from just $1.7 billion a year ago (when there were only three funds available). While stellar returns have given asset levels a boost, so too have waves of cash inflows into these funds. With interest rates [...]

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ETF Database » PFF

iShares Launches International Preferred Stock ETF (IPFF)

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Global X Debuts First Canada Preferred Stock ETF (CNPF)

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iShares Planning International Preferred Stock ETF

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2010: Year Of The Bond ETF

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