iShares, the largest issuer of U.S. ETFs that was acquired last year by BlackRock, has received SEC approval to introduce actively-managed ETFs. iShares currently offers more than 200 passively-indexes ETFs, and the recent SEC decision opens the door for the company to introduce exchange-traded products not linked to a specific benchmark. iShares ETFs had aggregate assets of about $460 billion at the end of February, representing about 43% of the U.S. market. [click to continue…]
To say opinions on the future of active ETFs are mixed would be a major understatement. Nearly two years after PowerShares launched its first line of active ETFs and a year after the much-publicized launch of the Grail American Beacon Large Cap Value ETF (GVT), active ETFs remain stuck in first gear. Investors have expressed [...]
The monthly data release of ETF trading data from the National Stock Exchange always provides a comprehensive industry snapshot, detailing fund flows, asset levels, and the latest update on an increasingly-competitive battle for market share. There is no shortage of number-crunching following each release, but most of the analysis focuses on high level industry trends, [...]
T. Rowe Price has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for approval to launch a line of actively-managed ETFs. In its filing for exemptive relief with the SEC, T. Rowe indicated that its initial fund would invest primarily in domestic fixed income securities, but that it could eventually launch domestic and international equity ETFs, [...]
In the weeks since its sale to BlackRock was announced, the team at iShares has been busy expanding its reach, launching the first Peru-specific ETF as well as the S&P Emerging Markets Infrastructure ETF (EMIF). And the Goliath of the ETF space is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, recently filing for approval [...]
Although ETFs and mutual funds seem in many ways to be natural rivals, one of the most closely-watched trends in the “active vs. passive” debate has been the development of a hybrid type of investment option: actively-managed ETFs. While the space has mostly taken “baby steps” to this point, it appears to be poised for [...]
Over the last several months, a number of actively-managed ETFs have been launched. These investment vehicles are essentially a hybrid of traditional mutual funds and ETFs, providing many of the benefits that have boosted the ETF industry (lower fees, greater transparency and flexibility, etc.), while implementing an active trading strategy in an attempt to outperform a market [...]
Had Jerry Seinfeld pursued a career in finance, I imagine he’d be having a field day around the water cooler with the launch of the Grail American Beacon Large Cap Value ETF (GVT) yesterday: “What’s the deal with actively managed ETFs…isn’t the whole point of an ETF that is isn’t actively managed?” Since one of [...]
