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FINRA OKs Backtested ETF Data For Institutional Investors
April 24, 2013--If I'm reading this guidance letter recently posted to the web correctly, the regulatory body FINRA is now allowing fund companies to use back-tested index data when marketing ETFs and other index-based investments to institutional investors.
The old rules prohibiting the use of back-tested index data in communications with retail investors still stands, the letter makes clear.
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Source: Barron's
MSCI Licenses Risk Premia Indices to BlackRock for 3 New iShares ETFs
April 24, 2013--MSCI Inc. a leading provider of investment decision support tools worldwide, has announced that MSCI Risk Premia Indices are the basis for three new US listed ETFs launched by BlackRock.
BlackRock has licensed the MSCI USA Momentum, MSCI USA Risk Weighted and MSCI USA Value Weighted Indices for a new series of iShares MSCI Factor ETFs. MSCI Risk Premia Indices tilt to a specific factor – for example momentum, size or value – which historically has produced superior long-term risk adjusted returns relative to market cap weighted indices.
These new iShares MSCI Factor ETFs add to the twelve existing iShares ETFs listed globally that are based on the MSCI Minimum Volatility Indices, which also belong to the MSCI Risk Premia Index family. ETF assets benchmarked to the MSCI Minimum Volatility Indices have grown significantly year-over-year, from USD358 million as of March 31, 2012 to USD6.5 billion as of April 15, 2013.
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Source: MSCI
SEC looks to ease rules for launching ETFs
April 23, 2013--The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may revive a proposal that would make it easier and cheaper to launch certain kinds of exchange-traded funds, according to interviews with SEC staff.
Amid fast growth in the $1.5 trillion industry, regulators are looking to cut through red tape for sponsors of less complex ETFs, such as those that track the S&P 500, by allowing them to sidestep the onerous SEC application process.
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Source: Reuters
T. Rowe: No immediate plans to offer active ETFs
April 23, 2013--T. Rowe Price Group Inc. has no immediate plans to begin offering active exchange-traded funds, the company's vice chairman told stockholders Tuesday at the company's annual meeting.
Bernard’s comments came during a low-key annual meeting in which few shareholders were in attendance. The lack of shareholder restiveness — only one posed a question to management during the Q&A portion of the meeting — was no surprise given T. Rowe’s positive performance in 2012.
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Source: Baltimore Business Journal
SEC Grants Exchange Traded Concepts Exemptive Relief for Actively Managed ETF Products
ETC is First White Label ETF Platform with Both Active and Passive Relief
April 23, 2013--The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has granted exemptive relief to Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (ETC) to allow the white-label exchange-traded fund sponsor to bring actively managed ETF products to market.
The application for exemptive relief was filed 18 months ago and comes at a time when the marketplace demand for actively managed ETF offerings is on the rise.
The active relief will apply to all three of ETC’s existing trusts created through partnerships with SEI, US Bancorp Fund Services and Citigroup/Foreside Fund Services respectively.
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Source: Exchange Traded Concepts
ProShares Switches Euro ETF Index to FTSE
April 23, 2013--EPV will switch away from MSCI indexes to FTSE based benchmarks. As of today, UPV now aims for 2x or 200% daily performance to the FTSE Developed Europe Index, while EPV aims for -2x or 200% daily opposite performance to the same index.
The board of directors for both funds approved the index changes. The annual expense ratios for UPV and EPV are currently 0.95% and will remain unchanged. At the end of March, ProShares managed $23.5 billion in 140 ETFs.
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Source: Los Angeles Herald
Morgan Stanley-US ETF Weekly Update
April 23, 2013--US ETF Weekly Update
Weekly Flows: $8.5 Billion Net Outflows
ETF Assets Stand at $1.4 Trillion, up 7% YTD
12 ETF Launches
Van Eck to Change Benchmark on Two ETFs
Vanguard Transitions Indices on Eight ETFs
US-Listed ETFs: Estimated Flows by Market Segment
For the first time in eight weeks, ETFs posted net outflows ($8.5 bln in net outflows)
Last week’s net outflows were led by US Large-Cap ETFs ($3.2 bln); conversely, Fixed Income ETFs generated net inflows of
$829 mln, the most of any category we measured
ETF assets stand at $1.4 tln, up 7% YTD; $54.6 bln net inflows YTD
13-week flows were mostly positive among asset classes; combined $33.6 bln in net inflows
International – Developed Equity ETFs have posted material net inflows over the last 13 weeks ($10.5 bln); the category’s ETF
market share has risen by 2 percentage points as assets are up 42% over the past 52 weeks
Commodity ETFs have posted net outflows of $12.4 bln over the last 13 weeks; in particular, one ETF, the SPDR Gold Trust
(GLD), has exhibited net outflows of $10.4 bln over this period (GLD accounts for 60% of Commodity market cap)
US-Listed ETFs: Estimated Largest Flows by Individual ETF
For the second consecutive week, the iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund (EWJ) posted the most net inflows
EWJ generated net inflows of $448 mln last week and, for the last 13 weeks, posted net inflows of $3.1 bln; expected policy actions
have resulted in a weaker yen and higher Japanese equity prices
Despite continued net outflows in the physical gold ETFs (GLD, IAU), the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) posted net
inflows of $238 mln last week; since gold’s peak in 10/12, gold miners have significantly underperformed the spot price of gold
Notably, the two largest EM equity ETFs, the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (EEM) and the Vanguard FTSE
Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) posted combined net outflows of $1.2 bln last week; over the last 13 weeks EEM and VWO have
exhibited net outflows of $8.0 bln (equivalent to the total International - Emerging net outflows)
US-Listed ETFs: Short Interest
Data Unchanged: Based on data as of 3/28/13
SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) had the largest increases in USD short interest at $1.9 bln
SPY’s shares short are at their highest level since 5/31/12
SPY is up more than 23% on a total return basis since 5/31/12
Aggregate ETF USD short interest decreased by $4.1 bln over the period ended 3/28/13, coming off four consecutive periods during
which ETF short interest increased
The average shares short/shares outstanding for ETFs is currently 4.2%
The SPDR Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP) had the most shares short as a % of shares outstanding at 219% for the
period ended 3/28/13
Retail, currency, and financial ETFs seem to consistently make the list as the most heavily shorted ETFs
Based on multiple borrowings and the ability to continuously create new shares, shares short as a % of shares outstanding can
exceed 100% (only six ETFs exhibited shares short as a % of shares outstanding greater than 100%)
US-Listed ETFs: Most Successful Recent Launches by Assets Source: Bloomberg, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management ETF Research. Data estimated as of 4/19/13 based on daily change in share counts and daily NAVs.
$6.4 bln in total market cap of ETFs less than 1-year old
Newly launched Fixed Income ETFs accounted for 24% of the market cap of ETFs launched over the past year, the most of any
category, including $806 mln in net inflows over the last 13 weeks
Issuance picked up last week with 12 launches; 39 new ETF listings and 27 closures/delistings YTD
The top 10 most successful launches make up 57% of the market cap of ETFs launched over the past year
Six different ETF sponsors and two asset classes represented in top 10 most successful launches
Seven out of the 10 most successful launches over the past year have an income orientation
Despite not cracking the top 10 most successful launches over the past year, the SPDR BlackStone/GSO Senior Loan ETF
(SRLN) generated net inflows of $60 mln last week, the most of any recently launched fund; SRLN is an actively managed
floating rate senior loan ETF that was launched on 4/4/13 and currently has a market cap of $140 mln
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Source: Morgan Stanley
SEI Study: Active Exchange Traded Funds Will Help Fuel Sector's Next Growth Phase
April 22, 2013--While actively managed exchange traded funds (ETFs) currently make up less than 1 percent of the global ETF market, a new paper released by SEI predicts the vehicles will be a major contributor to the next phase of ETF expansion, ultimately competing with traditional active mutual funds for market share.
The paper, "Getting a Grasp on Actively Managed ETFs Before the Boom," contends that the benefits of ETF products - low cost, transparency, and the potential liquidity, and tax efficiency - make them attractive vehicles for bringing more active management strategies to financial advisors and individual investors via an easy-to-trade, single-ticker investment vehicle.
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Source: SEI
BlackRock Launches iSharesBondsTM Corporate ex-Financials Term ETFs
Matures like a bond, trades like a stock, diversified like a fund
Supported by BlackRock Solutions(R) analytics
April 19, 2013--BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) announced today that its iShares Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) business, the world's largest manager of ETFs, has launched four iSharesBondsTM Corporate ex-Financials Term ETFs.
These new products (with defined maturity dates in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2023) are designed to offer investors “bond-like” features in addition to the benefits of an iShares ETF including exchange traded liquidity, transparency and diversification.
The iSharesBonds Corporate ex-Financial Term ETFs will provide efficient access to a diversified pool of investment grade corporate credit with a defined maturity date. While relevant to all investors the products are expected to appeal to institutional clients such as bank treasurers.
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Source: iShares
TREASURIES-TIPS prices fall as inflation not a concern
Resistance cited at 1.671 percent on 10-year yield
Economic data points to 'soft patch,' supports bonds
TIPS auction comes in weak
April 18, 2013--Prices of Treasuries designed to protect investors from inflation dived on Thursday as a weak auction and a spate of disappointing economic data reflected dwindling fears of inflation.
Yields on the 5-year TIPS, or Treasury Inflation-Protected Security, hit their highest since late January after investor interest proved soft in the government's auction of $18 billion in the notes in the afternoon.
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Source: CNBC
