Less than five years after their debut, actively managed exchange traded-funds – whether rules-based or selected by actual human beings – are still a bit player in the overall ETF universe, accounting for roughly $5.2 billion in assets at the end of 2011 according to AdvisorShares, a leading-sponsor of actively-managed ETFs and one of the first firms to apply for exemptive relief status with the SEC.
That’s a drop in the bucket compared to their index-based ETF brethren which hold more than $1.05 trillion in investor assets.
But actively managed ETFs are on the come. AdvisorShares currently offers 13 actively-managed ETFs via the NYSE Arca. And in February, PIMCO launched its Total Return Exchange-Traded Fund (TRXT), just the latest sure sign that these funds are starting to come of age.
Here’s an
Source: AdvisorShares
Also see: