ETFs Grow 20.6%; NYSE Claims Most New Listings

The number of listed exchange-traded funds grew 20.6% in 2011 and the number of listed exchange-traded notes grew 53.8%, according to U.S. figures developed by the Exchange-Traded Fund Association.

Separately, NYSE Euronext said it led the market in listings of new exchange-traded products, globally, in 2011. The operator of the NYSE Arca exchange, which is a major venue for exchange-traded products, said it listed more than 450 new exchange-traded notes, funds and vehicles.

All told, there were 1,166 ETFs listed in the United States at the end of December, according to the ETF Association. That is up from 967 at the end of December 2010 and 836 at the end of December 2009.

The number of listed ETNs reached 203, up from 132 in 2010 and 89 at the end of 209.

ETFs with more than $100 million under management reached 495.

The two largest were State Street Global Advisor products: SPDR S&P 500, with $95.4 billion in assets and SPDR Gold with $63.5 billion.

BlackRock, however, had $447.8 billion invested in its 220 exchange-traded products. SSgA had $266.5 billion in 106 products.

NYSE Euronext said there are 1,005 ETFs and 203 ETNs listed on its U.S. electronic market NYSE Arca.

That included,it said, nearly 300 new ETP listings in 2011. That compared to 220 new products in 2010.

Last year included the launch of nine new active Exchange Traded Funds.

Pacific Investment Management Co. this week said it would launch a Total Return ETF on March 1 that is expected to be actively managed by Bill Gross, its star asset manager.

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Gross runs the Total Return Fund, the world’s largest mutual fund. That single mutual fund has roughly $240 billion in assets, just $26.5 billion shy of all the assets in all SSgA exchange-traded products.

The NYSE’s announcement of the growth of its ETF listings came on the same day that BATS Global Markets said it received the first listings of any type for its Z exchange.

These were eight new ETFs, from BlackRock.

The Z exchange starting competing with the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market for listings in December.

Tom Steinert-Threlkeld writes for Securities Technology Monitor.

 

 

 

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