Alternative investments

This week's notable news from the asset management industry includes a recent SEC roundtable meeting where some participants discussed the potential "unintended consequences" of universal proxy ballots, global ETP flows in February reached a record $50 billion, the fastest start to any year on record, and leadership at Vanguard were tasked with new roles within the firm.

This week's highlights includes how competition is forcing ETF providers to cut fees on products; research on how corporate bond ETFs can help institutional investors manage investment flows; and Chinese demand for portfolio managers.

Nasdaq OMX is making a push to grab more ETN listings, challenging long- time market leader NYSE Arca for what can be lucrative listing and trading fees.

Gold extended a rebound from the lowest level in six weeks after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting signaled many officials were inclined to keep interest rates near record lows for longer.

This past week, the industry saw Pimco suffer more redemptions despite the climbing performance of its Total Return Fund, a BlackRock bond ETF receiving a record $2 billion deposit, Virtus Investment Partners announced an agreement to acquire a majority interest in ETF Issuer Solutions, and a report from Cerulli Associates noting that socially responsible investing has become a frequent request of asset managers from institutional clients.

Salient Partners, a $21.5 billion investment firm, plans to buy Forward Management to expand its liquid alternatives business, a fast-growing product that offers hedge fund-like strategies to individual investors.

Jerry Murphey recalls trying to apply tactical risk management solutions after the 2001 market shocks. "It was clear that financial markets would continue to move faster than investor expectations and financial advisors would need tactical risk management."

Kevin Carter's passion for emerging markets quickly put him at odds with the available ETF options for investors. Even in the largest offerings from established providers, he says the problem was apparent: investors weren't getting exposure to the innovative companies garnering global attention, such as Baidu, but rather staid, government-owned entities.

Deborah Fuhr, a veteran ETF industry observer, says the explosive growth of ETFs is vindication for a product once dismissed by some investment professionals. In a discussion with Money Management Executive, Fuhr outlines factors that have led to the market's enthusiastic acceptance of ETFs.

The top regulator of mutual funds, private equity and hedge funds at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will step down later this month.

A group of nine fund managers is said to be planning to start a dark pool dedicated to large stock trades later this year. The new market -- named Luminex -- will admit asset managers who bet on prices to increase, sources said.

The industry in 2014 saw Pimco bleed billions after the abrupt departure of Bill Gross in September, while BlackRock reaped the benefits of that disarray. BlackRock's iShares ETFs captured $102.8 billion in investments in 2014. Also, Vanguard announced it would offer its first ETF focused on the $3.6 trillion U.S. municipal bond market, and a Cerulli study detailed the state of the annuities market.

Acadian Asset Management, the Boston-based quant fund that says it shares its investment secrets with clients, has set up in Japan as the nation starts to embrace smart beta strategies.

Dimensional is among a small group of managers toppling the dominance of firms such as Fidelity Investments and Capital Group, which have built their reputations on picking individual stocks. Among the fastest-growing U.S. mutual fund firms after assets surged almost six-fold in the past decade, Dimensional attracted almost $28 billion in new money in 2014.

Eric R. Ervin didn't take long to make a decision to leave Morgan Stanley and co-found San Diego, Calif.,-based ETF provider Reality Shares. Ervin recounts some of the challenges that he faced from the beginning of the venture and how he was able to overcome his self-doubts.

Investors may be able to generate extra returns (without extra risk) by betting on unpopular equities. Here’s how.

Four ETP launches in 2014 crossed the $250 million asset milestone before the end of the year, while five ETPs launched in 2014 were closed before the end of the year.

Pacific Investment Management Co., the firm that has been pushing into equities since 2009, is expanding its stock offerings by adding seven new strategies with Robert Arnott’s Research Affiliates.

Many firms manage the distribution of summary prospectuses and upkeep of the related websites in-house via a painstaking manual process. However, these firms may not be aware of how much this effort is costing them and whether they are truly complying with Rule 498 and delivering a positive investor experience.

Vanguard Group Inc. plans to offer its first exchange-traded fund focused on the $3.6 trillion U.S. municipal-bond market.