Our weekly roundup of new fund launches.
Franklin Templeton expands ETF suite
Franklin Templeton Investments announced the addition of an actively managed international equity ETF.
The Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF (FLIO), which has an expense ratio of 0.60%, currently manages $4.9 million in total assets, according to Bloomberg. The fund provides investors diversified access to international equity markets outside of the U.S., including developed, developing and frontier markets, as well as across all market capitalizations, the firm said.
The fund is co-managed by Stephen Dover, chief investment officer for Franklin Templeton Local Asset Management and the Templeton Emerging Markets Group, and Purav Jhaveri, managing director of investment strategy for the local asset management group.
Virtus ETF Solutions adds a municipal bond ETF
In a search for higher returns by way of municipal bonds, Virtus ETF Solutions partnered with Cumberland Advisors to introduce the Virtus Cumberland Municipal Bond ETF (CUMB).
The actively managed offering, which has a 0.59% expense ratio, invests in a basket of local, state and federal municipal bonds, the firm said. Its portfolio emphasizes on both shorter-term and longer-term bonds and benefits from the steepness of the municipal yield curve.
Blue Sky Asset Management launches a suite of ETFs
Blue Sky Asset Management launched a suite of dynamic beta and risk-managed ETFs.
The five new funds were added to the firm's QuantX family, all of which are listed on BATS, according to Blue Sky.
Its dynamic beta offering, the QuantX Dynamic Beta US Equity ETF (XUSA), has a 0.59% expense ratio, the firm said. The fund is intended to create risk exposure relative to the FTSE/Russell 1000 Index.
Also included in the suite are the firm's line of risk-managed funds, including the QuantX Risk Managed Growth ETF (QXGG) and QuantX Risk Managed Real Return ETF (QXRR), both of which have a 1.22% expense ratio; the QuantX Risk Managed Multi-Asset Income ETF (QXMI), which has a 1.12% expense ratio; and the QuantX Risk Managed Total Return ETF (QXTR), which has a 1.51% expense ratio, according to Blue Sky.
Natural resources fund from Goehring & Rozencwajg
Goehring & Rozencwajg Associates launched a new fund intended to profit from natural resources.
The Goehring & Rozencwajg Resources Fund will invest in securities with exposure to oil, natural gas, precious and base metals, ferrous and non-ferrous metals and agriculture. Based on market investigation and commodity data, fund managers Leigh Goehring and Adam Rozencwajg say natural resources are an underappreciated trend that has big potential.
