Index Development Partners, a nascent exchange-traded funds provider, is bulking up to break into the market by preparing variations of actively managed investments, which it is calling "performance indexes," CBS MarketWatch reports.
Shares of IDP jumped to $1.50 from a meager four cents per share after hedge fund magnate Michael Steinhardt acquired at least 65% of the company. Unlike static indexes used as benchmarks in exchange-traded funds, the new ETFs performance indexes rotate holdings as dictated by quantitative investment formulas.
The company has also attracted attention by building a team of high-caliber board members, investors and advisers, including James Robinson, who helped launch
Even if IDP succeeds to create successful actively managed ETFs, the company still faces an uphill battle. The ETF market has proven a tough nut to crack because it is dominated by three industry giants:
