LSE Vies to Become Top ETF Provider

After jumping into the exchange-traded fund business only four years ago, the United Kingdom’s main stock exchange is quickly emerging as Europe’s hub for ETF transactions, Reuters reports.

The London Stock Exchange now lists 14 ETFs managed by Barclays Global Advisors , the No. 1 ETF provider and a subsidiary of England’s Barclays Bank .

European stock markets have a long way to go toward matching the daily ETF trading volume of popular ETFs listed on American stock exchanges. For example, the American Stock Exchange’s flagship ETF, the S&P 500 SPDR, commands average daily volumes approaching $4.97 billion, while Germany’s most popular ETF, IndEXchange DAX EX, attracts roughly $67 million in daily trading volumes.

BGI is now adding its support to the LSE by facilitating new ETF launches under its popular iShares brand. The four latest launches track Asian and European indexes.

ETF activity at the LSE initially started at a gradual pace, an official said, but orders are accelerating at a rate that is projected to outstrip European competitors. The exchange is currently Europe’s third largest ETF market in terms of overall volume.

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