ETFs

Global exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded products last month experienced outflows for the first time in two years losing $3.98 billion.

In investors' epic search for yield, one strategy in particular has risen to the top this year: loan participation mutual funds and ETFs.

The $2.1 trillion global exchange-traded fund industry has been growing at a rapid clip since the SPDR S&P 500 ETF was launched two decades ago as a means for institutional investors to access passive exposure to the S&P 500 Index.

Assets of all exchange-traded funds rose in May by $12.14 billion to $1.481 trillion, according to the Investment Company Institute. Over the past 12 months, ETF assets rose $365.27 billion, or 32.7%.

Direxion has launched two leveraged exchange-traded funds that track Japanese equity market performance.

Exchange-traded fund investors pumped in some $84 billion of assets into equity ETFs while fixed income funds brought in $30 billion through May 31, according to data from State Street Global Investors.

The bank extended portfolio management and asset allocation services to clients with $50,000 in investable assets. The services were previously only available to trust clients.

The U.S. exchange-traded funds market is primed to double up on its current $1.5 trillion in assets to the tune of more than $3.5 trillion in assets over the next five years, according to iShares’ latest forecast.

With the number of alternative strategies rising, how can advisors pick the winners from the losers?

ETF flows topped $17 billion in May with the large cap category leading the way taking in $5.4 billion in flows, according to State Street Global Advisors’ latest ETF Shapshot.

For the second consecutive week, equity exchange-traded funds experienced net outflows, handing back some $2.8 billion, while conventional mutual fund took in $500 million.

Although many in the industry have tipped active exchange-traded funds as the breakthrough product of 2013, this may be wishful thinking, according to a new study by Cerulli Associates.

Exchange-traded funds gathered record net inflows of $107 billion through the end of May 2013, which is 31% higher than the $82 billion in net flows at this time in 2012, according to data from ETGI.

Global exchange-traded product flows reached $26.5 billion in May, the second strongest month this year, according to BlackRock’s latest ETP Landscape Monthly Snapshot.

In an environment of transparency and volatile capital markets, you would think exchange-traded fund vehicles would hold more of a percentage in the $3.6 trillion retirement plan marketplace.

Advisors are expected to up the exchange traded fund allocations in their clients’ portfolios in 2013, according to Cerulli's Exchange Traded Fund Markets 2013 report.

Vanguard today reports that expense ratios have dropped for several of its mutual funds and the Dividend Appreciation ETF.

Assets held in exchange-traded funds rose in April by $22.39 billion to $1.469 trillion, according to the Investment Company Institute.

Direxion Funds' CEO Dan O'Neill examines new products and strategies that will be the next phase in the evolution of ETFs.

VTL Associates, an independent investment advisory and consulting firm based in Philadelphia, has received an infusion of capital from Chinese venture capital firm, Suzhou Industrial Park Kaida Venture Capital.