Fund performance

The world's biggest money managers are staking a claim in the surging market for stock and bond ETFs that strip out currency risk.

Janus fell by the most in more than a month as investor flows slowed in the second quarter and profit trailed some analysts’ expectations.

Though the industry reaped 34% profit margins and global AUM rose 10.5% to $67 trillion in 2014, revenues rose only 6.3% to $319 billion, while fees dropped an average 40 basis points.

For either the best fund or the worst, how you couch the year's performance to date is key, industry communications experts say.

Mutual fund performance is similar to the performance of stocks, a Wharton professor contends. As a company matures and grows, more investors become aware of it, and its share price better reflects its prospects.

Carl Icahn criticized asset management firms such as BlackRock for selling ETFs that give an illusion of liquidity for “extremely illiquid, and extremely overpriced” securities such as high yield bonds.

BlackRock, the world’s largest money manager, said second-quarter profit rose 1.4 % as it attracted money into higher-fee products including active funds and ETFs.

Actively managed ETFs are surging in Canada, expanding a market already dominated by iShares and posing a challenge to the mutual-fund industry that has among the highest management fees in the world.

Industry giants BlackRock and State Street are rolling out hedged ETFs at an unprecedented clip after smaller rivals lured the bulk of $41 billion of inflows this year.

Asset manager growth came largely from rising global asset values. At the same time, a continued shift into lower-cost products, such ETFs, pinched net revenue growth, while net new assets trickled in.

Not only are 403(b) retirement plans diversified, but the average cost of offering them decreased slightly from 2009 to 2012.

As the popularity of index investing soars to new heights, the emergence of index front-running is raising fundamental questions about so-called passive investment strategies, as well as how indexes are compiled and the role the funds themselves play in elevating costs.

Even as ETFs further their penetration into markets across the globe, many market experts say the funds will evolve and mature in the upcoming months, as advisors look to alleviate client concerns.

Investors pulled money from Pimco’s flagship fund last month, the 26th straight month it has experienced redemptions.

A key component to a successful wholesaling and marketing plan to capture AUM includes identifying wire houses, regional platforms, and other RIAs who currently use your existing products and indicate strong interest in owning your ETF.

Bill Gross, who has been running the $1.5 billion Janus Global Unconstrained Bond Fund since leaving Pimco last year, is getting a co-manager.

Generation Y is more conservative than other generations when it comes to retirement savings.

Bill Gross joined the growing ranks of money managers expressing concern that a decline in liquidity could exacerbate losses for fund investors during a market decline.

Following a strong first half this year for both U.S. mutual funds and ETF assets, many industry leaders are keeping a positive outlook for the remainder of 2015.

Shutting down the Greek market has trained attention on ETFs tracking its stocks, adding an element of speculation to their prices as long as the Athens bourse is closed.