VQT: S&P 500 With A Volatility Hedge
Barclays yesterday (9/1/2010) launched the Barclays ETN+ S&P VEQTOR ETN (VQT) exchange-traded notes (ETNs) that are linked to the performance of the S&P 500 Dynamic VEQTOR Total Return Index (press release). Barclays takes “dynamic indexing” to a new level with VQT. The underlying index...
Beware of MLPs in ETF Wrappers: AMLP
Many investors have been looking forward to the day when they could buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF) containing a basket of Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs). I am not one of them. Although I generally prefer ETFs over ETNs (exchange-traded notes), that is not the case when the investments being...
Van Eck Challenges Emerging Global Advisors for India Small Cap Dominance
Yesterday (8/25/10), Van Eck launched Market Vectors India Small-Cap Index ETF (SCIF), the second ETF to target India Small-Caps in as many months. Foreign single-country small cap funds are a relatively new growth area for the ETF industry. This marks the first time ETF investors will have a choice...
WMCR: Trying to Cheat Deathwatch
Representatives of most ETF firms don’t like seeing their products on ETF Deathwatch, although some follow the “any publicity is good publicity” theory. Then there is Claymore, a firm that seems to take avoiding ETF Deathwatch to great extremes. Last Friday (8/20), a Claymore press release trumpeted...
Barclays Launches Six ETNs for Custom Yield Curve Strategies
Barclays launched six new ETNs last Tuesday (8/10/10) that seek to track a bond’s “yield change” instead of the more traditional “price change” targeted by other bond funds. These ETNs allow investors to create more customized yield curve strategies than the prepackaged iPath yield curve...
STPP and FLAT: Yield Curve Strategies for the Masses
Barclays broke new ground last Tuesday (8/10/10) with the first exchange-traded products to target yield curve steepening and flattening. iPath US Treasury Steepener ETN (STPP) and iPath US Treasury Flattener ETN (FLAT) are designed to capture changes in the spread between 2-year and 10-year Treasury...
USCI – The Commodity ETF Evolves
The United States Commodity Index Fund (USCI) began trading last Tuesday (8/10/10). The fund’s objective is to match the SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Index Total Return, less expenses. The underlying index is comprised of 14 futures contracts, selected on a monthly basis from a universe of 27. ...
INXX: India Infrastructure ETF Now Available
If you like India, and you like infrastructure, Emerging Global Shares now has an ETF just for you. The Emerging Global Shares Indxx India Infrastructure ETF (INXX) is open for business. This is the firm’s third offering directed toward emerging markets infrastructure stocks; similar ETFs covering...
ELD: Emerging Markets Local Debt, Active Edition
Yesterday (8/9/10) WisdomTree made a little bit of a splash with the launch of WisdomTree Emerging Markets Local Debt Fund (ELD). We call it a “splash” because the firm apparently lined up some big buyers even before the new ETF hit the tape. Assets are already at $125 million. ELD is very...
Schwab Introduces Three Commission-Free Bond ETFs
Schwab added to its lineup of low cost ETFs last Thursday (8/5/10) with the introduction of its first three fixed income funds: Schwab U.S. TIPS ETF (SCHP), Schwab Intermediate-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHR), and Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHO). These new offerings follow Schwab’s game...
