Ron Rowland Interviewed by American Banker

American Banker interviewed me for a story entitled “Many ETFs Expected to Close This Year in Tough Climate” they published on February 10, 2009. The closure of 17 ETFs by Northern Trust prompted the interview, and American Banker wanted my thoughts on what this meant for the industry.

Here are some excerpts from the article:

The shakeout could claim more than 100 funds this year, according to Mr. Rowland, who publishes an online “Deathwatch” for ETFs and exchange-traded notes, a similar type of investment…

The winners of the shakeout are likely to be the large, well-established brands such as Barclays Global Investors, State Street Global Advisors, and Vanguard, Mr. Rowland said. “I think this is a case where the big are going to get bigger,” he said. Certain niche families, such as ProShares, can succeed as well, he said.

Mr. Rowland called Northern Trust’s funds “great products.  Northern Trust just failed to do enough marketing,” he said. “The bottom is that nobody knew about them.”

The American Banker website requires a paid subscription to access it. If you have one, you can see the complete article by Steve Garmhausen here.