The ETF Deathwatch membership roll dropped by fourteen and established a new 3-year low of 293, consisting of 199 ETFs and 94 ETNs. Only seven names joined the list in March while twenty-one escaped. In a sign of improving industry conditions, sixteen of the names coming off the list this month were due to improved health. The percentage of all listed products currently on ETF Deathwatch is now just 16.7%, its lowest level since October 2011. This is down substantially from the peak of September 2012 when more than one of every four products (27.3%) was in trouble.
Guggenheim and PowerShares have made great strides in cleaning up their product lines. Both firms have an innovative past and are not afraid to test the waters with new product ideas. Not all ETFs enjoy economic success, and, as a result, funds from Guggenheim and PowerShares found their way onto the ETF Deathwatch list over the years. Additionally, these two firms have historically been aggressive at closing funds that aren’t pulling their weight. Thanks to these efforts, Guggenheim currently has only three products on this month’s list (one Guggenheim branded ETF and two with the CurrencyShares brand). PowerShares has reduced the quantity of its products on the list to just eight this month. Among large ETF sponsors, Vanguard is the leader in this area and currently has no products on ETF Deathwatch.
At the other end of the spectrum, sponsors and brands with large quantities of products on the list include iPath (48), ProShares (37), Deutsche Bank (25), SPDRs (24), and iShares (21). There were nine products without any trades for the entire month of February, and eight of them were iPath ETNs. Additionally, seven iPath products have less than $1 million in assets. These figures combine to make iPath the most dreadful brand on the market.
The average asset level of products on ETF Deathwatch held steady at $6.6 million, and 42 currently have less than $2 million in assets. The average age increased from 46.3 to 47.5 months, and 86 are now more than five years old.
Here is the Complete List of 293 Products on ETF Deathwatch for March 2015 compiled using the objective ETF Deathwatch Criteria.
The 7 ETPs added to ETF Deathwatch for March:
- AdvisorShares Athena High Dividend (DIVI)
- First Trust International Multi-Asset Diversified Income (YDIV)
- iPath Pure Beta Cocoa ETN (CHOC)
- iShares Interest Rate Hedged Corporate Bond (LQDH)
- ProShares CDS North American High Yield Credit (TYTE)
- ProShares MSCI EAFE Dividend Growers (EFAD)
- PureFunds ISE Junior Silver (SILJ)
The 16 ETPs removed from ETF Deathwatch due to improved health:
- Credit Suisse Long/Short Liquid ETN (CSLS)
- DB Crude Oil Long ETN (OLO)
- Deutsche X-trackers MSCI All World ex US Hedged (DBAW)
- Deutsche X-trackers MSCI South Korea Hedged (DBKO)
- ETRACS Daily Long-Short VIX ETN (XVIX)
- ETRACS Wells Fargo MLP Index ETN (MLPW)
- Huntington US Equity Rotation Strategy (HUSE)
- iPath US Treasury Flattener ETN (FLAT)
- iShares iBonds Dec 2016 Corporate Term (IBDF)
- iShares iBonds Dec 2018 Corporate Term (IBDH)
- iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF (TFLO)
- KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A ETF (KBA)
- PowerShares China A-Share (CHNA)
- RBS China Trendpilot ETN (TCHI)
- SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets Quality Mix (QEMM)
- WisdomTree Europe Dividend Growth (EUDG)
The 5 ETPs removed from ETF Deathwatch due to delisting:
- PowerShares DB 3x Short USD Index Futures ETN (UDNT)
- PowerShares DB Italian T-Bond Futures ETN (ITLY)
- PowerShares DB US Deflation ETN (DEFL)
- PowerShares DB US Inflation ETN (INFL)
- WisdomTree Euro Debt (EU)
Disclosure covering writer, editor, and publisher: No positions in any of the securities mentioned. No positions in any of the companies or ETF sponsors mentioned. No income, revenue, or other compensation (either directly or indirectly) received from, or on behalf of, any of the companies or ETF sponsors mentioned.