The month of May brought the largest monthly decline ever in the number of US-listed ETFs and ETNs. Active listings changed by -14 after averaging more than +17 new products per month during the past three calendar years. Additionally, the six-month moving average of net new listings turned negative for the first time in history.
There were five new ETFs introduced during the month and 19 closures. The total number of listed products at the end of May stands at 830 (745 ETFs and 85 ETNs), the lowest level since last October. The quantity is down 15 from the start of the year and down 29 from the peak level of 859 established in early February prior to the closure of the Northern Trust NETS family of ETFs.
The number of products on ETF Deathwatch dropped to 150 and the percentage slid from 18.4% down to 18.1%. The percentage of ETNs on Deathwatch remains very high at 45.9%.
The five new ETFs launched in May:
- Grail American Beacon Large Cap Value ETF (GVT) on 5/4
- WisdomTree Dreyfus Emerging Currency Fund (CEW) on 5/6
- Market Vectors Brazil Small-Cap ETF (BRF) on 5/14
- EGS DJ Emerging Markets Energy Titans Fund (EEO) on 5/21
- EGS DJ Emerging Markets Metals & Mining Titans Fund (EMT) on 5/21
The 19 ETF closures in May were all from PowerShares:
- PowerShares Dynamic Aggressive Growth Portfolio (PGZ)
- PowerShares Dynamic Asia Pacific Portfolio (PUA)
- PowerShares Dynamic Deep Value Portfolio (PVM)
- PowerShares Dynamic Europe Portfolio (PEH)
- PowerShares Dynamic Hardware & Consumer Electronics Portfolio (PHW)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Asia Pacific ex-Japan Small-Mid Portfolio (PDQ)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Basic Materials Sector Portfolio (PRFM)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Consumer Goods Sector Portfolio (PRFG)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Consumer Services Sector Portfolio (PRFS)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Energy Sector Portfolio (PRFE)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Europe Small-Mid Portfolio (PWD)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Financials Sector Portfolio (PRFF)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Health Care Sector Portfolio (PRFH)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Industrials Sector Portfolio (PRFN)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI International Real Estate Portfolio (PRY)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Telecommunications & Technology Sector Portfolio (PRFQ)
- PowerShares FTSE RAFI Utilities Sector Portfolio (PRFU)
- PowerShares High Growth Rate Dividend Achievers Portfolio (PHJ)
- PowerShares International Listed Private Equity Portfolio (PFP)
Disclosure: no positions
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