Smart beta ETFs

Later this week, fund giant Fidelity makes its initial foray into the fast-growing world of smart exchange-traded funds. Boston-based Fidelity is expected to launch six smart beta ETFs on Thursday September 15, one of which will be a low volatility offering known as the Fidelity Low Volatility...

The universe of multi-factor exchange-traded funds is certainly expanding in terms of population, indicating that issuers are betting such funds will benefit from the strategic beta boom. In its third-annual survey of institutional investors and their views on smart beta products, FTSE Russell...

Beyond U.S. equities, fertile ground for the spate of fundamentally-indexed or smart or strategic beta exchange-traded funds that have come to market over the past several years include emerging markets. Investors have a wide array of options from which to choose when it comes to emerging markets...

The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (NYSE: GSLC) is a still a couple of weeks' shy of its first anniversary, but that says Goldman's oldest exchange-traded fund has not needed much time to be a one of clearest success stories among ETFs that debuted last year. What A First...

The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta Emerging Markets Equity ETF (NYSE: GEM), one of the first exchange-traded funds brought to market by Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS), is about a month away from its first anniversary, and it is accurate to say GEM is off to a fine start. Happy Birthday, GEM! GEM is...

Previously derided and, more recently, validated on multiple, smart beta exchange-traded funds continue hauling in assets. Earlier this week, ETFGI, a London-based ETF research firm, reported that “assets invested in smart beta ETFs/ETPs listed in globally reached a new record high US$429...

The $4.2 billion PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1000 (ETF) (NYSE: PRF) debuted over a decade ago. Today, PRF is widely considered one of the forefathers of the booming smart segment of the exchange-traded funds industry. Perfecting Old School With PRF PRF follows the FTSE RAFI US 1000 Index, which...

One of the most prominent themes in the world of exchange-traded funds this year is investors' love affair with low volatility strategies, including the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA ETF (iShares Trust (NYSE: USMV)) and the PowerShares S&P 500 Low Volatility Portfolio (PowerShares Exchange-...

Data out earlier this week, courtesy of index provider FTSE Russell confirm professional money managers are increasingly turning to smart or strategic beta exchange-traded funds. That is not surprising, as various data points and studies in recent years have confirmed as much. Not to mention the...

Not that further validation was needed — at least not after smart or strategic beta exchange-traded funds ended last year with $616 billion in assets under management, but more data suggest these funds will continue an already astounding growth trajectory. Smart Beta ETF Use On The Rise In...

In another sign of the rapid growth of smart or strategic beta exchange-traded funds BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK)'s iShares unit, the world's largest ETF issuer, is expanding its already substantial lineup of smart beta ETFs with nine factor-based sector funds. The New Names iShares introduced...

Expect the movement toward smart beta exchange-traded funds to continue in a big way. BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK), the world's largest asset manager, has some estimates that could quell previously vocal critics of smart or strategic beta ETFs. BlackRock estimates that smart beta ETF assets will...

Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS)'s Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) was a late entrant to the exchange-traded funds industry, bringing its first ETF to market in September. However, GSAM rapidly made its presence felt on at least two fronts: Prolific asset-gathering acumen and lower-than-...

A sanguine interest rate environment and continuing speculation that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates any more than twice this year are among the catalysts helping investors rekindle their attraction toward corporate bond exchange-traded funds. The love fest includes high-...

As the smart or strategic beta exchange traded funds movement has gained momentum, some ETF industry observers have wondered when that momentum would take hold in the fixed income space. While the number of smart beta bond ETFs remains scant compared to alternatively-indexed equity offerings, that...