On Sept. 19, UBS launched an ETN designed to deliver the returns of a 60/40 stocks/fixed-income index that includes ETFs with each constituent included because of its high-dividend qualities to capitalize on investors’ hunger for income.
The Etracs Diversified High Income ETN (DVHI) has an “annual tracking rate” of 84 basis points, with a yield of 7.71 percent, according to the fund’s prospectus.
On Oct. 2, RevenueShares launched the RevenueShares Ultra Dividend Fund (RDIV) in an attempt to offer a new income-rich option in an environment of persistent low-interest rates.
JP Morgan shuttered a group of exchange-traded notes (ETNs) in early October due to the notes’ inability to attract investor demand.
“JFT,” the ETN linked to the First Trust Enhanced 130/30 Large Cap Index due 2023, was delisted. J.P. Morgan also redeemed all outstanding shares for two Treasury-linked strategies on Oct. 3, the JPMorgan Double Short U.S. Long Bond Treasury Futures ETN (DSTJ) and the JPMorgan Double Short U.S. 10 Year Treasury Futures ETN (DSXJ).
FlexShares, the ETF arm of Northern Trust, launched the FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index fund (GQRE), a globally focused REIT ETF that seeks to find a place in yield-hungry investors’ portfolios; and the FlexShares Stoxx Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund (NFRA), a fund designed to capture growth in developed and emerging markets, on Nov. 7 and Oct. 7, respectively.
Deutsche Bank launched three more currency-hedged strategies on Sept. 30, using riffs on MSCI indexes, which means large institutional players looking to hedge currency exposure can do so with tighter controls to the extent that they frequently benchmark their performance to MSCI indexes.
On Nov. 22, Exchange Traded Concepts launched a fund targeting the growing global robotics industry. It’s the first ETF to focus so tightly on robotics and automation.
The Robo-Stox Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF (ROBO) is based on the Robo-Stox Global Robotics and Automation Index, according to regulatory paperwork detailing the fund. It has an annual expense ratio of 95 basis points.
Global X Funds rolled out the Global X Next Emerging & Frontier ETF (EMFM) on Nov. 7. The fund combines emerging markets with frontier markets.
EMFM carries an annual expense ratio of 58 basis points; it tracks the Solactive Next Emerging & Frontier Index, which excludes the BRIC countries as well as “the most developed tier of emerging markets,” including South Korea and Taiwan, according to the fund’s prospectus.
In October, WisdomTree launched the WisdomTree Germany Hedged Equity Fund (DXGE)—a fund that goes head-to-head with the db X-trackers MSCI Germany Hedged Equity Fund (DBGR | C-47).