Clean Energy ETF Twist; 5 iShares Closures

First Trust launched this week an actively managed ETF that invests in utility and energy companies looking to minimize their carbon footprint.

The First Trust EIP Carbon Impact ETF (ECLN), which is subadvised by Energy Income Partners (EIP), costs 0.95% in expense ratio, or $95 per $10,000 invested. It’s listed on NYSE Arca.

ECLN is designed to offer capital appreciation and dividend income stemming from earnings growth in utilities linked to growing usage of alternative energy. It’s a fund that employs a four-step process to screen companies for a positive carbon impact while excluding coal producers, as well as companies involved with any part of the crude oil exploration and distribution chain.

Electric energy names dominate the portfolio, representing about 70% of the industry mix, according to First Trust data. Below is a look at the fund’s top holdings at launch, data courtesy of First Trust.  

“Electric utilities and gas pipelines sit at the center of the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy system,” James Murchie said in a press release. Murchie is president, founder and CEO of EIP and co-portfolio manager for the fund.

“We believe the trend to cleaner energy will likely remain centered around energy infrastructure companies adopting and integrating new technologies,” he added, noting that the electric power sector driving 90% of the decline in carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. in recent years represents only about 3% of the S&P 500 market capitalization.

ECLN joins other funds focused on carbon footprint—among the broader environment, social, governance ETF universe—including the $452 million iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF (CRBN) and the $80 million SPDR MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF (LOWC). Both CRBN and LOWC are index-based and cost 0.20% in expense ratio.

iShares ETF Closures:

A number of iShares ETFs last traded Tuesday, Aug. 20. These closures include the following funds:

• iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Asia ex Japan ETF (AXJV)
• iShares Adaptive Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF (DEWJ)
• iShares Adaptive Currency Hedged MSCI Eurozone ETF (DEZU)
• iShares 10+ Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LLQD)
• iShares 5-10 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (MLQD)

The closures were most likely linked to these funds’ inability to find much traction. All of these ETFs had been on the market for at least two years, and gathered only anywhere between $2.5 million and $16 million in total assets.

Contact Cinthia Murphy at [email protected]