ETF Watch: New Firm 'Strategy Shares' Debuts

There’s a new firm operating in the ETF space, though it’s not exactly brand new. Strategy Shares, which used to be Huntington Strategy Shares, relaunched, along with its two existing actively managed ETFs. Strategy Shares is run by Catalyst Mutual Funds.

The EcoLogical Strategy ETF (HECO | D-55), which invests in ecologically responsible companies, originally launched in 2012. It has roughly $6 million in assets under management. The US Equity Rotation Strategy ETF (HUSE | D-76) has less than $5 million in assets under management and is now managed by Matthew Tuttle of Tuttle Tactical Management, a firm that already manages two ETFs issued by Virtus. Both HECO and HUSE dropped “Huntington” from their names.

Strategy Shares is an issuer of actively managed ETFs, and its managers seek to exploit market inefficiencies as part of their investment process. However, in a recent 40-APP filing requesting exemptive relief from the Securities & Exchange Commission, the firm indicated it intends to roll out index-based ETFs. The initial fund is slated to be the BioShares BioThreat Index ETF. There are already two BioShares ETFs trading under Virtus’ exemptive relief.

Contact Heather Bell at [email protected].