Insurer ETF Usage Helps All

Although the $26 billion invested in ETFs by insurance companies at the end of 2018 remains a tiny slice of the more than $3 trillion and growing ETF pie, it’s an even smaller fraction of $6 trillion in admitted assets of U.S. insurance companies. Yet as some of the biggest insurers increased their ETF exposure last year, CFRA is encouraged that growing usage by these institutional investors will provide enhanced liquidity for all who own ETFs.

According to a newly published report “ETFs in Insurance General Accounts – 2019,” written by Raghu Ramachandran of S&P Dow Jones Indices, approximately 34% of insurance companies used ETFs in 2018. Overall, they held 372 million shares of ETFs, up 7% from the prior year, even though assets under management (AUM) dipped 3% due to declines for the underlying stock and bond markets. Ramachandran highlighted that mega companies, those with $50 billion in admitted assets, increased their ETF AUM by 39% in 2018.

For example, Liberty Mutual’s ETF AUM grew 59% to $2.7 billion, while Northwestern Mutual’s more than tripled to $1.2 billion in 2018. Also encouraging were the significant increases at mega-companies Allianz and TIAA off small ETF asset bases to $918 million and $740 million, respectively.

The usage of ETFs occurred at sizable health, life, and property and casualty insurance companies. If this ETF adoption trend continues among the biggest firms, it’ll significantly drive insurance industry assets.

Top 10 Insurance Companies Based On ETF Assets

Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) via S&P Global Market Intelligence. Data as of Dec. 31, 2018

The most widely held ETF by the insurance industry was the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY). Though SPY shed $16.5 billion in overall ETF assets in 2018, the AUM held by insurers invested in it climbed 40% to $3.1 billion.

In contrast, the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), which respectively had $18.5 billion and $13.9 billion of overall net inflows last year, had net insurance AUM declines of 13% and 19%, to $1.8 billion and $1.1 billion. CFRA thinks the lower expense ratios of IVV and VOO are less appealing than SPY’s elevated average trading volume to mega-companies like Liberty Mutual.

ETFs Most Widely Held by Insurers

Source: NAIC via S&P Global Market Intelligence. Data as of Dec. 31, 2018. *Overall rank as of May 15, 2019

Relative to the ETF industry, insurance companies also favored the iShares iBoxx USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) and the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM). These were respectively the eighth and tenth most widely held funds among insurers, aided by asset growth, but currently are the 62^nd and 25^th largest ETFs based on overall ETF assets.

Yet the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) saw the greatest demand among the 10 largest ETFs held as insurance AUM tripled to $624 million in 2018.

Broadening this review to the 40 most widely held ETFs by insurance companies, IEMG’s growth was the fourth largest. Topping that list was the PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active ETF (MINT), which skyrocketed to $149 million, from $4.1 million in 2017.

Beyond the insurance industry, MINT was also popular, as investors sought less rate sensitive ETFs that provided a combination of safety and income. The iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT), which nearly doubled its insurance AUM to $402 million, is another example of this trend.

Yet the approximate 50% growth of insurance ETF assets in the Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT) highlights that not all investors have the same view on interest rates.

Largest AUM Growth Among Top 40 ETFs

Source: NAIC via S&P Global Market Intelligence. Data as of Dec. 31, 2018.

The iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock (IXUS), which adds Canadian exposure to developed European and Asia stocks found in other iShares international equity ETFs, was also popular. Insurance assets for IXUS swelled by five times to $157 million in 2018.

However, Ramachandran highlighted in this report that insurance companies invested only 12% in smart beta ETFs in 2018, less than the 20% of ETF assets invested in smart beta ETFs overall, and that insurers significantly pulled back from using smart beta products. Insurance assets for the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSLC), the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol U.S.A. ETF (USMV) and the iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) shrunk by more than 30% in 2018.

Overall, CFRA is encouraged by growing interest in ETFs by insurance companies, as further institutional demand will help improve the liquidity and reduce the trading costs for all investors. We think there’s significant room for further adoption, and as assets swell, expense ratios for market-cap-weighted and smart beta funds will continue to fall.

To read a copy of the report from S&P Dow Jones Indices, click the below link:

https://us.spindices.com/documents/research/research-etfs-in-insurance-general-accounts-2019.pdf

A related webinar that S&P Global is hosting, which CFRA will be speaking during, will take place May 23 at 11 a.m. Register at https://pages.marketintelligence.spglobal.com/Insurance-General-Accounts-Webinar-Registration-May-2019.html?utm_source=cfra