Tag Archives: exchange-traded funds

ETF News

Rookie ETFs Of The Year: Two New ETFs That Are Standouts In 2015

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles two ETFs that have become standouts so far this year. The ETFs iShares Exponential Tech ETF (XT) and SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF (TOTL) have been dubbed with the title according to Zacks’ Neena Mishra in her article, “2 New ETFs with Big Potential“, excerpts from the article are below. 

The ETF industry continues to grow exponentially, with a record $96 billion in global inflows during the first quarter, up more than 100% from a year ago. More than 70 ETFs have been launched in the US so far this year, taking the total number of ETFs to 1702 and total assets to over $2.1 trillion.

Below, we highlight two ETFs launched this year that stand out from the rest and in our view hold a lot of potential.

iShares Exponential Tech ETF (XT)

This ETF has attracted almost $647 million in assets since its inception in March, making it one of the most successful ETF launches. Investing in innovative technologies that have the potential to transform our lives is a very exciting concept. Further, this ETF includes not only developers but also users of promising technologies. So the coverage extends beyond the technology sector.

The idea for this ETF came from the famous financial advisor Ric Edelman and it is understood that some of the assets in this ETF came from his clients. Investors should note some of these disruptive technologies stocks have been quite hot lately and so this ETF is not really attractive looking at the valuation but companies focused on cutting edge technologies definitely have the potential to deliver superior return over time and this ETF could be a solid choice for long-term investing.

SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF (TOTL)

Bond markets have confounded most analysts and investors of late. Yields plunged last year when almost everybody was expecting them to go up. Over the past few months, the bond market has seen erratic swings and we have also seen substantial flattening of the yield curve.

As the Fed gets ready to raise interest rates, shorter-term rates have been going up but longer-term rates have actually declined, thanks mainly to massive demand from foreign investors since interest rates in Europe and Japan are so low.

To continue reading about these two standout new ETFs, click here

ETF News

Homebuilding ETF Is Falling Down

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles speculation surrounding SPDR S&P Homebuilders exchange-traded fund. This ETF reach an eight-year high in February but since then has fallen dramatically. Now investors are taking notice and are trying to make a quick exit. This MarketsMuse blog update is courtesy of Callie Bost and Jennifer Kaplan of Bloomberg Business and their article, “Investors In This Homebuilder ETF Are Heading for the Exits“, with an excerpt below. 

Investors in homebuilding shares are heading for the door.

Speculators in the SPDR S&P Homebuilders exchange-traded fund have pulled a record amount of cash in April, abandoning the ETF known by its ticker XHB after it reached an eight-year high in February. The fund has retreated 4.8 percent since then.

Traders are doubting equity gains have room for improvement as mixed economic reports muddy the outlook for further growth in the industry. The Federal Reserve is moving closer to raising interest rates, adding to concerns just as homebuilders enter the busiest time of the year.

“Housing stocks are in an interesting position right now,” James Gaul, a portfolio manager at Boston Advisors LLC, which oversees $3 billion, said by phone. “We’re in a bit of a logjam for multiple factors. Until this logjam breaks, it’s going to be hard for national homebuilders to have sustained outperformance.”

In April, traders removed $376 million from the fund, the largest monthly outflow since the ETF started trading in 2006. The SPDR S&P Homebuilders fund tracks stocks like Toll Brothers Inc. and D.R. Horton Inc. as well as home-improvement companies including Aaron’s Inc., Tempur Sealy International Inc., and A.O. Smith Corp.

To continue reading about the fall of the homebuilder ETF, SPDR S&P Homebuilders exchange-traded fund, click here

ETF News

ETFs Hit New Milestone As Individuals Put More Into ETFs Than Mutual Funds

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles the new milestone exchange-traded funds have reached as now more than ever, individual investors have pouring more money into ETFs than traditional mutual funds. This MarketsMuse blog update is courtesy of an analysis done by Broadridge Financial Solutions and found in the Wall Street Journal’s article, “A New Milestone for ETF Adoption“, with an excerpt below.

Individual investors have a lot more money invested in traditional mutual funds than in exchange-traded funds. But as people continue pumping dollars into ETFs, their ETF holdings grew by more in dollar terms than their mutual-fund investments over the year through March—apparently for the first time—according to an analysis by Broadridge Financial Solutions.

That conclusion is based on the company’s tally of fund and ETF holdings in accounts at “retail” companies, including full-service and discount brokerages, which cater to individual investors and their advisers. Broadridge, based in Lake Success, N.Y., sells communications and technology services to financial-services companies.

Individual-investor holdings of ETFs grew by $267 billion in the year through March, a 24.4% increase, according to Broadridge. Over the same period, individuals’ holdings of long-term mutual funds grew by $255 billion, or 5.6%, the company said.

“This is the first period in which we’ve seen that the actual dollar amount in the retail channel is higher in the ETF space than in the mutual-fund space,” says Frank Polefrone, senior vice president at Access Data, a Broadridge unit in Philadelphia. ”It’s a big shift over what we’d seen a year ago or two years ago.”

Broadridge has been tracking the data for more than four years.

To continue reading about the latest ETF milestone, click here.

ETF News

Twitter’s Weak Q1 Jolts Social ETFs

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles the disappointing Q1 for Twitter and the impact it is having on social media ETFs such as Renaissance IPO ETF (IPO), Global X Social Media Index ETF(SOCL) and ARK Web x.0 ETF (ARKW). This MarketsMuse update is courtesy of Zacks Equity Research and their article, “Twitter Tweets a Weak Q1 & Soft View, ETFs in Focus“, with an excerpt below. 

On April 28, Twitter (TWTR) came up with a weak Q1 and a disappointing guidance. The social networking site then saw a freefall in its share price as it failed to live up to many investors’ expectations.


Q1 in Detail

The company’s first-quarter 2015 non-GAAP loss per share (including the stock-based compensation expense) of 20 cents was a penny ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Excluding the stock-based compensation expense, the company earned 7 cents per share on a pro forma basis.

Revenues of $436 million in the quarter fell shy of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $455 million. ‘A lower-than-expected contribution from newer direct response marketing products’ was held responsible for lower-than-expected revenues. However, revenues grew about 74% year over year.

Market Impact

This subdued performance dampened investors’ mood as the stock was severely beaten down in recent trading sessions. Following the earnings leak on April 28, about 40 minutes ahead of the closing bell, Twitter shares saw a landslide, plunging over 18% for the key trading session of April 28 on about fourth times the regular volume.

Shares slid about 8.9% on April 29. However, after such a massive sell-off for consecutive two days, Twitter stock recouped 0.94% after hours. Year to date, the stock is still up 8.3%.

Twitter does not have a sizable exposure in the overall ETF world with only three ETFs – Renaissance IPO ETF (IPO), Global X Social Media Index ETF(SOCL) and ARK Web x.0 ETF ((ARKW – ETF report)) – having major exposure of 8.17%, 3.66% and 3.20% respectively, at present. Such a huge fall in one of the major components should impact these ETFs.  Below, we have discussed these three funds in detail:

To continue reading about Twitter’s disappoint Q1’s impact on ETFs, click here

ETF News, People Profiles

CEO Believes The ETF, JETS, Will Have A Smooth Take Off

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles U.S. Global Investors CEO’s, Frank Holmes, interview with Forbes’ Trang Ho. Frank Holmes’s company is launching a new airline ETF, JETS, tomorrow, Thursday, April 29, 2015. After so many past airline ETFs have crashed and burned, Holmes highlights how JETS is different. This interview is courtesy of Forbes’ article, “Why This CEO Believes New Airlines ETF Will Soar Even Though Its Predecessors Went Down In Flames” with an excerpt below. 

Frank Holmes, the CEO and chief investment officer of U.S. Global Investors, believes he can soar where others went down in flames. Holmes is launching a new airlines exchange traded fund on the stock market Thursday — U.S. Global Investors Jets ETF (JETS) — even though its predecessors were shuttled to ETF heaven for lack of investor interest. His San Antonio, Texas-based mutual fund firm oversees $927 million in assets.

Guggenheim Airline ETF (FAA), which rolled out in January 2009, was canceled in March 2013 after attracting only $21 million in assets. Direxion Airline Shares Fund (FLYX) was grounded in October 2011 only 10 months after take off. Its $3 million in assets were peanuts compared to the $25 million to $30 million needed for an ETF to break even.

Why did you launch this ETF?

Holmes: We believe the time is right for an airline ETF.  Thanks to wide-ranging structural changes in the airline industry, both domestic and international airlines are currently seeing strong growth in profits as well as demand. Although airlines have undoubtedly benefited from falling fuel prices—airlines’ single greatest operating expense—other important factors are also at work, which enable them to remain profitable in a highly competitive industry.

On a personal note, after flying more than 100 times last year, and over 8 million miles for the past 25 years, I noticed that all the new fees associated with flying began adding up. That’s when I thought to myself, if I can’t beat them, I might as well join them.

To continue reading this interview from Forbes, click here

ETF News

Apple Low Sales Show In Tech ETFs

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles iPhone company’s, Apple, lacking in sales even with the new iPhone 6 and the recent release of the iWatch, effecting the tech ETFs. This MarketsMuse blog update is courtesy of ETFTrends’ Todd Shriber’s article “Ahead of Earnings, no Love for Apple ETFs”, with an excerpt from ETFTrends below.

ETFTrends-logoApple (NasdaqGS: AAPL), the world’s largest company by market value, reports fiscal second-quarter earnings after the close of U.S. markets Monday with analysts expecting per share earnings of $2.16 on revenue of $56.1 billion.

Should the reported numbers be close to or in-line with those estimates, Apple’s second-quarter results will lag the $3.06 per share on sales of $74.6 billion reported in the fiscal first quarter, turning investors’ attention to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales, Apple Watch comments and the company’s plans to return capital shareholders.

Apple reinstituted its dividend in the third quarter of 2012 after a 17-year hiatus. Since reintroducing the payout at 37.8 cents per share per quarter, Apple’s dividend has grown at an impressive clip to 47 cents a share per quarter.

It is not a stretch to say few companies’ earnings reports are as closely monitored and scrutinized as Apple’s, but even with the fervor leading up to the iPad maker’s latest batch of quarterly results, investors have been shying away from exchange traded funds with hefty allocations to the stock.

To continue reading about the fall of Apple’s sales and the effects it has on tech ETFs from ETFTrends, click here.

ETF News

Solar ETFs Continue to Rise Thanks to China

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles solar ETFs such as Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSEARCA:TAN) and Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (NYSEARCA:KWT) bright future thanks to China’s clean energy drive. This update  is courtesy of Seeking Alpha’s article, “China’s Clean Energy Drive Brightens Solar Power ETFs” by ETFTrends reporter, Tom Lydon, with an extract below.

China revealed a huge surge in photovoltaic panel installations over the first quarter, a typically slow season for the industry, and if the country maintains its pace, it could portend a strong year for solar stocks and sector-related exchange traded funds.

Year-to-date, the Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSEARCA:TAN) jumped 40.8% and the Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (NYSEARCA:KWT) increased 30.3%.

On Monday, the China National Energy Administration announced that the country added 5.04 gigawatts of solar capacity, or just shy of France’s entire solar capacity, in the first three months of the year, Bloomberg reported.

China is planning to install as much as 17.8 gigawatts of solar power this year, or two-and-a-half times the capacity added by the U.S. in 2014, as part of its aggressive plans to cut carbon emissions. For instance, the country’s recent move away from small coal plants will avoid the annual release of as much as 11.4 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide, which could help cut emissions for the first time in over a decade, Today Online reports.

Chinese companies make up 22.9% of TAN’s underlying holdings and a hefty 38.4% of KWT’s portfolio.

To continue reading about the effects that China’s push for clean energy has on the solar ETFs, click here.

ETF News

Pakistan ETF: Another First For Frontier Market ETFs

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MarketsMuse.com ETF update shines light on Pakistan, as the timing of the launch of the first Pakistan-focused exchange-traded fund in the U.S. is remarkably fortuitous. U.S.-based ETF provider Global-X is launching the ETF today on the New York Stock Exchange with ticker symbol NYSE:PAK. Below extract courtesy of WSJ Frontiers reporter Dan Keeler

The fund joins a growing list of single-country frontier-market ETFs, including Global-X’s Argentina and Nigeria funds, as well as Market Vectors’ Vietnam fund. Jay Jacobs, research analyst at Global X Funds, says: “With the launch of the Pakistan ETF, investors now have access to one of the largest, most liquid frontier-market countries.”

China’s launch on Monday of a massive infrastructure-spending plan in Pakistan has brought considerable attention to the South Asian frontier market. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced and launched a $28 billion package of infrastructure deals that will form part of the so-called China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Last weekend, Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the total Chinese investment into Pakistan would reach $46 billion.

China’s recently-announced colossal investment plan is not the only potentially market-moving news for Pakistan this week. Investment Bank Renaissance Capital yesterday described the country as an “undervalued reform story”, noting that the government is living up to its privatization promises—including its recent record-breaking sale of its stake in private sector banking giant HBL—and delivering reforms that should enhance stock valuations.

The full report from WSJ can be found via this link

ETF News

Why Isn’t Chipotle (NYSE:CMG) Served In Consumer Market ETFs?

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MarketsMuse.com ETF update is courtesy of exclusive reporting by Todd Shriber of ETFtrends.com with a tasty title:

No Burritos for ETF Investors as Funds Skimp on Chipotle

Todd Shriber, ETFtrends.com
Todd Shriber, ETFtrends.com

Shares of Chipotle (NYSE: CMG) have risen more than fivefold over the past five years. That performance and an almost $700 price tag solidify Chipotle’s status as storied, once-in-a-lifetime consumer discretionary growth stock on par with Netflix (NasdaqGS: NFLX) and Priceline (NasdaqGS: PCLN).

However, with Chipotle set to deliver its first-quarter earnings today after the close of U.S. markets, exchange traded fund investors are reminded of the difficulties of accessing the burrito maker’s shares via ETFs.

Just two ETFs feature Chipotle as a top 10 holding, according to S&P Capital IQ data. The PowerShares Dynamic Leisure and Entertainment Portfolio (NYSEArca: PEJ), which in the past has garnered weights of roughly 5% or more to Chipotle, currently does not own shares of the stock.

Lack of ETF access to Chipotle is punitive given the company’s penchant for delivering blow-out results.

“Consensus estimates call for EPS of $3.64, vs $2.64 a year earlier (+38%). The company has beat estimates in the past three quarters. Consensus for all-important comparable-store sales is +11.6%. This compares with with +16.1% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. The other metric to watch out for is gross margin – in the fourth quarter, food costs grew 110bps and held back margin progression,” said Mischler Financial Group analyst Neil Currie in a note out today.

“Regarding comp-store sales, we think there is some potential for consensus to be beat. While the consensus estimate would represent a two-year stack of +25.0%, similar to Q4, we think three-year stacks have proved an important metric for CMG. Based on this consensus, the three-year stack would be +26.0%. This compares with around +30.0% for the past three quarters. It is conceivable that CMG’s reported comp-store sales could reach the 14-15% mark on this basis,” adds Currie.

TO READ THE ENTIRE STORY FROM ETFTRENDS.COM, PLEASE CLICK HERE

ETF News

A Black Eye For BlackRock China ETF?

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MarketsMuse.com ETF update profiles a less than tasty example of how not to select certain offerings from the menu of China ETF products with a snapshot of a seemingly sour taste investors might be left with after consuming Blackrock’s iShares FTSE A50 China Index (HKG: 2823). Below extract is courtesy of reporting by Bloomberg LP’s Elena Popina and Boris Korby “The 80% BlackRock ETF Return That Shortchanged China Stock Bulls.”

The $9.1 billion iShares FTSE A50 China Index ETF, an exchange-traded fund designed to track returns of the 50 largest companies traded in Shanghai and Shenzhen, has underperformed its benchmark by a whopping 29 percentage points on a total return basis over that span.

The cost to investors? More than $900 million in unrealized gains, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

ETFs such as BlackRock’s, which popularized the use of complex derivatives as a way for foreigners to tap into China’s growth potential, are now becoming unintended casualties as the nation opens up its capital markets. As more foreigners gain direct access to yuan-denominated A shares on mainland bourses, demand for the derivatives has plunged. That’s unmoored the ETFs from their benchmarks and robbed investors of returns.

“It’s not providing what it advertised to do,” Ajay Mehra, the head of equities at Salient Partners LP, which oversees $27 billion, including FTSE A50 China Index ETF shares, said by phone from New York. “This tracking error has led to substantial underperformance over the past year, which makes it less attractive as an access vehicle.”

Discount Widens Continue reading →

ETF News, People Profiles

Why Mutual Fund Guru Gundlach Is Now Embracing ETFs: A $TOTL $uccess

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MarketsMuse.com ETF update profiles the embracement of exchange-traded funds on the part of one of the investment industry’s most intriguing mutual fund innovators, courtesy of excerpt from 18 April 19 story from InvestmentNews.com

Jeffrey Gundlach is no stranger to striking out on his own or launching new products. After an acrimonious split with the TCW Group Inc. in 2009, he did just that, building what has become a $63 billion business with 12 mutual funds.

But when it came to starting an exchange-traded fund, his Los Angeles-based firm, DoubleLine Capital, needed some convincing, according to David LaValle, head of ETF capital markets in the U.S. at State Street Corp.’s money management unit.

“Why would they want to be in this space when [they] have a successful franchise,” said Mr. LaValle, speaking at an industry conference in New York on April 1. Ultimately, though, ETFs access “a totally different investor base” than mutual funds, Mr. LaValle said.

Mr. Gundlach has said he remains ambivalent about just how popular ETFs will become. But, on the sidelines of a massive ETF industry conference he keynoted in Hollywood, Fla., in January, he said he wasn’t going to take any chances. “I want to be involved, certainly, and not left behind,” he told a reporter.

In little more than a month since the launch of his first actively managed ETF, in partnership with State Street, the SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF (TOTL) has become one of the largest ETFs of its kind. At $240 million, TOTL’s assets are still a pittance compared with the $117 billion in the world’s largest bond mutual fund, Pimco Total Return (PTTAX).

For the entire story from InvestmentNews.com, please click here

ETF News

Largest US Health Insurer Creates Spark In Health Care ETFs

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles the largest US health insurer’s stellar first-quarter and the effects it has on the market with ETFs such as iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF (NYSEARCA: IHF) receiving a huge boost from the insurer. This MarketsMuse update is courtesy of SeekingAlpha’s article from Zacks Funds, “Play UnitedHealth Q1 Strength With This Health Care ETF”  with excerpts from the article below. 

The largest U.S. health insurer UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) reported blockbuster first-quarter 2015 results. It topped our estimates on both the top and the bottom lines as well as raised its full-year outlook.

UnitedHealth Q1 Results in Focus

Earnings per share came in at $1.46, well above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.33 and 32.7% better than the year-ago earnings. Revenues rose 13% year over year to $35.76 billion, edging past the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $34.73 billion. The robust performance was driven by rising enrollments and strength in the Optum Health Services business.

Market Impact

The market has welcomed UNH’s earnings beat and its strong outlook. Shares of UNH jumped as much as 4.3% following its earnings announcement on elevated volumes, making it the biggest percentage gainer on the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index for the day.

Since UnitedHealth is the first insurer to report earnings and a bellwether, the result has spread optimism across the broad health insurance sector with stocks of other players in the space in green at the close on the day. Some of these players include Aetna (NYSE:AET) – up 3.2%, Anthem (NYSE:ANTM) – up 2.4%, Cigna (NYSE:CI) – up 2% and Humana (NYSE:HUM) – up 0.5%.

Given UnitedHealth’s strength to lift the health insurer corner of the broad health care space and the solid run up in its share price, one ETF – iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF (NYSEARCA:IHF) – could be worth a look for investors seeking to ride out the recent surge. It has the largest allocation to this big giant and looks to be in focus in the coming days with room for upside.

Bottom Line

UNH’s earnings beat sent the stock higher on the day, thus becoming the cornerstone for other stocks in the space. A merger and acquisition frenzy and encouraging industry trends bode well for the health insurer stocks and the related ETFs.

Other ETFs like Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLV),Vanguard Health Care ETF (NYSEARCA:VHT), iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (NYSEARCA:IYH) and Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF (NYSEARCA:FHLC) also have a decent exposure to UnitedHealth in the range of 3-4%. These funds also have the potential to move higher on UNH strength in the coming days but with less momentum.

To read the entire article on health care ETFs from SeekingAlpha, click here.

ETF News

China Stock Craze Will Go A Step Further With First Leveraged ETF

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In the past year alone, investors have invested more than $2 billion into ETFs that invest in China’s stocks. MarketsMuse update profiles the new ETF, The Direxion Daily CSI 300 China A Sharell 2X Shares (CHAU), this ETF is the first in China-focused ETF of its kind in the US. This MarketsMuse blog update is courtesy of Bloomberg Business’s Elena Popina and Boris Korby’s article “China Stock Frenzy Gets More Manic With First Leveraged ETF“, with an excerpt below. 

Want to double down on China’s world-beating stock rally? Now there’s an exchange-traded fund for that.

Direxion Investments is starting the first ETF that seeks to provide twice the daily return of mainland Chinese stocks using leverage, according to Andy O’Rourke, chief marketing officer for the New York-based fund provider.

The CSI 300 Index, which the ETF will track, has climbed to a seven-year high amid a frenzy of stock purchases by Chinese retail investors as the government eased monetary policy to counter a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy. The ETF will be the first in the U.S. to use derivatives to amplify the return of mainland Chinese stocks, or so-called A shares, a market to which foreign investors until recently only had limited access.

“It was only a matter of time before a leveraged China A-share ETF came out trying to capitalize on the increased interest and flows into the area,” Eric Balchunas, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, wrote in an e-mail on Tuesday.

To continue reading about this new ETF for China’s stocks, click here.

ETF News, Tech Talk

One New ETF Sets Itself Apart From The Rest

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles the new ETF, iShares Exponential Technologies ETF (XT), impress start. The ETF XT has collected over $600 million since its start in March of this year, this feat something only a few other new ETFs have been able to do. This MarketsMuse blog update is courtesy of Zacks Equity Research’s article, “Why Is This New ETF Growing So Fast?“, with an excerpt from below.  

The ETF industry has been growing by leaps and bounds since last year with issuers launching products with varied themes every now and then. While 2014 turned out a historic year for the ETF industry with assets hitting the $2 trillion (approximately) mark and over 180 ETFs being rolled out, 2015 took the story a step forward. A little over three months into the year, the industry has seen more than 65 launches with average market cap of the industry crossing $2.1 billion (read: 5 Very Successful ETF Launches of 2014). 

However, investors should note that all products do not witness an equal share of success. Some stand to gain massively and generate assets within a short span while some fail to secure investor interest and finally succumb to a shutdown. Let’s take a look at which new ETF, launched this year, emerged out as the best asset gather.

Inside iShares Exponential Technologies ETF (XT)

Investors might be surprised to know that this ETF has amassed over $600 million since its debut in March this year. It is a standard many ETFs fail to meet even after three years of launch. Apparently, the ETF saw this easy, or rather unimaginable success due to its unique investing objective.  

To continue reading about the success of the XT ETF, click here

ETF News

Oil ETF Investors Race For The Exits

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After pouring more than $6 billion into oil ETFs, investors are looking for a quick exit for two reasons: 1) the oil rebound might take much longer than originally expected and 2) the contango market is becoming an even bigger factor. This MarketsMuse blog update is courtesy of Reuters’ article “Look out OPEC! Oil ETF investors head for exit, risking new slump” with an excerpt below.

Oil investors who amassed a $6 billion long position in exchange traded funds, occupying as much as a third of the U.S. futures market, are now racing for the exit at a near record pace.

Outflows from four of the largest oil-specific exchange traded funds, including the largest U.S. Oil Fund (USO), reached $338 million in two weeks to April 8, according to data from ThomsonReuters Lipper. That is the first two-week outflow since September and the biggest since early 2014, marking a turnaround from heavy inflows in December and January on bets that oil prices would quickly rebound from six-year lows.

If the exodus gathers pace it could signal new pressure on crude oil prices that had begun to stabilize at around $50 a barrel this year following their 60 percent plunge, says John Kilduff, a partner at energy fund Again Capital LLC in New York.

Retail investors may have been “trying to bottom fish and got washed out with the recent new low,” he said.

To continue reading about the possibility of a new oil slump from Reuters, click here

ETF News

ETFs Are Having A Record Breaking Year, Near $3 Trillion Mark

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles the record breaking year ETFs have had. As investors become more comfortable with the idea of  using ETFs as an investment strategy, ETFs continue to become more and more popular. ETFs’ assets have grown at an exponential rate over last ten years. In fact, ten years ago ETF assets totaled $230 billion in the US and now we near the $3 trillion marker. This MarketsMuse update is courtesy of ETFTrends’ Tom Lydon’s article “ETF Industry Closing in on $3 Trillion” with an extract below. 

ETFTrends-logoExchange traded funds are becoming a household name as investors have been piling into the investment vehicle, expanding the global ETF market toward $3 trillion in assets.

After attracting an additional $36.1 billion, global ETFs saw $97.2 billion in inflows over the first quarter, or almost triple the total for the same quarter year-over-year. [ETFs Haul in $36.1 Billion in March]

As of the end of February, assets invested in exchange traded products, which include both ETFs and exchange traded notes, globally reached a new record high of $2.919 trillion.

“The global ETF/ETP industry had 5,632 ETFs/ETPs, with 10,902 listings, from 245 providers listed on 63 exchanges in 51 countries,” according to ETFGI’s Deborah Fuhr. “We expect the assets to break through the US$3 trillion milestone in the first half of 2015.”

To continue reading the article from ETFTrends, click here.

ETF News

The Highly Anticipated Launch Of The Apple Watch Isn’t Reflecting In Its ETFs

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What time is it? Time for you to a buy a watch, an Apple Watch that is. After the announcement of the Apple Watch this past Fall, consumers have been waiting to get their hands on this product. Understandably so, investors couldn’t wait the launch either. With prices for an Apple Watch ranging from $349-$17,000, it will most likely bring a good return on investment. However, as pre-orders have been coming in for the Apple Watch, the same can’t be said for ETFs heavy on shares of Apple. MarketsMuse blog update profiling the little excitement in Apple ETFs is courtesy of ETF Trends, Todd Shriber, with an extract from his article, “Apple Watch a Non-Event for Apple ETFs” below.

ETFTrends-logoApple (NasdaqGS: AAPL) is taking preorders for its much ballyhooed Apple Watch. Or was taking preorders.

Nearly of the models made available to U.S. consumers sold out in just six hours and it looks the April 24 availability date announced by the company at the Apple Watch unveiling event last month is getting pushed back. Perhaps as far out as the third quarter.

“Whether due to high demand or low supply, all models of Apple Watch have now almost entirely sold out with many slipping delivery date estimates in mere minutes of preorders opening. In the US, the 38 mm Stainless Steel Case with Black Classic Buckle is the only model still on offer with a ‘April 24th – May 8th’ shipping date,” reports9to5Mac.com.

Unveiling a new product with preexisting, pent-up demand is old hat for Apple and that might explain the lack of enthusiasm for the blowout preorders being displayed by exchange traded funds heavy on shares of Apple. Even shares of California-based Apple are trading slightly lower today.

To read the full article from ETF Trends’ Todd Shriber, click here.

ETF News

ETF Providers Look To Level Playing Field

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MarketsMuse blog update profiles ETF providers pushing to level the playing field with their mutual fund competitors by pushing to gain more information on clients who invest in ETFs, just like mutual funds already do. A new initiative from the Canadian ETF Association is doing just that. An excerpt from The Globe and Mail’s article, “ETF providers want to know who’s buying” is below explaining more about the initiative.    

Exchange-traded fund providers say they’re at a disadvantage compared to their mutual fund competitors and are aiming to level the playing field with a new lobbying effort to obtain data on the financial advisers who sell ETFs.

The initiative, which is being spearheaded by the Canadian ETF Association (CETFA), will provide ETF companies with information on the financial advisers who are selling exchange-traded funds, and the breakdown on which funds they are selling to their clients. Mutual fund companies already receive such information.

If implemented, it could result in a surge of ETF sales within the Canadian marketplace.

The lack of adviser information has plagued the rapidly growing ETF industry, which competes in a market where investors are heavily invested in mutual funds. Canadians hold more than $1.22-trillion in mutual funds compared to $80-billion in ETFs, as of February, 2015.

Currently, ETF providers may receive a report from an individual investment firm that shows the total number of ETFs held by their clients. But the reports are not sent on a regular basis and do not include information on the individual financial advisers who purchase the funds on behalf of clients.

To read the rest of the article from the Globe and Mail, click here.