All Special Report articles – Page 15
-
Special ReportGreen ETFs: a perfect pairing or fleeting fad?
Sustainable investing is here to stay. What was once a set of niche strategies for environmentally conscious investors is now an industry expected to hold a third of global assets by 2025, according to Bloomberg analysis.
-
Special Report
Sustainable ETFs are a pension scheme’s friend
Pension fund trustees already face myriad challenges and, today, most schemes face a timeline for compliance with various climate and ESG regulations, which vary by country, scheme type and scheme size. Meanwhile, the intensifying spotlight being shone by scheme members on areas like climate, diversity and stewardship will continue to pave the direction of travel.
-
Special ReportInvestor self-seeded ETFs: the dos and don’ts
Two of Finland’s biggest pension firms – Varma and Ilmarinen – have initiated the launch of several ESG-themed ETFs over the past few years. In April this year, Ilmarinen announced it was investing €170m in the new AXA WF US high yield low carbon bonds fund, which focuses particularly on the carbon and water intensity scores of issuers, acting as a seed investor for the fund launch.
-
Special ReportESG and fixed income: a new direction for ETF investors
Fixed income has long lagged equities in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing space, but we are at a turning point in ESG investing in corporate bonds, for both active and passive management. Rising demand for ESG debt is leading to the development of a rapidly expanding range of fixed income solutions. As increasingly socially conscious investors re-evaluate their asset allocations, fixed income exchange-traded funds (ETFs) present an opportunity for the reshaping of portfolios.
-
Special ReportIndex design: do your research
Thematic exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are not new but over the past year those with a sustainability and technology slant have captured the imagination. Inflows have surged but investors are advised to be vigilant and judiciously examine the index construction and approach. As past events have shown, it is too easy to be caught off guard by rebalancing or by stocks that may not fit the bill.
-
Special ReportWhat the data-led technology revolution means for ETFs
Since launching in the early 1990s, ETFs have had a considerable impact on the investment landscape, providing a low-cost, simple alternative to mutual funds.
-
Special ReportEvolution and diversification outpace consolidation
Asset manager consolidation had a direct impact on the European ETF market this year when Amundi announced its acquisition of Lyxor. This will merge the two largest French providers of these product ranges.
-
Special ReportTurning scale and commitment into influence
The popularity of passive strategies such as ETFs among institutional investors might at first sight appear inconsistent with the role of asset owners as effective corporate stewards. The reality is that passive does not equate to a lack of interest or influence.
-
Special Report
Sustainable evolution puts index design centre stage
As the growth in sustainable investing continues to gather pace, index-based solutions have become popular with investors as a simple, low-cost and transparent way to implement sustainable strategies.
-
Special ReportBuilding stronger portfolios for a low carbon world
Limiting further global warming will require less fossil fuel use and an increase in the production and use of greener forms of energy. As the world transitions to a low carbon economy, investors need to prepare their portfolios to manage the risks and capitalise on the opportunities that are being created across all markets, sectors and regions.
-
Special ReportESG futures: building from a strong foundation
Environment, social and governance (ESG) criteria have moved to the forefront of fund managers’ decisions, meaning that risk, reward and sustainability are now the three key considerations when investing.
-
Special ReportChina bond ETFs: the path to a new opportunity
Historically, investors outside of China have struggled to access the country’s full range of unique investment opportunities. But this story is changing as policymakers seek to liberalise Chinese stock and bond markets to allow greater access to onshore Chinese investments.
-
Special ReportThe European bond market is modernising
The European bond market is modernising at a rapid pace, and fixed income exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are playing a crucial role in driving this progress. ETF liquidity, price transparency and versatility are propelling many of the developments we see in the market today and are supporting a more robust and structured bond ecosystem.
-
Special ReportThe ETFs that could gain from the Biden presidency
US President Joe Biden has set out ambitious spending plans since taking office in January. Investors are looking closely at what this means for markets and monetary policy.
-
Special ReportEnhanced index strategies offer the best of both worlds
Passive investing strategies have been some of the biggest beneficiaries of above-average equity market performance over the past decade: they produced strong returns for investors without needing to take any active risk to generate performance.
-
Special ReportSemi-transparent ETFs: balance and confidence
For now, active semi-transparent or non-transparent exchange-traded funds are likely to remain unique to the North American and Australian investment markets; their European counterparts appear reluctant to take the plunge, although some industry experts believe this will change in time.
-
Special ReportTheme regime: thematic investing and asset allocation
Portfolio construction has come a long way from the early work of Markowitz back in the 1950s. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, investors found more sophisticated quantitative methods to assess risk, expected return and the associated investment opportunities through mathematical machinery such as factor modelling.
-
Special ReportESG outperformance: not about one factor
The recent outperformance of many ESG indices relative to broad market indices is well documented. The resilience of ESG strategies during the COVID-19 crisis has broadened the appreciation and appeal of ESG.
-
Special ReportBonds, boutiques and Bitcoin: ETF trends in 2021
The extreme events of 2020 sent ripples through the exchange-traded fund (ETF) market. Highly volatile markets in the first quarter gave way to a huge rally later in the year, with thematic products in particular reaping the benefits of significant inflows.
-
Special ReportETFs Guide 2021: A story of scale, scope and sophistication
In tandem with continued strong inflows, which you will see illustrated in granular detail in the data supplied by research and consultancy firm ETFGI at the back of this year’s ETF Guide, the scope of ETFs’ role is broadening with the adoption of what one asset manager describes as a ‘whole portfolio’ approach.
