EUROPE - The opportunities that exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can bring to European investors have driven Street Global Advisors (SSgA) and MSCI to sign an agreement to launch a range of MSCI-based ETFs.

The agreement will enable SSgA to create the first comprehensive family of European ETFs based on MSCI’s European regional and sector indices such as IT, telecommunications services and health care, providing European investors with an investment alternative.

Although ETFs have recently arrived in Europe, they were first introduced in the US in 1993 by SSgA and the American Stock Exchange. At present SSgA manages more than $31bn in 22 ETFs worldwide. The total size of the ETFs market represents assets of $49bn.

“European investors continue to seek easy access to market segments and meaningful asset allocation tools,” says Timothy Harbert, president of SSgA. “In partnering with MSCI, we aim to meet the needs of these investors by bringing ETFs to Europe that combine these attributes in an easily tradable package.”

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