AJ Bell Investments has formed a panel of external platforms to make its low-cost managed portfolio service (MPS) more easily available to a larger number of financial advisers.
FE fundinfo, a global fund data and technology leader, has acquired FundConnect, the fund data and technology company based in Denmark. The deal brings together FE fundinfo’s fund data and technology expertise in the UK, Europe & Asia with FundConnect’s complementary set of services and their unique position in the Nordic fund industry.
American Century Investments and Nomura Asset Management have launched the American Century U.S. Focused Innovation Equity UCITS (ISIN: I USD IE0006AEA9Y8), a sub-fund of Nomura Funds Ireland Plc, that is now available to investors in Europe.
The UK fund market has had a strong first half of 2021, according to the latest set of Investment Association (IA) data, released today.
Mercer and Titanbay have announced that they are working together to provide a comprehensive private markets solution for wealth managers and private banks.
Investment platform, eToro, has launched a portfolio that allows investors to back companies playing an integral role in semiconductor manufacturing and commercialisation.
ESG concerns dominated fund launches this week. Carbon offsetting specifically was a key theme, with BNP Paribas listing the BNP Paribas Easy Low Carbon 300 World PAC UCITS ETF, a thematic listed index fund offering savers an investment solution to reduce the carbon footprint of their portfolio, and Purpose Investment and HANetf launching Europe’s first carbon offset ETF on the LSE. HANetf also debuted new renewable energies and aviation thematic ETFs on Xetra, focusing on 50 companies worldwide that supply products for decentralised renewable power generation. IndexIQ launched a new ESG Core Plus Bond ETF in partnership with MacKay Shields, and iShares listed new sustainability-focused ETFs on Xetra, tracking the performance of medium-sized and large companies from the USA selected on the basis of standardised ESG exclusion filters. The first ESG-focused Gold Mining ETF is to launch on the LSE, allowing investors to access the gold mining sector in a responsible way. Finally, moving away from sustainable investing, 21Shares listed the Solana ETP on SIX Exchange, offering additional yield through staking rewards by validating transactions on the Solana blockchain.
Fast-growing Asian markets were the focus for Dawn Global this week, with the listing of the Asian Growth Cubs ETF on the NYSE offering investors actively managed exposure to emerging/frontier growth markets such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam. BNP Paribas turned its attention to sustainable investing, with the BNP Paribas Easy ESG Growth Europe UCITS ETF providing investors with the opportunity to participate in the performance of European companies with fundamental growth prospects, while excluding firms that violate the principles of the UN Global Compact. Elsewhere, the Global Palladium Fund launched what it says are the world’s only physically-backed copper and nickel ETCs, offering a cost-effective way for European-based investors to achieve exposure to the metals. Finally, Horizons ETFs had a big week, launching the tech-focused Horizons Global Semiconductor Index ETF (CHPS) on TSX, Canada’s first ETF to offer exposure to the semiconductor space, as well as two new lithium- and hydrogen-focused ETFs, adding to the company's suite of alternative energy ETFs.
Ross Klein (pictured), Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Changebridge Capital, writes on the potential effects of a proposed tax law change in the US on ETFs.
Franklin Templeton has launched the Franklin K2 Cat Bond UCITS Fund and Franklin K2 Athena Risk Premia UCITS Fund, the latest additions to its Luxembourg-domiciled Franklin Templeton Alternatives Funds (FTAF) range.