For most people within ETF land right now, leveraging technology extends about as far as to using a CRM tool. But with the advent of AI, times are changing and folks are going to have to start tooling up if they want to stay relevant.

 

Collecting and interpreting data is going to become a core skill in the not very distant future. Those who adapt will have a massive advantage. Those who don’t will quickly become irrelevant as with so many other industries that failed to adapt to technology.

 

BUT not all data is equal. Due to the fragment nature of Europe and Asia, independent sources of data are pitifully limited (we don’t even have a consolidated tape across exchanges) making it somewhat akin to hunting in the dark.

 

Despite such issues, using data to interpret client needs is just going to become more and more important and something ETF salespeople are going to have to become very comfortable with using.

 

Fund Launches and Updates

 

EMEA

 

Invesco has launched a range of ESG ETFs offering exposure to global energy, financials, healthcare and tech sectors. The four ETFs are listed on the London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Boerse, Euronext Milan and SIX Swiss Exchange with a TER of 0.18%. etfstream

 

State Street is closing the SPDR STOXX Global Low Volatility UCITS ETF (GLOW) and the SPDR Bloomberg EM Inflation Linked Local Bond UCITS ETF (EMIL) due in insufficient aum. investment week

 

Amundi closes Eastern Europe ex Russia ETF after assets drop. citywire.com

 

Kraneshares has obtained authorisation from the French regulator, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, to sell Ucits vehicles from its Ireland-based Icav umbrella. agefi

 

AMERICAS

 

Harbor Capital Advisors launches third Corporate Culture ETF, the Harbor Corporate Culture Small Cap ETF (ticker: HAPS). businesswire

Roundhill has launched  the Roundhill BIG Tech ETF (BIGT) providing investors with concentrated exposure to the largest and most influential US technology companies.

The launch of Roundhill’s BIG Tech ETF is a continution of the firm’s BIG fund family, as they launched the BIG Bank ETF in March 2023 and have stated their intention to launch the Roundhill Big Airlines ETF and the Roundhill Big Defense ETF in the coming weeks. newswire

Capital Group has announced plans to launch three new actively managed ETFs, Capital Group World Dividend Growers ETF, Capital Group Core Balanced ETF, and Capital Group International Equity ETF.

The firm said the ETFs are the first of several new strategies, with more set to launch in the fall. thinkadvisor.com

 

ASIA-PACIFIC

 

Global X launches an ETF in Australia tracking Solactive Australia ex Financials Materials and Energy Capped Index with a management fee of just 0.25. etfexpress

 

Vanguard has slashed fees for its Australian fixed-income exchange-traded fund, striking back after rivals BlackRock and BetaShares recently challenged its position as the largest player in the country’s ETF space through a series of fee cuts. ignites Asia

 

 

Flows

 

• ETFS industry in the United States gathered net inflows of $33.47 Bn in March.
• YTD net inflows of $81.16 Bn are the fourth highest on record, while the highest recorded YTD net inflows are of $252.22 Bn for 2021 followed by;
• Assets increased 6.1% YTD in 2023, going from $6.51 Tn at end of 2022 to $6.90 Tn.
• 11th month of consecutive net inflows. etgfi

 

BlackRock realised an 80% quarter-on-quarter surge in long-term net flows in Asia Pacific, the only region that registered growth at the start of the year in inflows for the world’s largest asset manager. Net new flows in APAC rose to US$18 billion in the first quarter of the year, up from US$10 billion in the last three months of 2022. ignites Asia

 

Schwab, State Street Report Mixed 1Q at ETF Units.

State Street, the No. 3 ETF issuer, reported that $12 billion flowed out of equity ETFs in the first quarter. That total was partially offset by $5 billion in incoming cash to bond ETFs.

Schwab, the No. 5 ETF issuer, said revenue in its unit that houses ETFs fell 6% as average client assets and fees slipped. etf.com

 

CLICK to listen stories from inspiring leaders. This week we speak with the legendary Jim Wiandt, CEO of SparkNetwork.

In this conversation we hear Jim talk about how he started his career writing encyclopaedias, how the production of content has changed over the years, why being mindful of what really matters in your life is something we should all focus more on and how he considers being a great dinner host as his core skill.

 

Noteworthy

 

The Chinese government is positioning Hong Kong as its gateway to crypto and the wider digital assets space, bolstering the territory’s economic value and spurring new opportunities, according to experts operating in the sector. ignites Asia

AUM in the European ETF industry to double to EUR2.5 trn before the end of 2030 according to Refinitiv Lipper. lipperalpha

BlackRock Inc.’s assets under management are set to exceed $15 trillion in five years’ time, analysts at Morgan Stanley said, with the broker predicting that fixed income and cash management will help propel the investment manager’s growth. bloomberg.com

About half, or 48%, of financial advisors at small firms say their staff doesn’t have the skills to manage data properly, according to a recent Schwab Advisor Services study. schwab.com

 

Additional reads

 

WisdomTree’s biggest shareholder is attempting to seize control of the board of the $90.7bn US asset manager with the aim of ousting both the chief executive and chair in an increasingly acrimonious dispute over strategy. ft.com

 

From Behind the Desk

 

This week we launch a new report in partnership with our friends at FLX Networks, titled Distribution 2.0: Revolutionizing Global ETF Distribution Through Technology.

We dive into the evolving role of the ETF salesperson team model, the importance of digital engagement and some of the biggest barriers to ETF distribution success across the globe.

It’s worth the read so keep an eye out for it. Click HERE to receive the report into your mailbox once is published.