After launching just five months ago, Schwab ETFs have already surpassed $1 billion in assets. Introduced in November 2009, the Schwab exchange traded funds have enjoyed rapid adoption due to low operating expense ratios and commission-free online trading in Schwab accounts.
ProShares has introduced two new leveraged exchange traded funds tied to the leading index of biotechnology stocks.
ProShares announced that it will execute reverse share splits on nine ProShares ETFs. The reverse splits will be effective for shareholders of record after the close of the markets on April 14, 2010.
Van Eck Global has launched Market Vectors Latin America Small-Cap Index ETF (LATM), the first U.S.-listed ETF designed to give investors exposure to small-cap stocks in Latin America. The Fund’s net expense ratio is 0.63% percent.
Invesco PowerShares announced the industry’s first suite of ETFs offering sector-specific beta exposure to U.S. small-cap equities. The suite is comprised of nine ETF portfolios; each constructed to track a subset of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index.
IndexIQ has added two new funds to the firm’s ETF line-up. The IQ Canada Small Cap ETF (CNDA) and IQ Australia Small Cap ETF (KROO) track indices intended to give investors a means of passively tracking the overall performance of the small-capitalization sector of publicly traded companies domiciled and primarily listed on exchanges in Canada and Australia respectively.
ProShares has introduced three new ETFs that provide short exposure to China, Real Estate and Basic Materials Indexes. The new funds include Short FTSE/Xinhua China 25 (YXI), Short Real Estate (REK) and Short Basic Materials (SBM).
State Street Global Advisors recently launched the SPDR S&P Russia ETF (RBL). Designed to provide investors with access to companies domiciled in Russia, the world’s largest producer of natural gas and oil, the new ETF seeks to track the performance of the S&P BMI Russia Capped Index.
Claymore Securities has added to its ETF line-up a suite designed to track three of Wilshire Associates’ broad market indexes: the Wilshire 5000 Total Market ETF (WFVK), the Wilshire 4500 Completion ETF (WXSP), and the Wilshire US REIT ETF (WREI).
State Street’s Dow Diamonds (DIA) has been renamed as the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA). DIA tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the oldest continuous barometer of the U.S. stock market, and the most widely quoted indicator of U.S. stock market activity.