SPDR ETFs, the exchange traded funds (ETF) platform of asset management firm State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), has issued 11 new physically-backed equity and fixed income ETFs on the London Stock Exchange's main market, offering exposure to fixed income, global and emerging equity markets.
The new SPDR ETFs include emerging market equity and global equity products, which are the first European equity ETFs tracking the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) and the MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index, and the first European fixed income ETF to provide investors access to local-currency emerging market debt.
Vin Bhattacharjee, head of the intermediary business for Europe Middle East and Africa at SSgA, said, “UK investors have been early adopters of ETFs. Even though the trend towards increased ETF usage in the UK is evidenced in all client segments, the forthcoming retail distribution review will bring about changes in the distribution landscape which will increase the interest in this product set amongst retail investors because of the uniform pricing structure of most ETFs in the UK.”
Pietro Poletto, global head of ETFs at London Stock Exchange Group, said, “As one of the largest providers of ETFs in the world, SPDR ETFs is a great addition to our range of issuers in London, and will offer investors simple, transparent access to an excellent selection of indices on a highly liquid platform.”
There are currently 493 ETFs from 16 issuers listed on the London Stock Exchange.
In the first half of 2011 there were 369,600 ETF trades in London worth a combined £19 billion, a 40.3% and 33.5% increase respectively on the same period last year.