I have been talking to exchange-traded fund (ETF) investors for more than a decade, and when I mention the numerous benefits of the structure, I often hear “I don’t need intraday liquidity, so that does not benefit me.” Well, I am here to tell you that whether or not you utilize the intraday liquidity, it benefits all ETF investors.
The exchange listing, or “ET” part of “ETF,” is what allows this product to have intraday liquidity. But the exchange listing also gives ETFs benefits over other product wrappers, such as mutual funds, that are not listed. The exchange listing gives ETF investors an extra avenue of liquidity, tax efficiency and the possibility to trade at less than cost.
Here’s a question we are frequently asked: “What happens to ETF liquidity in times of stress—in particular, fixed income ETFs?” My answer is that the ETF wrapper is not magical; it is transparent and will reflect the stress that is going on in the underlying asset class. However, because the ETF is exchange listed, it provides an extra avenue of liquidity in addition to the liquidity provided by the underlying securities in the ETF. This proves extremely useful during times of stress. For example, in the fall of 2015, Third Avenue’s now fully liquidated mutual fund, Third Avenue Focused Credit, was invested in extremely distressed debt.
The high-yield bond market seized, and the fund had to halt redemptions. While this occurred, many high-yield bond ETFs continued to trade without error. Although spreads may have widened to reflect the underlying stress, these ETFs went on to trade many multiples of their average daily volumes for many months. Investors who needed high-yield exposure flocked to a transparent meeting place that was functioning. The exchange gives the underlying asset class another venue to trade on without having to transact in the underlying securities. The exchange listing not only augments the liquidity profile of an ETF, but it also provides a liquidity buffer in times of crisis.
A second key benefit of being exchange listed is that ETFs generally are more tax efficient than their mutual fund counterparts. This is due to two factors: the ability to create and redeem (grow and shrink in size) through the in-kind mechanism, and the ability to trade on exchange. The in-kind mechanism gives portfolio managers more control over their tax lots. The ability to trade on exchange allows shares of the ETF to be passed back and forth without necessarily creating turnover in the underlying portfolio. In fact, an Investment Company Institute report notes that less than 10% of the ETF average daily volume (ADV) translates into creation/redemptions, or trading within the fund.1 Think about it; 90 % of the ADV of an ETF is changing hands without the underlying portfolio trading. So, relative to nonlisted wrappers, on average, the ETF fund trades 90% less, which reduces the opportunity to create capital gains. The extra avenue to trade on exchange provides another buffer from constant trading within the fund.
A third important benefit of being exchange listed is that an ETF has the potential to trade at less than cost. That means an investor may be able to buy or sell an ETF for less than if an investor were to buy or sell the underlying components on his or her own. Because of the fact that, on average, only 10% of the ETFADV results in trading within the fund, the 90% that doesn’t require portfolio trading creates cost savings in execution to the market maker. These cost savings are then passed on to the end investor in the form of tighter spreads. In fact, Virtu (then called KCG) published a research report saying that 90% of U.S. equity ETFs with U.S. equity underlying securities trade tighter than the cost to buy or sell that collection of securities.2 A mutual fund investor typically will not have that opportunity. The ability to congregate on exchange provides the end investor with execution cost savings a majority of the time.
The exchange listing of an ETF provides a place away from the portfolio to trade exposure of that investment strategy. This extra place to trade adds another dimension to that investment strategy. Even if you’re a long-term holder of ETF and don’t need or want to trade intraday and think ETFs aren’t for you, think again. The fact that the intraday liquidity exists and these products are exchange traded provides the end investor with enhanced liquidity, tax efficiency and a high possibility to execute that strategy less than it would cost to buy the strategy yourself.
Anita Rausch, Head of Capital Markets
Important Risks Related to this Article
Neither WisdomTree Investments, Inc., nor its affiliates, nor Foreside Fund Services, LLC, or its affiliates provide tax advice. All references to tax matters or information provided in this material are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered tax advice and cannot be used for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties. Investors seeking tax advice should consult an independent tax advisor.
Foreside Fund Services, LLC, is not affiliated with the entities mentioned.
I slutet av november 2024 nådde det totala börsvärdet för kryptovalutor en imponerande $3,4 biljoner, vilket placerar den bland de största tillgångsklasserna globalt. Denna siffra överstiger börsvärdet för börsnoterade fastigheter (1,9 biljoner dollar) och breda råvaror (1,0 biljoner dollar), och konkurrerar med andra väletablerade kategorier som småföretag på tillväxtmarknader (2,8 biljoner dollar), högavkastande obligationer (2,8 biljoner dollar) och inflationsbundna obligationer (2,6 biljoner USD).
Kryptovalutor har nu mer än 15 års meritlista, som har utvecklats från Bitcoins debut 2009 till ett blomstrande ekosystem av tusentals digitala tillgångar och blockkedjebaserade applikationer. Denna livslängd och tillväxt understryker deras motståndskraft och uthållighet.
Investerarsentiment
Trots dessa framgångar kvarstår skepsisen. Enligt vår Professional Investor Survey 2024 ser cirka 15 % av de tillfrågade bristande efterfrågan på kryptovalutor, och drygt 13 % av dem ser fortfarande kryptovalutor som en övergående modefluga.
Denna skepsis förbiser flera betydelsefulla milstolpar i kryptovalutas resa mot vanliga finanser och institutionalisering som vi har observerat 2024. Som exempel:
Spot Bitcoin börshandlade produkter (ETP) lanserades i USA och fick över 24 miljarder USD i nettoinflöden under de första 10 månaderna av 2024.
Större institutioner, inklusive State of Wisconsin Investment Board och Emory University Endowment, allokerade till bitcoin-ETP, med hänvisning till inflationssäkringsegenskaper och potential för portföljdiversifiering.
Som visas i figur 1, medan majoriteten av flöden 2024 har gått till amerikanskt hemmahörande bitcoin-ETPer, är Europa fortfarande ledande när det gäller mångfalden och mognadsgraden av sina erbjudanden. Här kan investerare investera i ett brett utbud av ETPer för enstaka mynt och kryptokorg, av vilka många har relativt långa meriter.
Källa: Bloomberg, WisdomTree. 31 oktober 2024. Aktivt förvaltade krypto-ETPer är undantagna. AUM = tillgångar under förvaltning. 1M = en månad. YTD = år till dags dato. Historisk utveckling är inte en indikation på framtida resultat och alla investeringar kan gå ner i värde.
Europas framsynthet har främjat en sofistikerad marknad som spänner över olika strategier och tillgodoser olika investerares preferenser. Däremot fortsätter den amerikanska marknaden att komma ikapp, även om den har tagit fart med de senaste lanseringarna.
Framåtblick
Utvecklingen av krypto-ETP-marknaden förväntas accelerera när både de amerikanska och europeiska marknaderna fortsätter att mogna.
I USA kan den senaste lanseringen av spotbitcoin och Ethereum ETPer bana väg för regulatoriskt godkännande av ytterligare kryptovalutaprodukter, vilket breddar omfattningen av investeringsmöjligheter tillgängliga för institutionella och privata investerare. Denna växande tillgänglighet kommer sannolikt att locka till sig ännu större inflöden, vilket ytterligare bäddar in kryptovalutor i det traditionella finansiella ekosystemet.
Samtidigt positionerar Europas etablerade ledarskap och olika produkterbjudanden det till att förbli ett nav för innovation inom krypto-ETP-området.
Figur 2: Global vy
Källa: WisdomTree. november 2024.
Som visas i figur 2 är bitcoin ETPer nu listade på de flesta utvecklade marknader, vilket ger institutionella investerare över hela världen strömlinjeformad tillgång till kryptovalutor. Denna utbredda tillgänglighet förbättrar inte bara möjligheterna till diversifiering av portföljer utan främjar också större adoption av institutionella aktörer som tidigare avskräcktes av komplexiteten i direkta investeringar i kryptovaluta.
Slutsats
Uppgifterna belyser en koppling mellan marknadsverkligheten för kryptovalutor och vissa investerares uppfattningar. Med ett börsvärde som konkurrerar med traditionella tillgångsklasser och en beprövad historia, är kryptovalutor inte längre en nischinvestering utan en formidabel aktör i det globala finansiella ekosystemet.
För investerare som avfärdar sektorn som en övergående trend kan det vara värt att omvärdera sin hållning mot bakgrund av bevisen.
Detta material är utarbetat av WisdomTree och dess dotterbolag och är inte avsett att lita på som en prognos, forskning eller investeringsrådgivning, och är inte en rekommendation, erbjudande eller uppmaning att köpa eller sälja några värdepapper eller att anta någon investeringsstrategi. Åsikterna som uttrycks är från produktionsdatumet och kan ändras när efterföljande villkor varierar. Informationen och åsikterna i detta material härrör från proprietära och icke-proprietära källor. Som sådan ges ingen garanti för noggrannhet eller tillförlitlighet och inget ansvar som uppstår på något annat sätt för fel och utelämnanden (inklusive ansvar gentemot någon person på grund av vårdslöshet) accepteras av WisdomTree, inte heller någon affiliate, eller någon av deras tjänstemän, anställda eller agenter. Att lita på information i detta material är efter läsarens eget gottfinnande. Tidigare resultat är inte en tillförlitlig indikator på framtida resultat.
Sedan i fredags finns två nya aktiva börshandlade fonder från Xtrackers tillgängliga för handel på Xetra och Börse Frankfurt. Det är två aktiva ETFer från Xtrackers investerar i företag med hög investeringskapacitet inom området grön teknologi
Den aktivt förvaltade Xtrackers World Green Transition Innovators UCITSETF riktar sig till globala stora och medelstora företag som ligger i framkant när det gäller att utveckla och implementera grön teknik. Dessa företag väljs ut baserat på deras betydande forsknings- och utvecklingsaktiviteter inom grön teknologi, vilket framgår av deras patentportföljer.
För investerare som söker exponering mot småbolag erbjuder den aktivt förvaltade Xtrackers World Small Cap Green Transition Innovators UCITSETF ett liknande investeringsmål.
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Xtrackers World Green Transition Innovators UCITSETF 1C
Produktutbudet i Deutsche Börses XTF-segment omfattar för närvarande totalt 2 309 ETFer. Med detta urval och en genomsnittlig månatlig handelsvolym på cirka 16 miljarder euro är Xetra den ledande handelsplatsen för ETFer i Europa.
Our 2024 predictions were fairly on point as the year saw macro and geopolitical volatility persist, with developed and select emerging markets benefiting from the year of artificial intelligence (AI) awareness.
My general sense is that 2025 may similarly feel like a transitional one, with a continuation of monetary policy easing in developed markets and the investment spotlight still shining on themes like AI, its supply chain, ecosystem and infrastructure. Of course, some residual US political uncertainty and continued geopolitical tensions remain ever-present to add some spice and volatility.
2025 ETF predictions
US and developed market equity ETFs will see an increase in assets under management (AUM).
This time last year, we were staring down the barrel of slowing global inflation and interest-rate cuts framed against a backdrop of weakening jobs data, suggesting a potentially hard landing for the US economy. While inflation has remained sticky through most of this year, labour markets have been increasingly resilient, suggesting the hard-landing narrative be cast aside (for now—more on this later).
Considering the entirety of 2024, the S&P 500 Index could very well end the year having seen more than 50 all-time highs reached throughout.1 The so-called “AI bull” of 2024 is showing telltale signs of chasing the red cape into 2025, with global mega-cap tech firms at the forefront and now broadening the investment case out to infrastructure growth to support the AI ecosystem.
Aside from those within the AI supply chain, multinational corporations that can either develop in-house solutions or effectively implement external tools should be able to benefit from productivity gains and reap the rewards of additional cash flow. This, together with continued developed market monetary policy easing, suggests investors may be wise to take the bull by the horns in 2025 and gain broad global exposure to this transformative developed market trend.
Single-country emerging market ETFs will outperform a broader allocation
Republicans and Donald Trump have scored victory in the US presidential race, resolving some of the uncertainty heading into 2025. Trump’s second term in office could lead to significant potential economic and market impacts, given the high tariff agenda of the Republican party. The agenda could heavily influence industry, most notably for the United States and China. Major name brands have pulled back in the region and continue to divert a considerable amount of production supply away from China and instead toward India, which doesn’t help China’s economy in the face of domestic demand debility.
President Xi Jingping’s most recent stimulus package came in response to China’s early year woes and cries for fiscal help, turning the tide in Chinese markets, which kicked off a healthy rally before the country’s equity markets subsequently suffered their worst fall in 27 years.2 One thing we believe is certain in 2025 is that the waters will continue to be choppy in the Far East. Therefore, we continue to be bullish on tech-heavy emerging market economies such as South Korea, Taiwan and, depending on any further bumper stimulus, China.
Additionally, our stance on India remains the same as last year, with the country and leadership focused on supportive government policies which include infrastructure development and free trade agreements. India’s narrative is shifting from “Is India the new China?” to “India is the new India!” Further growth is anticipated, owing to the country’s focus on technology and digitization coupled with its favorable demographics, growing middle class and healthy domestic consumption.
US and EU investment-grade corporate bond ETFs should be an AUM winner
Clearly, the economic “landing” story has been more drawn out than the data suggested when I made my ETF predications last year. However, conditions remain consistent: Inflation is falling, and most central banks are cutting interest rates. Nonetheless, the addition of another year of relative economic stability marked by low corporate defaults and circumstances indicative of optimistic company earnings, are helping the US economy potentially achieve a “soft landing” (A soft landing describes an economy slowing, allowing inflation to fall, without tipping into a recession). Historically a soft landing combined with continued easing has been a positive driver for both equity and bond markets. Against this backdrop, we maintain a more hands on approach to navigating fixed income and believe actively managed quality fixed income from both the US and eurozone (US and euro IG) will likely outperform over the coming 12 months.