beta ETFs

Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ)'s PowerShares unit, the fourth-largest U.S. exchange-traded funds issuer, recently ventured into the low-cost, plain vanilla ETF space in a big way, launching five inexpensive, pure beta ETFs in a single day last month. PowerShares followed that up with the recent launch of...

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, the asset management and exchange-traded funds arm of Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS), added to its lineup of ActiveBeta smart beta ETFs Thursday with the debut of a small-cap fund. The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (NYSE: GSCC) is the newest...

The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (NYSE: GSLC) is a still a couple of weeks' shy of its first anniversary, but that says Goldman's oldest exchange-traded fund has not needed much time to be a one of clearest success stories among ETFs that debuted last year. What A First...

Previously derided and, more recently, validated on multiple, smart beta exchange-traded funds continue hauling in assets. Earlier this week, ETFGI, a London-based ETF research firm, reported that “assets invested in smart beta ETFs/ETPs listed in globally reached a new record high US$429...

The $4.2 billion PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1000 (ETF) (NYSE: PRF) debuted over a decade ago. Today, PRF is widely considered one of the forefathers of the booming smart segment of the exchange-traded funds industry. Perfecting Old School With PRF PRF follows the FTSE RAFI US 1000 Index, which...

A sanguine interest rate environment and continuing speculation that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates any more than twice this year are among the catalysts helping investors rekindle their attraction toward corporate bond exchange-traded funds. The love fest includes high-...

One of the earliest and most frequent criticism of alternatively-weighted exchange-traded funds is that when these funds outperform, it is often due to the value or small stocks factors or both. That is a charge frequently aimed at the PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1000 (ETF) (NYSE: PRF), one of the...

The cover story in this weekend's Barron's makes a case for rebound in value stocks as growth stocks take a siesta. Barron's offers 16 ways – from stocks to mutual funds – to play such a value rebound. Other featured articles include a special report on strategic beta ETFs. Growth...

Smart or strategic beta exchange-traded funds come with different methodologies. Some focus on a single factor, while others offer investors exposure to multiple factors. Then there are those funds that select holdings based on factors such as a company's ability to generate cash, pay and raise...

Over 280 exchange-traded products debuted in the United States last year. As is the case with every annual wave of new exchange-traded funds, some are immediately successful in terms of asset gathering, others take a while to reach assets under management milestones and some just meander until they...

The term “smart beta,” as it pertains to exchange-traded funds, has been derided by critics, but the success of some of the funds occupying this corner of the ETF landscape is undeniable. According to FTSE Russell’s first U.S. retail financial advisor market survey – Smart...

Over 200 exchange-traded products have come to market this year, indicating the competition for investors' assets is growing more intense. So, any time a new exchange-traded fund can rapidly clear superficial hurdles, such as gaining $100 million in assets under management, that is an advantage...