ETFs STEER STEADY AS MARKETS ROIL

the allure of exchange-traded products (ETPs) rose as world equity markets swung ferociously between deep losses and record increases in the aftermath of the coronavirus-induced panic at the end of March.

The total assets under management rose by almost 16% between the end of March and the end of June – to R106.6bn from R91.7bn, according to data collected by etfSA.co.za (etfSA). A decade ago, at the end of 2010, total assets under management totalled R32.2bn.

According to Mike Brown, managing director of etfSA, this second-quarter surge was mainly due to market price movements. “The growth in the size of the local ETP industry has been due to the recovery in prices of many of the markets and assets tracked, rather than because of new capital raised by the listing of new ETPs, or the issue of new shares