ETFs see 150% turnover growth in March
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trading volumes hit an all-time high of $18 billion in turnover in March, more than double its previous record, according to BetaShares.
ETF trades on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) were $18 billion during March, beating the record held in February which was $7.2 billion.
This growth came despite funds under management declining by $6.8 billion in line with falling equity markets, with the sector ending the month with funds under management of $57.2 billion. This equated to net positive inflows of $522 million.
The most popular vehicles were broad Australian equities products which received $1.1 billion in net inflows while fixed income and cash vehicles were sold down. Hedged international products also saw positive flows, reflecting the weakness in the Australian dollar.
BetaShares said its Australian Equities Strong Bear Hedge fund, a fund that seeks to generate returns which are negatively correlated with the Australian stockmarket, accounted for $2 billion of monthly trading value and was one of the strongest-performing funds during the month.
BetaShares chief executive, Alex Vynokur, said: “During this challenging period, the extraordinary rise in ETF trading volumes indicates that Australian investors are increasingly turning to ETFs to express their investment views, suggesting that the liquidity of ETFs is proving attractive amidst some of the most intense volatility in recent history.”
AUTHOR
Laura Dew
Recommended for you
Bennelong Funds Management chief executive John Burke has told Money Management that the firm is seeking to invest in boutiques in two specific asset classes as it identifies gaps in its product range.
Responsible investment performance concerns have lessened as the market hits $1.6 trillion in AUM, according to RIAA’s annual report, but greenwashing fears among asset managers are on the rise.
Research by Morningstar has found fixed income funds are bucking a general trend around managed fund fee dispersion with a smaller fee dispersion compared to equity ones.
As investors seek to diversify their portfolios, the naming of bond labels has broadened out to include green, social and impact bonds, according to the annual RIAA report.
