Morningstar has published details of a study which delves into the data points that measure the true cost of ETF ownership. The key finding: keep an eye on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Morningstar found that, while clearly ETFs cost less on average, poor trade execution or poor ETF selection can actually negate the expense ratio advantage.

Japan’s exports jumped 10% in May, according to data from Japan’s Ministry of finance. Imports also increased during the month in a sign that domestic demand may also be picking up. Overall, the data eases concerns about the impact of a global slowdown on the Japanese economy, raising interest in Japanese equity ETFs. Katsuaki Ogata, a CIO at Alliance Bernstein, believes that, at today’s valuations, Japanese equities offer an “exceptional investment opportunity” and that the Japanese market is “available at historically attractive prices”.

Over the past week shares in two of the largest rare earth metals producers, Lynas (LYC) and Molycorp (MCP), have rallied on a combination of stock-specific and industry news. The strong performance from these two sector heavy weights has pushed up rare earth ETFs, including the Market Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) and the UBS-ETF STOXX Global Rare Earth (UIMV), which are showing signs of rebounding from recent lows.

State Street Global Advisors has announced the launch of two new corporate bond ETFs, the SPDR BofA Merrill Lynch Emerging Markets Corporate Bond ETF (EMCD) and the SPDR BofA Merrill Lynch Crossover Corporate Bond ETF (XOVR). The two new SPDR ETFs, which have been listed on the NYSE Arca, provide investors with an opportunity to access the attractive yield and total return potential of emerging market corporate debt and crossover corporate bonds.

Huntington Asset Advisors, a subsidiary of Ohio-based Huntington National Bank, has made its debut in the US ETF space with the launch, on the NYSE Arca, of the Huntington EcoLogical Strategy ETF (HECO). HECO, the first of two initial planned ETFs under the company’s newly minted ‘Huntington Strategy Shares’ brand, is an actively managed ETF that focuses on sustainable and environmentally-friendly companies.

United States Commodity Funds (USCF), a US-based pioneer in commodity-focused ETFs, has announced the launch of the United States Metals Index Fund (USMI), an NYSE-listed ETF providing optimised exposure to a diversified portfolio of metals futures contracts. USMI is designed to track the price movements of the SummerHaven Dynamic Metals Index Total Return and is the twelfth ETF in the USCF range, which has some $2.7bn in assets under management.

Over the next three years, fund managers are set to increase their exposure to Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and other Exchange Traded Products (ETPs), according to new research from Lyxor. The new research reveals that well over half of managers anticipate that their exposure to ETFs and ETPs will rise, with nearly one in four anticipating an increase of 10% or more. Interestingly, fewer than 6% are ‘very concerned’ about the risks posed by these products, suggesting that investors are at ease with securities lending and synthetic replication.

With all the talk of a eurozone break-up, anaemic recovery in the US and slowdown in China, investors have been seeking the sanctuary of so-called safe-haven sector ETFs, such as those tracking utilities. However, analysis by Fitch Ratings, looking at the potential repercussions of a Greek euro exit, suggests that utilities are “most at risk from eurozone turmoil.” Investors may be wiser looking at oil & gas ETFs, which are internationally diversified and able to generate export revenue in dollars.

There are several reasons to favour corporate bonds over equities or government debt in the current environment. At least that’s the view of Fran Rodilosso, a veteran bond fund manager. Rodilosso points to a number of factors supporting his view, including yields, which far exceed those of US Treasuries, UK gilts or German bunds, downside protection and superior credit fundamentals. For investors, high-yield corporate bond ETFs offer an efficient way to capitalise on these advantages.

Indications that Japan is preparing to restart a pair of idled nuclear reactors, coupled with signs China may be about to issue new reactor licenses, could be the catalyst for a turnaround in fortunes for uranium mining ETFs. This improvement in sentiment has already had a positive impact on the price of uranium, which rose last month for the first time since January 2011. This, in turn, means good news for uranium mining stocks, which are currently trading at discounted prices.