The event to watch this week will be the meeting of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) which takes place on 10 March 2016. Investors have begun laying down tactical bets across asset markets as anticipation grows as to whether the ECB will introduce further stimulus measures into Europe. Antoine Lesné, Head of ETF sales strategy EMEA at State Street Global Advisors, a leading provider of exchange-traded funds, comments on the major themes to be discussed and where investors may find value following the possible outcomes of the meeting.

State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), the asset manager behind the SPDR exchange-traded funds line-up, has launched a new ETF that invests in companies that are leaders in advancing women through gender diversity. Aptly launched on International Women’s Day, the SPDR SSGA Gender Diversity Index ETF (NYSE Arca: SHE) is offered to investors who want to access the potential benefits of gender diverse leadership, while maintaining core US large-cap exposure. The ETF is linked to the proprietary SSGA Gender Diversity Index, which currently comprises 144 stocks from the largest 1,000 listed companies in the US, based on the number of women at the CEO, board or senior leadership levels.

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Hong Kong’s financial markets regulator, has authorized the issuance of leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds. The move follows a report in October last year from Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) detailing concerns over the territory’s ETF market falling behind the likes of Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and Korea. Leveraged ETFs magnify exposure to an underlying index, while inverse ETFs profit from a decline in an underlying index. The funds use derivatives to obtain their respective exposures and are required to re-balance their positions on a daily basis.

Deutsche Asset Management, a division of Frankfurt-headquartered Deutsche Bank, has expanded its range of db x-trackers exchange-traded funds with the launch of the EUR-hedged db x-trackers Barclays USD Corporate Bond UCITS ETF (EUR) (Xetra: XDGE). The ETF is linked to the Barclays USD Liquid Investment Grade Corporate EUR hedged Index, providing access to the performance of fixed interest investment grade corporate bonds denominated in US dollars. The USD-EUR exchange rate risk is hedged.

Solactive, a Frankfurt-based provider of niche financial indices, has launched a low carbon fixed income index in collaboration with South Pole Group, a specialist project manager helping firms reduce their carbon footprints. The Solactive SPG Euro IG Low Carbon Bond Index tracks euro-denominated corporate bonds with investment grade status, and selects companies that are less dependent on fossil fuels relative to higher carbon-emitting peers.

iShares has resumed the creation of new shares in its iShares Gold ETF (NYSE: IAU) following a temporary suspension on 4 March 2016 due to an exhaustion of registered shares at that point. The trust behind the ETF has since successfully registered new shares with the Securities & Exchange Commission to accommodate future creations in the primary market. Despite the halting of creation activity, trading remained orderly during the suspension period – investors were still able to transact in the ETF on stock exchanges and authorized participants were able to continue to redeem shares during the suspension, though none requested to do so.

“The expansion of our ActiveBeta suite of ETFs demonstrates our commitment to providing ETF investors with true diversification through multi-factor solutions across the globe,” added Gary Chropuvka, Head of Customized Beta Strategies within the Quantitative Investment Strategies team. “As investors continue to demand a shift away from traditional exposures, we continue to look for opportunities abroad.”

Index provider MSCI has announced that it is expanding its ESG Research to include 21,000 mutual funds and exchange traded funds. The index provider’s specialist research arm, which focuses on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters, has developed MSCI ESG Fund Metrics following demand from wealth managers who want greater insight into the ESG attributes of their portfolios. MSCI ESG Fund Metrics will measure the ESG characteristics of portfolio holdings and rank, or screen, funds based on a diverse set of factors including sustainable impact, values alignment and ESG risks, including carbon footprint.

The rise of “smart beta” could force traditional UK active equity managers into extinction, according to Nick Samuels, Head of Equity Manager Research at investment consultants Redington. This warning comes amid intense debate throughout the last decade over the effectiveness of active equity managers and the growing sophistication of passive investment offerings such as smart beta exchange-traded funds (ETFs). “Despite a decade of fierce debate over fees, many active equity managers in the UK have remained impervious to the global rise of passives. However, a growing bank of parlous historical data and changes in smart passive design may yet precipitate a great extinction”, says Samuels.

FinEx, a London-headquartered exchange-traded fund issuer with significant operations in Russia, has launched the FinEx Russian RTS Equity UCITS ETF (FXRL) on Moscow Exchange. The fund, which is denominated in US dollars and traded in roubles, tracks the widely followed RTS Index. The RTS comprising 50 of the largest and most liquid stocks listed on the Russian exchange. The index is highly concentrated with the three largest constituents – Gazprom, Sberbank and Lukoi – making up nearly 40% of the total index.