By Jodie Gunzberg, head of commodities indices, S&P Dow Jones Indices.

In light of the gold buying tradition for the upcoming Diwali festival in India, many might be wondering how valuable their gifts may be based on the price of gold. Several factors influence the price of gold that make timing gold as an investment difficult; however, now there might be upside potential for gold, especially since its volatility is so low.

The European smart beta ETF market had modest inflows of €555 million in Q3 2017, according to research from Lyxor, with factor allocation ETFs enjoying the bulk of inflows with €1.1 billion. The strong flows into factor allocation ETFs represent more than a 50% increase on Q2 flows of €719m.

Amundi has listed an income-distributing share class for its Amundi Euro Stoxx 50 UCITS ETF on Deutsche Börse’s Xetra and Frankfurt Exchanges. The new trading line complements the existing accumulating version currently listed on the Exchange.

Significant inflows into three of BlackRock’s iShares US sector ETFs, those providing exposure to equities in the financials, information technology, and healthcare sectors, have been recorded over the last month.

EquBot, in partnership with ETF Managers Group, has launched the AI Powered Equity ETF (AIEQ) on NYSE Arca, an actively managed ETF where stock selection decisions are guided by artificial intelligence.

BlackRock has expanded its range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) ETFs with the launch of the iShares MSCI World SRI UCITS ETF (SUSW) on the London Stock Exchange. Manuela Sperandeo, head of specialist sales, EMEA at BlackRock, commented, “This ETF is the latest addition to a range that allows investors to express their active investment decisions on a broad range of markets and geographies, quickly and cost-effectively.”

State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) has unveiled the SPDR Portfolio ETFs, a suite of “ultra-low-cost” ETFs that aims to assist investors in the construction of a core portfolio strategy. Comprising 15 existing funds with reduced expense ratios, the SPDR Portfolio ETFs provide access to a range of asset classes including fixed income, and US, emerging market and international equity. Commenting on the move, Todd Rosenbluth, director of ETF & mutual fund research with CFRA, said SSGA has “aggressively crashed the low-fee ETF party consisting of iShares, Vanguard and Schwab.”

London-based ETF Securities has reported that its range of disruptive technology ETFs, consisting of the firm’s cybersecurity and robotics & automation ETFs, has passed $1 billion in assets under management. Frank Spiteri, head of distribution, ETF Securities, said: “The success of the Future Present ETF range highlights how investors’ needs continue to evolve, creating opportunities for new and smarter solutions that fit within strategic long-term thematic allocations.”

Global X has launched the Global X Iconic US Brands ETF (Bats: LOGO), an ETF that invests in US-listed companies that possess strong brand equity and have built long-term loyalty among American customers.

An additional four new First Trust ETFs have been approved by the Mexican pension funds investment regulator, La Comisión Nacional del Sistema de Ahorro para el Retiro (CONSAR), for sale to Mexican pension funds. The latest round of approvals brings the total number of First Trust ETFs now available for sale to Mexican pension funds to eleven.