Trading activity on Tradeweb’s European-listed ETF marketplace remained solid in April with total traded volume at €16.7 billion. Europe Equities emerged as the month’s most heavily-traded ETF category. Adriano Pace, managing director for equity derivatives at Tradeweb, said: “April saw the return of the equity ETF buyer, reversing the sell-off that took hold of the market in the two preceding months.”

Australian ETF provider BetaShares has launched the BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (A200 AU) on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). A200 tracks the Solactive Australia 200 Index, which provides exposure to 200 of the largest companies listed on ASX, weighted by free-float market capitalisation.

The World Gold Council (WGC) is anticipated to launch a new gold-backed ETF, reports Reuters. The WGC owns the world’s largest gold-backed ETF—the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD US), which is marketed by ETF giant SSGA— but is creating a second gold offering with lower management fees.

DWS Group, the asset manager recently spun out of Deutsche Bank, has introduced a euro-hedged version of its core US equity ETF on Xetra. The newly listed Xtrackers MSCI USA UCITS ETF 2C – EUR Hedged (XD9E GR) share class offers euro-referenced investors currency-hedged equity exposure to large and medium-sized US companies.

BMO Global Asset Management Canada has launched the BMO Global Communications Index ETF (COMM CN) on Toronto Stock Exchange. “This ETF provides investors with a unique balance of global companies that are reshaping and driving the market through communications, technology and new media,” said Kevin Gopaul, head of BMO Global Asset Management Canada.

BlackRock is to convert 14 of its ASX-listed iShares US-domiciled ETFs to Australian-domiciled ETFs, removing the need for Australian investors to complete the US IRS’s W8-BEN form.

The Lyxor ETF research team has looked into the potential effects rising inflation could have on US ETF allocations for investors—specifically regarding exposures to inflation-protected bonds, commodities and energy stocks. ETF investors are well provided for when it comes to positioning portfolios accordingly.

Australian investment research house InvestSMART has launched its first exchange-traded managed fund: the InvestSMART Australian Equity Income Fund (INIF AU). The actively managed fund aims to generate income without forsaking capital growth by investing in a relatively concentrated portfolio (10 – 35 stocks) of cash-rich Australia-listed equities.

ProShares has launched the ProShares S&P 500 Bond ETF (SPXB US) on NYSE Arca, providing exposure to investment-grade corporate bonds issued by members of the blue-chip S&P 500 equity index. Michael Sapir, co-founder and CEO of ProShare Advisors, the advisor to ProShares, commented, “The S&P 500 served as the basis for the first ETF over 25 years ago. Today’s launch of a bond ETF tied to the S&P 500 is another important moment in the evolution of ETFs.”

Investment in ETFs in Asian institutional fixed income portfolios surged last year, according to the Greenwich Associates 2017 Asian ETF Study. In 2017, allocations to ETFs grew to 17.1% of total fixed income assets, up from just 6.6% in 2016. Andrew McCollum, Greenwich Associates consultant and author of the report, commented, “With market volatility on the upswing and interest rates in key markets around the world expected to climb, Greenwich Associates expects this growth in ETF use and allocation to continue over a longer-term horizon.”