AgioFunds and its listing partner Beta Securities Poland have announced the launch of a leveraged WIG20 ETF on GPW, the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
Robert Sochacki, Member of the Management Board of Beta Securities Poland.
The WIG20lev Beta ETF (BETAW20L PW), the seventh ETF to list on GPW, provides investors with 200% daily leveraged exposure to the WIG20 Index
The WIG20 is the foremost gauge of the Warsaw stock market, tracking the performance of the 20 largest and most liquid companies traded on the Main List of GPW.
The index is weighted by free-float-adjusted market capitalization subject to a cap of five companies from any one sector.
The ETF has been seeded with PLN 5,000,000, or about £1m. It comes with a management fee of 1.00%.
The fund is the fourth ETF from AgioFunds. The firm also offers two ETFs providing conventional and inverse exposure to the WIG20 Index, as well as an ETF that tracks the mid-cap mWIG40 Index.
Robert Sochacki, Member of the Management Board of Beta Securities Poland, commented, “The launch of WIG20lev BETA ETF is a natural continuation of the November launch of WIG20short BETA ETF. These funds are dedicated to investors who expect WIG20 to change sharply. Unlike futures, the ETFs are available in IKE and IKZE investment accounts. We hope that the ease of trade, attractive quotes, low required investment, and reduced management fees will win investors for the fund.”
Izabela Olszewska, Member of the Management Board of GPW, added, “The development of the passive fund market is a part of our growth strategy, reflecting the importance of passive investing to all market participants: the exchange, managers, issuers, as well as institutional and retail investors. We are glad that another ETF will be listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. I am certain that it is not the last word; on the contrary, I expect continued expansion of this market segment followed by ongoing development of ETFs.”
Inverse and leveraged ETFs provide an efficient means for sophisticated traders to obtain tactical exposures; however, they are generally considered unsuitable for retail investors who may not fully understand the risks involved. Specifically, these funds tend to decay in value if held for an extended period of time, potentially leading to significant losses especially in volatile but range-bound markets.