Sell-side research and brokerage firm Bernstein has waded into the ETF market with the launch of a pair of equity ETFs tracking global or US stocks selected based on the firm’s own proprietary research. Robert van Brugge, chairman and CEO of Bernstein said, “With these ETFs, investors can assess our insights directly at a competitive price and in a convenient format.”

Investors in ETFs that track the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) have enjoyed a year of incredibly strong performance and were again celebrating as the index closed over 23,000 for the first time on 18 October 2017. The index, which celebrated its 120-year anniversary in 2016, has risen 30.4% in the 12 months to 18 October compared to the 21.9% returned by the S&P 500 Index over the same time period.

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.”

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.

EventShares, the ETF brand of Active Weighting Funds, has launched three new actively managed ETFs on the Bats Exchange. The Republican Policies Fund (GOP), the Democratic Policies Fund (DEMS) and the US Tax Reform Fund (TAXR) select their holdings based on US government policy themes and can take long or short positions in US securities.

KraneShares has launched the KraneShares MSCI China Environment ETF (NYSE Arca: KGRN). The ETF provides exposure to companies in China’s fast-growing environmental protection industry that has rapidly grown to be the largest renewable energy market in the world.

FTSE Russell is celebrating 25 years since the launch of the FTSE 250 Index on 12 October 1992. The first ETF to track the index was launched 13 years ago. Since then, strong performance and the index’s role as a proxy for the health of the UK economy has seen ETF assets linked to the mid-cap index rise to over £1.5 billion.

Singapore Exchange (SGX) and FactSet have launched a series of co-branded indices, designed to provide investors with exposure to regional and global themes including robotics, cybersecurity, and healthcare. The indices are likely to attract attention from ETF product developers, given the growing demand for thematic products – according to ETFGI, there were 447 thematic ETFs as of the end of 2016, up from 183 in 2012.