With over 900 ETFs based on its indexes, MSCI is one of the most important index providers in the ETF world. The firm calculates over 180,000 indexes daily with over $10 trillion in assets benchmarked to those indexes. ETF Strategy sat down with Hitendra Varsani, who spent 11 years at Morgan Stanley prior to joining MSCI as executive director of factor strategies.

Thirteen new ETFs and ten new ETCs listed on the London Stock Exchange in March, bringing the total number of ETFs and ETPs listed on the exchange to 890 and 451 respectively.

Leading index provider to the exchange-traded fund industry MSCI has released its performance report for March 2017, breaking down the best and worst performing equity indices over this period by countries, factors and sectors.

With over 6,000 ETFs, of which there are 1,200 ISA eligible ETFs, it can be intimidating for private investors to know where to start. Oliver Smith, Portfolio Manager at IG, shares some tips on how private should build portfolios using ETFs.

ETPs listed globally gathered $64.8 billion in net new assets during March, according to BlackRock’s latest ETP Landscape Report, setting a new range of performance yardsticks, having surpassed existing monthly, quarterly and year-to-date (YTD) records.

Trading activity on Tradeweb’s European ETF marketplace during March was the strongest month on record since the platform’s launch in late 2012.

FTSE Russell has unveiled four new global sector indices with built-in currency hedging. The Russell Developed Large Cap 100% Hedged to CAD indices are designed for Canadian market participants and capture specific global exposures related to the consumer staples, consumer discretionary, banking and insurance sectors. Ken O’Keeffe, global head of ETFs at FTSE Russell, said: “After recognizing a growing desire among Canadian market participants for global sector exposures, we are delighted to roll out this new suite of indices.”

Germany-based index provider Solactive AG has unveiled the Solactive Nordic 150 Index, tracking the market cap-weighted performance of 150 of the most liquid shares listed in the Nordic region covering Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The index may serve as the underlying for index-linked investment products such as ETFs.

Thailand’s largest ETF issuer One Asset Management (OneAM) has launched the One Stoxx ASEAN Select Dividend ETF on Singapore Stock Exchange, marking the first time the firm has listed an ETF in the country. The ETF tracks the Stoxx ASEAN Select Dividend 30 Index, which employs a smart-beta strategy to uncover the top 30 companies from six ASEAN countries based on dividend yield.

Trust Company of America, a provider of integrated technology, custody and management support for Registered Investment Advisors, has launched ETF Custody Advantage, a trading platform designed for exchange-traded funds. Joshua Pace, president and CEO, Trust Company of America, commented: “[Our] ETF platform will ensure investors receive greater levels of diversification through exposure to a wide array of asset classes.”