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.

Nebraska-based brokerage firm TD Ameritrade has announced a major increase in the scope of its commission-free ETF trading platform, tripling the number of ETFs available from 100 to 296. The expansion means TD Ameritrade now offers the largest commission-free ETF trading program in the industry.

Toronto-based asset manager Evolve Funds has launched three new ETFs in Canada, including two actively managed funds providing exposure to US equities and short duration bonds, and one index-linked ETF tracking US banking stocks. Each fund has been listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

By Jesper Koll, WisdomTree’s head of Japan.

Japan’s upcoming election is poised to usher in a new era of policy competition and political accountability. Structural reform in general, supply-side reform in particular, is poised to accelerate.

BlackRock’s European-listed iShares Edge MSCI World Momentum Factor UCITS ETF has recorded significant inflows recently, gaining net new assets of over $500 million between 22 August and 12 October 2017.

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.

ERI Scientific Beta has launched a long/short equity market neutral index that takes a long position in a number of portfolios designed to maximise exposure to different factors while shorting the broad cap-weighted market. The succinctly-named Scientific Beta Developed Multi-Beta Multi-Strategy Managed Volatility L/S Equity Market Neutral Index (x3.5) includes large- and mid-cap equities from global developed markets.