Invesco, the asset manager behind the PowerShares range of ETFs, is rumoured to be in discussions to acquire part of the investment management business of Guggenheim Investments, including the firm’s ETF issuing arm. The deal, if completed, would mark the second major ETF-related acquisition for Invesco this year following the announcement in April that it would be taking control of Europe-based asset manager Source.

ERI Scientific Beta, the smart beta index provider offshoot of EDHEC Risk Institute, has announced that assets tracking its indices reached $16.5bn at the end of 30 June 2017, representing an increase of 60% over the past year. A number of ETFs track Scientific Beta indices; the largest of these is the Amundi Global Equity Multi Smart Allocation Scientific Beta UCITS ETF (Euronext: SMRT) which has approximately €500 million in AUM.

Research from ETFGI shows assets in ETFs/ETPs listed in Canada grew by 19% during the first half of 2017 to set a new record high of $101 billion at the end of June. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of assets over the last ten years now stands at 21%.

Assets invested in Japan-listed exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded products grew by 26.7% in the first half of 2017, from $173.3 billion to reach a new record of $219.6bn, according to research from ETF industry consultancy ETFGI.

By Viktor Nossek, director of research at WisdomTree in Europe.

Sentiment in Eurozone risk assets has improved. Macron’s pro-EU and pro-growth reform agenda and EU regulators’ swift intervention to deal with weak lenders and bad loans are a major driving force to sustain it. A softer version of UK’s exit from the EU also means UK risk sentiment should stay upbeat as uncertainty over trade and capital flows is reduced.

Morningstar has teamed up with Euronext to launch two new indices, the Morningstar Eurozone 50 Index and the Morningstar Developed Markets Europe 100 Index, providing exposure to large-cap European equities. The launch follows the announcement of a strategic agreement between Euronext and Morningstar in March 2017.

Assets invested in smart beta equity ETFs/ETPs have reached a new record high of $592 billion at the end of June 2017, according to ETF industry consultant ETFGI. Smart beta equity ETF/ETP assets have increased by nearly 15% from $515bn during the first half of 2017.

ProShares, a US-based provider specializing in inverse and leveraged ETFs, has announced it is closing 13 funds in its line-up. 

Pacer ETFs has announced a deal with Citi to license Citi’s proprietary indices for use in exchange-traded funds. Under the agreement, Pacer will use Citi’s indices to offer ETFs that provide institutional investors with strategy-driven solutions for risk management and long-term growth.

Assets invested in actively managed ETFs/ETPs have grown by 30.5% in the first half of 2017 to reach a new record of $57 billion, according to research by ETFGI. The number of active ETFs/ETPs listed globally also grew by 20% to 364 in the first half of 2017. However, active funds remain a small part of the overall ETF/ETP landscape accounting for only 5% of the total number of ETFs/ETPs listed globally and a mere 1.2% of global assets.