IndexUniverse, a US-focused publication covering the global indexing industry, and Brown Brothers Harriman, a custodian and administrator with some $170 billion in exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets, have released some early findings from their first joint ‘Annual Advisor Survey’.
Shawn McNinch, Senior Vice President, Global Head of ETF Services, Brown Brothers Harriman.
The survey, which was conducted over the last few months, pulled in responses from more than 1,000 advisors and included more than 40 questions.
The survey conveys key insight into financial advisors’ thoughts and opinions on significant subjects ranging from how planners select ETFs, how much they value index brands, their market outlooks and which ETF firms have the top reputation for quality, among other topics.
The survey also looked at how investors select newly launched ETFs, and what new ETF issuers had to do to attract attention from investors.
The full findings of the survey are scheduled to be published next month.
Some pre-publication highlights include:
- 50% of respondents say the index brand is of equal or greater importance to the ETF brand
- 53% of respondents say they would pay at least 6 extra basis points for an ETF with a “brand-name index” covering emerging markets
- An ETF’s strategy is the most important factor when selecting an ETF; trading spreads are the least
- 41% of advisors expect to increase their clients’ allocation to equities in the next six months; just 6% plan to lower it
Shawn McNinch, Senior Vice President, Global Head of ETF Services at Brown Brothers Harriman, said: “We are thrilled to be working with IndexUniverse to publish the results of this insightful and important survey, shedding light on the thoughts and opinions of some of the leading financial advisors working with ETFs today. The intelligence gathered in this survey is extremely valuable for the product development and distribution strategies for many of the world’s leading ETF sponsors.”
Matt Hougan, President of ETF Analytics and Publications for IndexUniverse, added: “IndexUniverse has been covering the ETF market for over a decade and we have an incredibly sophisticated audience of ETF-focused investors. This was a natural way to reach out to these experts and find out what they know, how they think and what they’re looking for in the ETF market.”