Amundi has expanded its environmental, social, and governance ETF range, with the addition of a new ETF tracking the recently devised DAX 50 ESG Index from Qontigo.

Lyxor Asset Management has launched a new ETF in Europe providing exposure to large and mid-cap German equities with robust environmental, social, and governance (ESG) characteristics. The Lyxor 1 DAX 50 ESG UCITS ETF (E909 GY), which has listed on Deutsche Börse Xetra, is linked to the DAX 50 ESG Index, a sustainable alternative to the widely followed DAX index.

Societe Generale, the French investment giant behind Lyxor ETF, has agreed to acquire Commerzbank’s equity markets and commodities business. The business includes the German bank’s established ETF brand, ComStage, and its associated ETF market-making platform.

Frankfurt-headquartered exchange operator Deutsche Börse has celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the launch of its bellwether index – the DAX. The DAX is the most widely followed reference for the performance of the German blue-chip equity market and has proven to be a popular choice for ETF investors with 17 DAX-linked ETFs commanding more than €17 billion in assets under management.

European investors are piling into exchange-traded funds, favouring those that mimic active fund managers, in a market where traditional trading relationships between assets are breaking down. Investment in ETFs, securities which track an index or basket of assets, rose to more than half a trillion euros at the end of last year, a record. A combination of low costs and flexibility kept investors hooked even though this break-down of so-called correlations should favour actively-managed mutual funds.

First Trust Global Portfolios has made its debut on the Deutsche Börse with the launch of the First Trust Germany AlphaDEX UCITS ETF (FTGG GY). The fund follows the “smart beta” AlphaDEX methodology based on company fundamentals to objectively select German stocks which may generate positive alpha relative to traditional indices, such as the DAX. “We are delighted to launch the First Trust Germany AlphaDEX UCITS ETF,” said Derek Fulton, CEO of First Trust Global Portfolios. “With this launch, our first listing on the Deutsche Börse, we are bringing our proven AlphaDEX merit-based stock selection methodology to Europe’s largest economy.”

China Post Global, the international asset management arm of the Chinese postal savings bank, has entered the European exchange-traded fund market with the acquisition of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s ETF range. The purchase marks the first time a Hong Kong asset manager has acquired a European UCITS ETF umbrella and its investment management team. Danny Dolan, Managing Director of China Post Global (UK), said: “Our aim is to differentiate ourselves through innovation. For example, while ETFs giving exposure to China and smart beta strategies already exist, no-one in Europe has yet combined the two.”

Boost ETP, a leading provider of short and leveraged exchange-traded products, has released its latest ‘Short & Leveraged ETFs/ETPs Global Flows Report’. The report highlights the key flows and trends in short and leveraged ETPs across asset classes and geographies in August 2014. Viktor Nossek, Head of Research at Boost, commented: “August saw S&L investors repositioning bullishly in European equities and bearishly in US equities.”

Lyxor Asset Management has continued to expand its range of exchange-traded funds available on the London Stock Exchange with the listing of four new European equity ETFs. The newly listed ETFs provide exposure to large-cap stocks in core Continental European developed markets, via the CAC 40, DAX, FTSE MIB and FTSE Developed Europe ex UK indices. Commenting on the new listings, Arnaud Llinas, Global Head of Lyxor ETFs, said: “The UK represents a key strategic market for Lyxor and we continue to see significant opportunities to expand our capabilities in the region.”

Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (DeAWM), the asset manager behind the db x-trackers brand of exchange-traded funds, has added to its range of low cost “core” ETFs. The latest addition to the range is the physically replicated db x-trackers MSCI World Index UCITS ETF (DR) (XDWD), listed on the London Stock Exchange. The fund provides exposure to the MSCI World Index, a benchmark capturing the performance of large and mid-cap stocks in 23 developed market countries.