ETF Securities Australia has announced the upcoming launch of Australia’s first ETF to provide pure-play exposure to the equity market of India. The fund, which is due to be listed later this month, comes as more than 900 million eligible voters in the country head to the polls. Kris Walesby, Head of ETF Securities Australia, commented, “The elections now underway in India underscore the huge numbers we are dealing with when it comes to the Indian economy, an investment opportunity we will soon be putting within easy reach of Australian investors.”

By Nitesh Shah, Director, Research at WisdomTree.

El Niño refers to a climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean that has a global impact on weather patterns. The name, which loosely translates to ‘Christ child’, traces its origin back to Peruvian fisherman in the 1600s, who observed that fish yields would often decline around Christmas time as seawater temperatures rose.

Aberdeen Standard Investments has reduced the sponsor fee for the Aberdeen Standard Physical Swiss Gold Shares ETF (SGOL US) from 0.39% to 0.17%. The fund, which is backed by physical gold, is now tied as the cheapest gold ETP in the US alongside the GraniteShares Gold Trust (BAR US). “The ETF market is constantly evolving, and we will continue to adapt what we do to help meet the needs of our clients,” said Steven Dunn, Head of ETFs at Aberdeen Standard Investments.

By Aneeka Gupta, Associate Director of Research at WisdomTree.

Over the next decade, we expect a rapid change on the framework in which we live, moved by trends such as technological innovation and climate change. In this blog we review how the marriage of battery technology and the increasing need of tackling climate change builds the case for electric vehicle adoption.

By Nitesh Shah, Director, Commodity Strategist, WisdomTree.

Silver has had a poor run in recent months with its price falling from over $17/oz in mid-June to just over $14/oz in September. The ‘hybrid’ metal has come under pressure for several reasons: its strong correlation with gold (which has also fallen) has dragged it lower, while the sell-off in industrial metals has exacerbated market pessimism towards all metals. So, what does the future hold for silver? Is the silver price likely to fall further in the near term or is it set for a rebound?

ETF Securities Australia has launched the ETFS S&P Biotech ETF (CURE AU) on Australian Securities Exchange, providing exposure to the US biotechnology stocks.

Vanguard Australia has launched the Vanguard Global Infrastructure Index ETF (VBLD AU) on Australian Securities Exchange. The ETF provides low-cost access to developed market securities operating across the three ‘core’ infrastructure sectors: transportation, energy and telecommunications.

By Nitesh Shah, Director of Research, WisdomTree.

What happened to gold last quarter? The yellow metal fell 4% in the three months from the end of June — a decline that we do not believe is justified by the 11 basis-point rise in bond yields and 0.4% gain in the US dollar over the period. Rather, gold’s poor performance seems to have been driven by a collapse in sentiment.

BlackRock has launched a pair of ETFs – unconnected to each other – providing exposure to companies globally that are closely aligned with the themes of workplace inclusion & diversity and digital security. The funds have been listed on the London Stock Exchange and Xetra, and track indices provided by Thomson Reuters and Stoxx. Rob Powell, Lead Strategist, iShares Thematic Investing, commented: “As more and more investors are getting to know ETFs beyond the broad equity market exposures, our focus is on expanding this choice of tools to build future-smart portfolios.”

ETF Securities Australia has launched the ETFS Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ACDC AU) on the Australian Stock Exchange. The fund provides thematic exposure to companies globally that are closely related to battery technology and lithium production. Kris Walesby, CEO of ETF Securities Australia, commented, “Energy storage is undergoing a massive transformation in Australia and the rest of the world, with lithium considered to be one of the lightest and most efficient technologies. Using ACDC investors can get exposure to battery technology and lithium providers in one single trade.”