Horizons USA has announced the launch of the Horizons S&P Financial Select Sector Covered Call ETF (HFIN) on the NYSE Arca. The ETF uses an innovative covered call strategy designed to generate additional income from the constituents of the S&P Financial Select Sector Index. Howard Atkinson, Managing Director of Horizons USA, said: “A covered call strategy can keep you invested in equities and potentially lower the volatility of returns of those equities while attempting to generate additional income, which can mitigate losses, during certain market conditions.”

ETF Issuer Solutions (ETFis), a New York-based financial technology firm, has introduced a comprehensive exchange-traded fund services platform designed specifically to build and operate ETFs in partnership with third-party investment managers. Founded by seasoned ETF professionals including William Smalley, Matthew Brown, both previously of FactorShares, and Brinton Frith, the firm has the operational infrastructure, regulatory permissions and product expertise to help external managers of all sizes build, list and manage white labelled ETFs.

Exchange Traded Concepts has announced the launch of the Robo-Stox Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF (ROBO), the latest exchange-traded fund to begin trading through the firm’s private-label ETF platform. The fund, which has been listed on Nasdaq, seeks to track the Robo-Stox Global Robotics and Automation Index – the world’s first index to benchmark the performance of stocks in the robotics and automation industries.

ETF Securities has launched a service enabling third-party asset managers to launch white-label ETFs in Europe. Known as Canvas, the service provides a range of ETF-based solutions, including the ability to build ETFs using ETF Securities’ full infrastructure, set up a bespoke ETF platform, convert existing UCITS funds into ETFs or add an ETF share class. Matt Johnson, Head of Distribution EMEA, ETF Securities, said: “Canvas provides an easy and efficient way for them [third-party asset managers] to launch ETFs, relying on ETF Securities’ years of proven expertise and infrastructure.”

Blair Hull, a veteran US trader and investor, has teamed up with Exchange Traded Concepts, a firm offering turnkey exchange-traded fund (ETF) solutions, to launch an active ETF. A registration statement and preliminary prospectus has already been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund, which will be launched under the HTAA (Hull Tactical Asset Allocation) brand, will utilise advanced algorithms as well as macro and technical indicators to anticipate future market returns.

Industry veteran Christian Magoon has teamed up with white label exchange-traded fund (ETF) provider Exchange Traded Concepts to launch YieldShares, a newly created ETF sponsor that will focus on income ETFs. The sponsor’s planned debut ETF, the YieldShares High Income ETF (YYY), will track the performance of the ISE High Income Index, an index measuring the performance of 30 closed-end funds, as selected and ranked according to factors designed to result in a portfolio that produces high current income.

Yorkville ETF Advisors has expanded its line-up of master limited partnership (MLP) products with the launch of the Yorkville High Income Infrastructure MLP ETF (YMLI). The NYSE-listed fund provides exposure to infrastructure MLPs, which are expected to benefit significantly over the next decade in response to demand for pipelines, storage facilities and processing systems required by rapidly growing US energy production.

The Yorkville High Income MLP ETF (YMLP) has surpassed $100 million in assets under management, less than a year since it debuted on the NYSE Arca. The success of the fund is likely down to the fund’s punchy headline yield (30-day SEC yield as at year end was 8.33%), coupled with booming demand for the MLP asset class in general and growing interest in US energy infrastructure plays.

The Forensic Accounting ETF (FLAG) has become the latest exchange-traded fund (ETF) to begin trading through Exchange Traded Concepts’ private-label ETF platform. The fund has been listed on the NYSE Arca and invests in companies with high-quality earnings while avoiding those with aggressive accounting practices, so-called red flags. It is based on the Del Vecchio Earnings Quality Index, a rules-based index applying proprietary forensic accounting analysis to a universe of 500 US large capitalisation stocks.