Global exchange-traded products experienced $39.8bn of net inflows during August with $26.7bn flowing into equity-based products as investors continued to favour risk-on assets, according to the findings of the latest BlackRock ETP Landscape Report. Ursula Marchioni, Chief Strategist, iShares EMEA, commented: “There was no August lull in the ETP landscape, with flow volumes still going strong at $39.8bn. July and August saw a total of $95bn of inflows into global ETPs, making Q3 the strongest quarter of the year so far, and that is without September’s data.”

BlackRock has unveiled a suite of thematic iShares exchange-traded funds that are designed to profit from four key global ‘megatrends’: ageing populations, healthcare innovation, robotics & automation and digitalisation. Commenting on the launch Tom Fekete, Head of Product for iShares EMEA at BlackRock, said: “Megatrends are affecting the way we live and work. These ETFs look to capture the opportunities created by long-term structural trends, by identifying the companies most aligned to them. They are a new set of tools that investors can use to express their views on these trends, in a transparent, global and cost-efficient way.”

Mackenzie Investments has launched three new smart beta ETFs on the Toronto Stock Exchange targeting exposure to either global developed, global developed ex-North America, or developed Europe stocks.. The funds, designed to serve investors as core portfolio holdings, utilize proprietary indices from French asset manager TOBAM which screen and weight stocks to maximise diversification.

Germany-based index provider Solactive has introduced the Solactive Global Ethical Low Volatility AR EUR Index, tracking the performance of global companies with strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards and low volatility characteristics. Powered by ratings from Sustainalytics, a leading global analytics firm covering the ESG sector, the index has been designed to serve as the basis for future investable products such as exchange-traded funds. Simon MacMahon, Head of Research at Sustainalytics, said: “Solactive continues to take significant strides to expand the range of ESG products available to investors. We are delighted Solactive chose our research and ratings to power this index.”

PureFunds, in partnership with ETF Managers Group, a white-label services provider, has launched a new ETF targeting the global healthcare technology sector. The PureFunds ETFx HealthTech ETF (Nasdaq: IMED) invests in 60 companies providing transformative technology to the healthcare and medical industries. Andrew Chanin, CEO of PureFunds, commented: “[The ETF] is intended to serve as a vehicle for investors to gain exposure to this highly innovative, technology-driven slice of the broader healthcare sector.”

Invesco PowerShares has unveiled its first fixed income product in the European market with the launch of the PowerShares US High Yield Fallen Angels UCITS ETF (LSE: HYFA). The ETF is linked to an innovative time-weighted index from Citi and provides exposure to USD-denominated “Fallen Angel” bonds of North American issuers. It is based on the premise that the overly negative sentiment surrounding a downgrade to junk status causes fallen angels to be regularly oversold. According to Bryon Lake, Head of Invesco PowerShares EMEA, “the [time-weighted] index emphasises the bonds that were most recently downgraded” which “could enhance the return of the ETF by more acutely capturing the ‘fallen angel’ phenomenon.”

New details about the severity of the infiltration of popular file hosting service Dropbox by hackers serves as a reminder of the importance of online security. It also highlights the prospects of firms specialising in cybersecurity and the investment potential of exchange-traded funds that track them. With the industry predicted to grow to over $170bn within a few years and continued cyberattacks prompting company boards to invest ever more in online security technology, the outlook for cybersecurity firms is bright. For ETF investors looking for diversified access to the space, pure-play exposures are offering by PureFunds, First Trust and ETF Securities.

ETF Securities has announced that its ROBO Global Robotics and Automation GO UCITS ETF will convert into a physically backed ETF. The ETF will also see its total expense ratio (TER) trimmed to 0.80% thanks to savings from taking out the swap cost. Howie Li, Co-Head of Canvas at ETF Securities, said: “[The] product is now well established, with around $80m in AUM…by making the product physically backed and cutting the TER, we are responding to investor demand to make this increasingly important investment theme more accessible to a broader range of European investors.”

Assets in exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded products listed in Europe reached a new record high of $539bn at the end of July 2016, according to ETFGI. Net inflows of $9.4bn over the month represent the largest month of asset gathering during 2016 and mark the 22nd consecutive month of net inflows. Deborah Fuhr, managing partner at ETFGI, commented: “Investor confidence returned during July after the surprising result of June’s Brexit vote. The S&P 500 was up 3.7% in July. Developed markets outside the US gained 5.1% and emerging markets were up 4.8%.”

The Canadian exchange-traded fund industry has enjoyed another month of inflows, with ETF and ETP assets reaching a new record of US$81bn at the end of July 2016, according to industry consultants ETFGI. Year to date (July month-end) assets under management are up 25.3%, with inflows of $180m seen in July. Mirae Horizons gathered the largest net inflows over the month, with $147m, followed by Vanguard with $131m and RBC Global AM with $21m.