BlackRock has launched the iShares S&P US Banks UCITS ETF, providing exposure to US equities from firms operating in the banking industry. While there are a number of ETFs in Europe providing exposure to the European banking industry, the new iShares product is the first to exclusively target banking stocks in the US.

BlackRock has launched the iShares US Fallen Angels High Yield Corp Bond UCITS ETF (USFL LN) on London Stock Exchange, providing exposure to US dollar-denominated ‘fallen angels’ – bonds that were rated investment grade upon issuance but have since ‘fallen’ to high yield status. The fund complements the $430m iShares Fallen Angels High Yield Corporate Bond UCITS ETF (WING LN) which launched in June 2016.

ETFs providing exposure to high-yield corporate bonds enjoyed strong returns in April, bouncing back from weak performance in the first quarter of 2018. BlackRock’s iShares $ High Yield Corp Bond UCITS ETF (SHYU LN)—the largest of its kind listed in Europe with over $3.8 billion in assets under management—was among the top high-yield performers for the month, with a return of 2.5%.

Invesco has introduced a currency-hedged share class of its recently listed PowerShares Preferred Shares UCITS ETF, which provides exposure to preferred shares issued in the US. The new share class, which mitigates exchange rate risk between the US dollar and the euro, has been listed on Xetra and Börse Frankfurt.

Invesco has completed its acquisition of Guggenheim Investments’ ETF division. The deal follows the company’s recent acquisition of ETF provider Source, and makes Invesco the fourth largest ETF provider globally with ETF AUM over $215bn. Dan Draper, global head of ETFs at Invesco, commented, “We’re excited to add Guggenheim Investments’ complementary ETF business to our existing robust range of factor, smart beta, fixed income and equal weight ETFs.”

The Japanese market has come a long way since the so-called ‘lost decade,’ a period of severe economic stagnation for the country, following the Nikkei 225 index’s plunge from its all-time high of 38,957 in the winter of 1989. Investors seeking to benefit from the country’s ongoing turnaround have a multitude of interesting ETFs to choose from.

BlackRock has rolled out a new target-maturity fixed-income ETF in the US – the iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF (IBMM US) – holding investment-grade US municipal bonds maturing between 1 January 2024 and 2 December 2024.

VanEck has launched a pair of high-yield corporate bond ETFs on the London Stock Exchange. The funds provide exposure to global ‘fallen angels’ and emerging market debt, and become the issuer’s seventh and eighth ETFs to be listed on the exchange. They are linked to indices provided by ICE Data Indices, the indexing division of exchange operator Intercontinental Exchange.

One sector has more than recouped its losses from February’s volatility. Technology has stormed ahead over the past month; 12 of the 15 top-performing London-listed ETFs over one-month track a tech-based index. But, as Chris Dhanraj, Head of the ETF Investment Strategy team at iShares, notes, “In investing, past is not prologue… the question is: Can the good times roll on?”

Invesco is to take a chunk out of the management fee on its NYSE Arca-listed PowerShares Active US Real Estate ETF (PSR US), knocking it down from 0.80% to 0.35% as of 1 April 2018.