IndexIQ, a US-based specialist provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), best known for its hedge fund-style products, has surpassed $1 billion in assets under management. Adam Patti, IndexIQ’s chief executive officer, said: “In a few short years, liquid alternatives have gone from a novelty to playing an important role in a diversified investment portfolio and we’ve seen strong interest in our offerings from the institutional and retail advisor channels.”

NYSE Euronext, a leading exchange operator and index provider, has linked up with Vigeo, a France-based expert in corporate social responsibility, to launch a range of equity indices focusing on the environment, social issues and governance (ESG). The indices track companies highly rated for control of corporate responsibility risk and contribution to sustainable development.

Contrary to recent forecasts predicting the end of the gold bull market, Graham Tuckwell, Founder and Chairman of ETF Securities, believes untapped demand from China and India, and retail investors, will lead to a second decade of growth for the gold market. Ten years on since Tuckwell launched the world’s first physical gold exchange-traded product in Australia, similar products are now listed on 31 exchanges throughout the world and have seen assets under management reach $147 billion.

Global index provider FTSE Group and DPT Capital Management, a New Jersey-based investment firm, have announced the launch of the FTSE Target Exposure Commodity Index Series, a series of rules-based long-short commodity indices. The indices are derived from the innovative work of Professor John M. Mulvey, a Princeton University academic and co-founder of DPT Capital, on risk management and portfolio allocation, an approach known as Dynamic Portfolio Tactics.

Index provider S&P Dow Jones Indices has linked up with sustainability investment specialists RobecoSAM to launch the Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index (DJSI Emerging Markets). The DJSI Emerging Markets offers investors a tool for measuring the performance of companies in emerging markets recognised as leaders compared to their peers in terms of corporate sustainability.

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.

Market Vectors, a US-based provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), has launched the Market Vectors BDC Income ETF (BIZD), the first ETF designed to provide pure-play exposure to US business development companies (BDCs). BDCs lend capital to privately-held companies or thinly-traded US public companies and are known for their high dividend payouts.

UBS has listed three new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the London Stock Exchange, providing investors with concentrated exposure to gold, copper and oil via those companies involved in the exploration and production of these commodities. While commodity producers, in general, are relatively well covered by existing products, these ETFs appear to have a competitive edge. This edge stems in part from the markets they track, but also from the innovative index methodology behind the ETFs’ underlying Solactive benchmarks.

International Securities Exchange (ISE) and IndexIQ have announced a broad partnership to develop and launch a range of exchange-traded products (ETPs) linked to physical commodities. While ISE is perhaps best known as a US options exchange, the company has an established index business and recently has manoeuvred itself deeper into the fast-growing ETP industry. The link-up with IndexIQ, a niche provider of alternative ETFs, looks well suited as both companies have a demonstrated pedigree in creating innovative products.

After making its debut on SIX Swiss four months ago, ETF Securities has followed up with the launch of 28 Swiss franc currency-hedged exchange-traded commodities (ETCs) on the exchange. The products provide CHF/USD-hedged exposure to all the major commodities, including precious metals (gold, silver, platinum), industrial metals (aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin and zinc), energy (WTI, Brent and natural gas) and agriculture (including all the main grains and softs).