UBS Global Asset Management, one of the largest providers of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in Europe, has launched a comprehensive line-up of ETFs on Borsa Italiana. The line-up is aimed at Italian investors and includes 61 ETFs replicating 40 indices across equities, fixed income and alternatives. Clemens Reuter, Head of UBS ETFs, said: “The Milan listing reinforces our commitment to the Italian market and brings UBS’s wide range of ETFs to an important financial centre.”

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to the Nikkei, Topix and MSCI Japan finished the week strongly after the Japanese cabinet, led by new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, approved a 10.3 trillion yen ($116 billion) stimulus package to bolster the country’s long-suffering economy. Topix-based ETFs, such as the Lyxor ETF Japan Topix, have now advanced 24% since 14 November 2012 when elections were announced.

Barclays has announced the launch of the iPath S&P MLP ETN (IMLP) on the NYSE Arca. The exchange-traded note (ETN) is designed to deliver access to the performance of the S&P MLP Index, providing investors with broad-based exposure to the energy infrastructure-focused Master Limited Partnership (MLP) market.

Nearly two-thirds of investors believe the FTSE 100 will finish 2013 higher than it did at the end of 2012, according to a survey by Barclays Stockbrokers. Almost half of respondents reckon the FTSE will close between 6,001 and 6,500 and one in seven believes it will close above 6,500 at the end of the year. For investors looking to access the FTSE, a range of exchange-traded products exists to suit varying levels of risk appetite, from conventional passive ETFs to triple-leveraged ETPs.

Stoxx, a leading index provider, has announced the launch of the iSTOXX Efficient Capital Managed Futures 20 Index, a new index based on research provided by Efficient Capital Management, a global leader in the Managed Futures industry. The index, which measures the performance of some of the world’s largest Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs), has potential uses as a benchmark against a single CTA or pool of CTAs, or as an underlying for financial products such as synthetic exchange-traded funds.

Hedge funds spend millions on talent and research to uncover attractive investment opportunities. You might assume, therefore, that their holdings are obscure, inconspicuous and inaccessible to everyday investors. Not so. Analysis of SEC filings reveals that exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are among hedge funds’ largest holdings. These are funds that anyone of us could buy. Some of the hedge fund industry’s biggest stars are major investors in ETFs, including well-known names such as George Soros, Ray Dalio and David Tepper.

Directors of rare earth mining giant Molycorp put their money where their mouths are last week, snapping up stock in the NYSE-listed company. This latest batch of insider buying follows August’s punchy $25m stock purchase by Chairman of the Board, Ross Bhappu. This unequivocal demonstration of faith in the company – and, by extension, the outlook for the rare earth metals industry – could point to the start of a rebound for rare earth exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Market Vectors Index Solutions, a boutique provider of financial market indices, has introduced the Market Vectors Hedge Fund Beta Indices, a set of four regional and two global indices offering exposure to hedge fund beta. Each index seeks to capture the systematic returns, known in the industry as ‘beta’, of hedge funds with similar investment styles that invest in the same asset classes and same geographic markets.

db X-trackers, Europe’s second-largest provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), is to launch a range of physically-backed ETFs that will sit alongside its existing swap-based line-up. Thorsten Michalik, global head of db X-trackers, said: “Investors will be able to go to a single provider and choose not only the type of market exposure they want, but also the type of tracking method they feel most comfortable with. Some client segments have shown a preference for direct replication, and as a provider we aim to meet that demand.”

Earlier this month, UBS Investment Bank expanded its ETRACS suite of exchange-traded notes (ETNs) with the launch of a note that is linked to the 2x leveraged performance of a portfolio of mortgage REITs. “This ETN is designed for investors who seek a high yield and are bullish on the mortgage REIT sector,” said Paul Somma, Executive Director and Senior ETRACS Structurer.