As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission moves to increase its oversight over proxy voting advisory firms, Horizons ETFs is evolving its proxy voting policies to take on a more socially responsible investing position. “We do have an obligation to our unit-holders to act in their best fiduciary interest, but we also have a socially responsible requirement as […]
During the past decade’s bull market, gold has been largely off the radar for institutional investors. But as key bond yields turn negative, among other recessionary signals, chatter about the commodity is heating up. “All precious metals have no correlation to the rest of the marketplace so that tends to be why gold and precious […]
Mercer and Wealthsimple Inc. are teaming up to create a digital saving and investing platform for Canadian employees. Mercer Invest Wise, which is a voluntary savings tool, is intended to be included in a total rewards package. Accessible online and as a mobile app, it allows employees to manage various savings and investment accounts, such as their […]
While the bull market may not be over, more headwinds are on the way for U.S. equity markets over the next year — one of the themes investors can use exchange-traded funds to capture, according to a report by BMO Global Asset Management. Overall, the U.S. market should see moderate upside for the year, said Brian […]
The majority of global pension plans believe the rise of passive investment funds is a foundational change in how they now manage their portfolios, recognizing that both active and passive allocations are necessary, according to a 2018 survey by British firm CREATE-Research. Faced with this trend, the financial services industry must demonstrate the benefits of […]
Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc.’s marijuana life sciences index exchange-traded fund has reached $1 billion in assets under management. Indicated by the ticker symbol HMMJ, the fund is the first and largest of its kind to offer direct exposure to marijuana-related North American-listed companies as a cohesive index, according to a news release. Since it was […]
As the Canadian cannabis industry blazes a path of growth in the run-up to October’s legalization, so does the number of related publicly listed stocks trading on North America’s largest indexes. Getting in on the action, some of Canada’s public pension funds are starting to look for exposure to cannabis companies, according to a report […]
In the wake of the tragic shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., earlier this year that left 17 dead and sparked a renewed and vigorous debate about gun control, certain members of the investment world took swift action. BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest institutional investor with US$6.3 trillion under management as of the […]
Canadian institutional investors that use exchange-traded funds allocate an average 18.8 per cent of total assets to them, according to research by Greenwich Associates. The research, which interviewed 52 global institutional investors, found that the primary driver behind the increased use of ETFs for Canadians is their versatility. Some 70 per cent of participants characterized their ETF […]
ETF for ETFs signals industry growth is set to explode.