BlackRock files to license nontransparent ETF structure

BlackRock files to license nontransparent ETF structure
The asset manager will use Precidian Investments' ActiveShares model
JUN 04, 2020

BlackRock Inc. is moving ahead with plans to launch a new kind of exchange-traded fund that doesn’t report its holding on a daily basis.

The world’s largest asset manager filed to license the structure of Precidian Investments’ ActiveShares product, which requires funds to publish an indicative value of the holdings every second. The model also uses an agency broker to confidentially buy and sell securities to help money flow into or out of the fund.

Issuers across the $4 trillion ETF industry are unveiling active active funds that keep their portfolios hidden, known as nontransparent or semitransparent funds, in contrast to the daily disclosure of traditional ETFs. Money managers launching such products say that model wards off potential front-running or copycat strategies.

JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s asset management arm is among those that have decided to test the actively managed nontransparent model this year. Legg Mason kicked off a value-focused product last week.

BlackRock is also planning to launch three actively managed funds: a Future Health ETF, which will invest in equities in the health sciences industry; a Future Innovators ETF tracking mid- and small-cap companies with earnings growth potential; and a Future Tech ETF focused on firms with rapid and sustainable growth prospects.

Traditional active ETFs are also becoming increasingly popular in the industry, with a record number of new products launched so far this year.

Latest News

Merrill Lynch, BofA's brokerage arm, hit with $7.5M SEC fine over missed suspicious activity reports
Merrill Lynch, BofA's brokerage arm, hit with $7.5M SEC fine over missed suspicious activity reports

Regulators found Bank of America's monitoring software had a known flaw Merrill left uncorrected for years.

AI is changing how investors research, not who they trust
AI is changing how investors research, not who they trust

While AI has become a go-to research tool for affluent investors, new HSBC research suggests human advisors remain the deciding voice when investment decisions are made.

Supreme Court blocks Trump's bid to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook
Supreme Court blocks Trump's bid to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook

A 5-4 ruling preserves the Federal Reserve's independence for now, but the legal fight over presidential removal power is far from settled.

Morgan Stanley boosts returns on client cash, analyst says
Morgan Stanley boosts returns on client cash, analyst says

For years, large firms have been facing penalties and questions from regulators over interest rates for clients’ cash accounts.

Volatility has been roiling the markets. But advisors have got the tools to deal with it
Volatility has been roiling the markets. But advisors have got the tools to deal with it

Market volatility can be stressful, but it also represents opportunity for advisors and their clients.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.