Grail to launch actively managed ETFs in September

Grail Advisors LLC of San Francisco today announced the registration of four actively managed exchange traded funds. The ETFs are the RP Growth ETF, RP Focused Large Cap Growth ETF, RP Technology ETF, and RP Financials ETF. They are expected to carry a 0.89% expense ratio, and begin trading on Sept. 1. Similar to traditional actively managed mutual funds, the planned ETFs will allow portfolio managers unrestricted trading. New York-based RiverPark Advisors LLC will serve as the primary subadviser for each of the funds. And Wedgewood Partners Inc., of St. Louis will also serve as subadviser to the RP Focused Large Cap Growth ETF. “One of our goals from the outset was to bring traditional, active fund managers to the ETF marketplace,” William Thomas, chief executive of Grail Advisors, said in a statement. Grail Advisors launched its first actively managed ETF — the Grail American Beacon Large Cap Value ETF (GVT) — last month. That ETF is subadvised by Fort Worth, Texas-based American Beacon Advisors Inc., a manager of managers. Assets in the new Grail American Beacon ETF are allocated among three investment managers: Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC of Philadelphia; Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC of Los Angeles; and Metropolitan West Capital Management LLC of Newport Beach, Calif. The RiverPark ETFs are different in that they will take a single-manager approach. RiverPark was founded in 2006 by Morty Schaja, the firm’s chief executive, and Mitchell Rubin, the firm’s chief investment officer. Both came to the firm from Baron Funds, advised by Baron Capital Management Inc. of New York. “We fully embrace the movement toward full transparency, continuous liquidity, and a low-cost fee structure,” Mr. Schaja said in the statement.