Bulletin – March 2011 Exchange-traded Funds Abstract
The exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry has grown strongly in a relatively short period of time, with the industry attracting greater attention as it grows in size. The original appeal to investors of these products was their simplicity, low-cost diversification benefits and ability to trade intraday. While this is still broadly the case, the evolution of the industry has resulted in a greater variety of ETFs becoming available to investors and improved accessibility to different asset classes. However, ETFs have also become more complex in the structure and types of strategies they employ in generating returns. These developments have created new opportunities and challenges for investors, market participants and regulators.