The popularity of ETF investing is now sky-high and it took around only 20 years to reach this height. Though the pace of rollout slackened a bit in 2016 as we saw close to 240 launches compared with approximately 300 seen in 2015, the issuances gathered steam again from 2017. About 270 ETFs were launched in each of 2017 and 2018.

The last four years have been particularly eventful compared with about 180 ETF initiations in 2014, 150 in 2013 and 170 rollouts in 2012. All these have taken the tally to 2,168 ETFs so far. Not only this, a considerable number of ETFs are in the pipeline, pointing to growing investor interest in exchange-traded products.

The credit goes mainly to a wide range of innovative and fresh-themed products in the space that suit changing macroeconomic dynamics and which hold investors’ attention despite the peaks and troughs of the market.

Below are eight ETFs launched in 2018 that have amassed a decent asset base.

Barclays ETN+ FI Enhanced Europe 50 ETN Series

Since its inception in March, the fund has amassed about $611.1 million in assets. The underlying STOXX Europe 50 USD Gross Return Index is composed of 50 European blue-chip companies selected from within the STOXX Europe 600 Index. The product charges 76 bps in fees.

GS Finance Large Cap Growth Index-Linked ETN

Having entered the market in April, the fund has hoarded about $370.2 million in assets. The underlying index of the fund measures the performance of the large-capitalization growth sector of the U.S. equity market. The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 Index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios & higher forecasted growth.

John Hancock Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF (JHEM Quick QuoteJHEM - Free Report)

The fund forayed into the ETF universe in September and has grossed about $281.9 million in assets. The underlying index comprises of a subset of securities of companies associated with emerging markets, which may include frontier markets. The fund charges 55 bps in fees.

Principal Investment Grade Corporate Active ETF (IG Quick QuoteIG - Free Report)

The fund entered the market in April and has piled up about $225.1 million in assets so far. The fund is an actively managed ETF that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in investment grade corporate bonds and other fixed income securities.

iPath B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN

Launched in Jan, the fund has accumulated about $160.0 million in assets so far. The underlying S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index Total Return offers exposure to a daily rolling long position in the first and second month VIX futures contracts and reflects views of the future direction of the VIX index at the time of expiration of the VIX futures contracts comprising the Index.

PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF (PULS Quick QuotePULS - Free Report)

The fund hit the market in April and has amassed about $156.3 million in assets so far. The actively-managed fund seeks total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation, consistent with preservation of capital.

First Trust TCW Unconstrained Plus Bond ETF (UCON Quick QuoteUCON - Free Report)

Having entered the market in June, the fund seeks to maximize long-term total return. It charges 75 bps in fees.  

Xtrackers High Beta High Yield Bond ETF (HYUP Quick QuoteHYUP - Free Report)

The underlying Solactive USD High Yield Corporates Total Market High Beta Index is a rules-based, market value weighted index engineered to mirror the performance of the higher yielding segment of the High Yield rated corporate bond market issued in USD. The fund hit the market in Jan and since then accumulated about $138.9 million in assets.

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