ETFGI reports Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ETFs and ETPS listed globally gather net inflows of US$679 Million during December 2018

Press Release

LONDON — January 31, 2018 — ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm covering trends in the global ETF/ETP ecosystem, reported today that Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ETFs and ETPs listed globally gathered net inflows of US$679 million during December. Total assets invested ESG ETFs and ETPs decreased by 3.20% from US$23.22 billion at the end of November, to US$22.47 billion, according to ETFGI’s December 2018 ETF and ETP ESG industry landscape insights report, an annual paid-for research subscription service.  (All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted.) 

Highlights

• Total Assets invested in ESG ETFs and ETPs listed globally rose 29.51% in 2018.
• ESG ETFs and ETPs listed globally gathered $679 Mn in net new assets during December.
• In 2018, ESG classified products have attracted $7.61 Bn in net new assets.

 
“The end of 2018 saw the trend in developed markets reverse, and although arguably predictable, the severity left many pundits scratching their heads. This end of year stress has widely been attributed to the disruption caused by trade disputes feeding into economic data, and the view policy makers are not going to be quite as accommodating as initially expected. The S&P 500 returned -9.03% during December, and down -4.38% for 2018.   Developed markets ex-US fell -4.62% during December, led by Japan and Canada, bringing the yearly return to -13.21%. Relatively speaking, EM and FM fared the month better, returning -2.68% and -3.15%, finishing 2018 -13.53% and -11.82%, respectively” according to Deborah Fuhr, managing partner and founder of ETFGI.
At the end of December 2018, there were 208 ESG classified ETFs/ETPs, with 492 listings, assets of $22.47 Bn, from 61 providers listed on 26 exchanges in 23 countries. Following net inflows of $679 Mn and market moves during the month, assets invested in ESG ETFs/ETPs listed globally decreased 3.20%, from $23.22 Bn at the end of November 2018, to $22.47 Bn.
 

 
Global ESG ETF and ETP asset growth as at end of December 2018


 
Since the launch of the first ESG ETF/ETP in 2002, the iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF, the number and diversity of products has increased steadily, with 208 ESG ETFs/ETPs listed globally at the end of 2018. 70 new ESG ETFs/ETPs have launched by 27 providers during 2018, with 4 during December alone.
 
Substantial inflows during December can be attributed to the top 20 ESG ETFs/ETPs by net new assets, which collectively gathered $732 Mn during December. The iShares MSCI USA SRI UCITS ETF (SUAS LN) gathered $158 Mn, the largest net inflow in December.

Top 20 ESG ETFs/ETPs by net new assets December 2018
 

 
Confusion persists around what constitutes an ESG fund. According to PRI, a UN-supported initiative which seeks to understand the investment implications of ESG issues, 56% of adopters believe there is a lack of clarity in ESG definitions. ETFGI’s classification system attempts to provide greater precision, with ETFs/ETPs listed globally organised into categories, including core ESG products and theme-based groups, such as Clean/Alternative Energies and Gender Diversity. 

Please contact deborah.fuhr@etfgi.com if you would like to discuss the cost to subscribe to any of ETFGI’s research or consulting services. 

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Attribution Policy 
The information contained herein is proprietary. The media is welcome to use our information and ideas, provided that the following sourcing is included: ETFGI is a leading independent research and consultancy firm covering trends in the global ETF/ETP ecosystem, based in London, England. Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner, Founder, ETFGI website www.etfgi.com. 
 
About ETFGI 
ETFGI is an independent research and consultancy firm launched in London offering consulting services and paid for research subscription services. Deborah Fuhr is the Managing Partner and a founder of ETFGI.  Our services are unique in their breadth and depth of coverage in  monthly reports covering each region of the world where ETFs, ETPs are listed, a monthly directory and monthly fact sheets along with a database covering all global products plus you receive insights from us. Visit www.etfgi.com to learn more. 

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  2019 ETFs Global Markets Roundtable series of conferences

We have set the dates and venues for the 2019 series of the ETFs Global Markets Roundtables in New York, London and Toronto and expect to confirm shortly the date for Hong Kong in Oct 2019. The focus will again be on the substantive discussion of the issues, capital market related. 

 The schedule of conferences is as follows:

• US/Latin America (New York) – May 21, 2019, Metropolitan Club, New York
• EMEA (London) – June 12, 2019, The Waldorf Hilton, London
• Canada (Toronto) – September 24, 2019, Vantage Venues, Toronto
• APAC (Hong Kong) – October 2019– Specific Date to be Announced Shortly

About Deborah Fuhr 

Previously Deborah Fuhr served as global head of ETF research and implementation strategy and as a managing director at BlackRock/Barclays Global Investors from 2008 – 2011. She also worked as a managing director and head of the investment strategy team at Morgan Stanley in London from 1997 – 2008, and as an associate at Greenwich Associates. 
 
She has been working with investors, ETF, ETP providers, index providers, exchanges, MMs and APs, regulators, trade associations, custodians, law firms, accounting firms around the world since 1997. 

ETFGI is honored to count as our research and consulting clients some of the leading firms in the ETF Ecosystem around the world as well as some new entrants and firms that are considering entering the ETF, ETP industry. 
 
Past awards for Ms Fuhr include she was the recipient of the 100 Women in Finance 2017 European Industry Leadership Award, the 2014 William F. Sharpe Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the field of index investing and she named one of the “100 Most Influential Women in Finance” by Financial News over several years, most recently in 2016. 
 
Deborah Fuhr is a founder and board member of Women in ETFs “WE” the first women’s group for the ETF industry. Founded in January 2014, WE is a non-profit organization that brings together over 4,500 members, including women and men, in chapters in major financial centres around the world to CONNECT, SUPPORT and INSPIRE. WE achieves this by organizing events at our chapters globally that support our goals of education, networking, philanthropy and idea sharing across the industry and beyond. For more information, visit: www.womeninetfs.com

Contact: 
Deborah Fuhr 
Managing Partner, Founder 
ETFGI 
Mobile: +44 777 5823 111 
Email: deborah.fuhr@etfgi.com 
Web: www.etfgi.com 

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