ETF and Index Funds Summer 2012 Quarterly Report

Investor Economics’ ETF and Index Funds Report provides extensive coverage of the fast-growing exchange-traded fund (ETF) segment, and tracks the progress of index mutual and segregated funds. Our ETF research monitors the segment from a number of vantage points, including asset class, underlying investment and investment strategy. Meanwhile, the analytical views of the index fund segment involve tracking the mutual funds that “wrap” ETFs, a fairly new sub-category of index funds that make ETFs available to a wider audience of advisors who operate with an MFDA license and have no immediate access to the stock exchange. The current edition of the report inaugurates our monthly coverage of ETF flow activity. Unlike other publications, Investor Economics’ measurement of ETF sales activity and distribution channels represents a true census of the marketplace. Our metrics are derived directly from net flow data provided by the ETF sponsors operating in Canada. This issue also updates the distribution channel information through mid-2012. This data is collected from a wide ranging sample of Canadian full-service, online/discount brokerages and other distributors. In the current dataset two new firms have been added to the sample.