ETFs Enjoy a Record $67B First Quarter

by Kyle Woodley | April 6, 2012 10:32 am

Hope you’re not getting tired of exchange-traded funds, because they’re making more noise than ever.

A recent BlackRock (NYSE:BLK[1]) Institute ETF Landscape Report showed the global ETF industry’s first-quarter inflows grew 57% year-over-year to a record $67 billion. New net U.S. assets grew by $55.6 billion, shattering the year-ago period’s record $29.1 billion by 91%.

The globe added 229 exchange-traded products in Q1 2012, bringing the total to 4,450 ETPs with more than $1.728 trillion in assets — including 1,446 U.S. ETPs with more than $1.2 trillion in assets, according to ETF Industry Association data[2]. U.S. total products grew 23% year-over-year.

Among some of the biggest inflow gainers were fixed income ($19.5 billion) and emerging-market equities ($13.7 billion).

BlackRock remains the largest issuer by assets, with almost $500 billion under management across its 255 products. State Street Global Advisors (NYSE:STT[3]) had about $300 billion under management, and Vanguard reported more than $200 billion in assets.

SSgA’s SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE:SPY[4]) remained the largest ETF at more than $105 billion under management, gaining more than $15 billion in assets over the past year. The SPY is followed by the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:GLD[5]) at $70 billion and the Vanguard MSCI Emerging Markets (NYSE:VWO[6]) at $54 billion.

VWO also led all ETFs in new inflows for the quarter, bringing in $6.44 billion in assets.

Many ETF investors were rewarded for their newfound faith with strong returns, especially in the financial and technology sectors. Read more about some of the best-performing ETFs of Q1 here.[7]

Kyle Woodley[8] is the assistant editor of InvestorPlace.com[9]. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Follow him on Twitter at @KyleWoodley[10].

Endnotes:

  1. BLK: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=BLK
  2. ETF Industry Association data: http://www.etf-ia.com/
  3. STT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=STT
  4. SPY: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=SPY
  5. GLD: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=GLD
  6. VWO: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=VWO
  7. some of the best-performing ETFs of Q1 here.: https://investorplace.com/2012/04/etfs-deliver-the-goods-in-the-first-quarter/
  8. Kyle Woodley: https://investorplace.com/author/kyle-woodley/
  9. InvestorPlace.com: https://investorplace.com/
  10. @KyleWoodley: https://twitter.com/#%21/kylewoodley

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