New Listings
HSBC launched an ETF tracking Turkish equities on the London Stock Exchange. The fund (ticker symbol: HTRY) tracks the total return performance of the MSCI Turkey Index, which is comprised of the largest publicly-traded companies in Turkey. The ETF trades in both pounds sterling and US dollars, and levies a total expense ratio (TER) of 0.60% annually.
db x-trackers launched ten new global equity sector ETFs on the London Stock Exchange. The db x-trackers funds track the total return performance of MSCI World sector indices, and are focused on developed world equities. The ETFs trade in both pounds sterling and US dollars, and charge TERs of 0.45% annually. The sectors covered include consumer discretionary (XWSC), consumer staples (XWSS), financials (XWSF), health care (XWSH), information technology (XWSN), telecommunication services (XWST), utilities (XWSU), energy (XWSE), industrials (XWSI), and materials (XWSM).
Best and Worst Performers for the week of December 27 - 31
Many of the best performing exchange-traded products (ETPs) for the week were commodity tracking vehicles, especially those linked to precious metals. Silver, a strong performer all year, hit a new 30-year high in dollars per ounce. Palladium ended a year where it was the best-performing commodity on a strong note, based on increasing demand for use as catalysts in automobiles within emerging markets. Natural gas bucked its trend as the worst-performing commodity this year, as forecasters expect colder-than-normal January temperatures in the north-eastern US
ETPs tracking soft commodity futures were some of the worst performers for the week. Sugar and cotton prices decreased as the Indian government eased export restrictions. European automobiles and parts equities were weak as December sales in France and Spain disappointed. Profit-taking may have played a role as well as the sector was Europe's best-performing for the year.