Insight October 2015

Over the past five years, the Canadian ETF segment has witnessed a rapid expansion in terms of assets, product and sponsor counts. Assets reached $83.6 billion at the end of September 2015 growing at an impressive annualized rate of 18.2% since 2010. Growth has been accompanied by variety: there are nearly four times as many ETFs offered now than were available five years ago. The October issue of Insight examines the current state of the exchange-traded fund (ETF) segment in Canada. In addition to documenting trends in asset growth, inflows and product launches, this report examines the ETF holdings of Canadian retail investors, the growth of funds employing a strategic beta approach north and south of the 49th parallel and the usage of ETFs by open-end mutual funds. A special feature reviews the growth of ETFs as a delivery mechanism for alternative investments.