The Singapore Exchange has announced that the value of SGX-listed exchange-traded funds set new monthly and weekly records in January, three months after the previous records were establis
The Singapore Exchange has announced that the value of SGX-listed exchange-traded funds set new monthly and weekly records in January, three months after the previous records were established.
The exchange currently has 17 ETFs covering mainly Asian equity markets such as Singapore, India, greater China, the Asean countries, Korea and Japan, as well as on commodities such gold.
The total trading value of SGX-listed ETFs was SGD293.6m for January, beating the previous record of SGD218.4m set last October by 34 per cent, while the total trading value of SGD128.9m for the week of January 21 to 25 was 29 per cent higher than the mark of SGD99.6m set between October 15 and 19.
According to the exchange, the increased trading was largely due to surges in the Straits Times Index ETF, iShares MSCI India ETF, Lyxor ETF Hong Kong and StreetTracks Gold Shares ETF.
‘ETFs have become increasingly popular as investors become more aware of their benefits,’ says Chew Sutat, the exchange’s executive vice-president and head of development. ‘Two key advantages over conventional unit trusts are the flexibility to buy or sell throughout the trading day and lower management fees. In these times of market volatility, investors appreciate this flexibility to make quick decisions to maximise their investments.
‘We are heartened by the strong interest in the Straits Times Index ETF, as it is based on the key barometer of our market. The SGX is exploring with issuers ETFs based on the FTSE Straits Times Index Series launched three weeks ago. This will add to our current suite of domestic and regional ETFs that investors can trade in.’
