Exchange-traded products such as ETFs have gained in popularity over unit trusts and investment trusts, according to a research whitepaper by analysts Macnab Research.
In the first four months of 2013, ETFs far outstripped unit and investment trusts in terms of relative search volume using Google Trends.
ETFs grew in popularity in terms of search volume significantly between Q1 2006 and Q1 2009 while the relative popularity of unit and investment trusts declined.
Robert Macnab of Macnab Research says: “From Q3 2011, the popularity of ETFs began to decline which may have been a reflection of or even a precursor to the fall in the price of gold which peaked in September 2011 – gold is one of the most popular exchange traded commodity products and one of the most popular ETF search terms in Google Trends.”
