Commodity Exchange-Traded Funds: Observations on Risk Exposure and Performance

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. Plamondon ◽  
Carl F. Luft
Author(s):  
Christopher Milliken

Commodity exchange-traded funds (ETCs), which debuted in 2004, enable investors to access an asset class previously difficult or expensive to access. Although a small segment of the overall exchange-traded fund (ETF) universe, ETCs have grown in popularity with both speculators and investors looking for long-term portfolio diversification. Examples of the types of commodities that are now accessible through ETCs include gold, oil, and agricultural. The literature on ETCs is limited, but academic and industry work has centered on using futures contracts to replicate the performance of the underlying commodities spot price as well as the effect additional capital has had on the integrity of the futures market. This chapter covers this topic by reviewing the growth, investment strategies, and regulatory structure of ETCs as well as the underlying effects these funds have had on the underlying markets with which they engage.


2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 231-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Edward Chang ◽  
Thomas M. Krueger ◽  
H. Doug Witte

Purpose – For a number of reasons ranging from their more recent introduction to their perceived lesser excitement relative to stock-based peers, there have been few studies of fixed income (mainly bond) exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The purpose of this paper is to fill the void by comparing performance measures of fixed income ETFs to fixed income closed-end funds (CEFs). Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines operating characteristics as well as risk and performance measures of all available fixed income ETFs and CEFs in the USA over the last five and ten years ending on December 31, 2014. Operating characteristics include expense ratios, annual turnover rates, tax cost ratios, and tracking error ratios. Performance measures include average annual returns, risks (measured by standard deviations), and risk-adjusted returns (measured by Sharpe ratios and Sortino ratios). Findings – This study finds material and significant difference in a variety of expenses, return measures, and risk measures. Sharpe and Sortino ratio significance is highly dependent on whether net asset values or market values serve as the dependent variable. ETFs would be the preferred choice of fixed income investors who are presumed to be focussing on market-based return measures. Originality/value – This paper empirically compares operating characteristics as well as risk and performance measures of US fixed income ETFs and fixed income CEFs in the same Morningstar categories over the last five and ten years.


2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 477-495
Author(s):  
Mathew Mallika ◽  
M. M. Sulphey

Abstract The paper aims to examine the price discovery process and the performance of Gold Exchange Traded Funds especially with respect to two Gold ETFs, namely, Goldman Sachs Gold Exchange Traded Scheme (GoldBeEs) and SBI Gold Exchange Traded Scheme (SBIGETS), for the period 2009 – 2016. The study has employed Johansen cointegration and Johansen’s Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) for the price discovery analysis. The results of VECM reveal that the spot prices lead the Gold ETFs price during the study period. Tracking Error analysis shows that Gold ETFs have neither outperformed nor underperformed the spot price. Price Deviation analysis indicates that Gold ETFs are trading on an average lower than the spot price of gold. The entire analysis reveals that although the price discovery takes place in the spot market, Gold ETFs have performed as well as physical gold and the slight difference in price with that of Gold is only because of certain fees, which are applicable in the management of Gold ETFs.


Author(s):  
Shiyang Huang ◽  
Maureen O’Hara ◽  
Zhuo Zhong

Abstract We empirically examine the impact of industry exchange-traded funds (IETFs) on informed trading and market efficiency. We find that IETF short interest spikes simultaneously with hedge fund holdings on the member stock before positive earnings surprises, reflecting long-the-stock/short-the-ETF activity. This pattern is stronger among stocks with high industry risk exposure. A difference-in-difference analysis on the ETF inception event shows that IETFs reduce post-earnings-announcement drift more among stocks with high industry risk exposure, suggesting that IETFs improve market efficiency. We also find that the short interest ratio of IETFs positively predicts IETF returns, consistent with the hedging role of IETFs.


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