ETF Assets Increase $21B in March

April 8, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - ETF industry assets rose $20.9 billion in August - up 2%, according to State Street Global Advisors’ ETF Snapshot.

As of March 31, 2011, 1013 Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) – with assets totaling $1.06 trillion – were managed by 35 ETF managers.  

SSgA data showed International – Emerging led all categories for the month, gaining $9.8 billion. Commodity gains, up $5.0 billion, were driven by a combination of inflows and performance.  

ETF flows topped $10 billion – the seventh consecutive month of positive flows. International – Developed and International – Emerging had the most inflows with $3.8 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively. Size – Large Cap had the most outflows, losing $7.7 billion – its second consecutive month of negative flows.   

The top three managers in the U.S. ETF marketplace were: BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard. Collectively, they account for approximately 83% of the U.S. listed ETF market, according to the Snapshot report.   

The top three ETFs in terms of dollar volume traded for the month were the SPDR S&P 500 [SPY], iShares Russell 2000 [IWM], and PowerShares QQQ [QQQ]. The top three ETFs in terms of assets for the month were the SPDR S&P 500 [SPY], SPDR Gold Shares [GLD], and Vanguard Emerging Markets [VWO].   

As for performance, Emerging Markets led the way in March with a 5.9% gain. Commodities and Gold prices trended upward, gaining 4.4% and 2.0%, respectively. MidCap and SmallCap markets also gained, rising 2.5% and 3.0%, respectively.

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