BlackRock has added to it’s iShares ETF suite by bulking up its smart-beta offerings with 5 new ETFs. The new exchange traded funds look to double their smart-beta approach by combining the minimum volatility strategy with a currency-hedged one.
Their minimum volatility ETFs aim to curb some of the spikes that occur in a up and down market while staying invested while the currency-hedging approach has exploded this year with the forex market at heightened volatility and the dollar appreciating and cutting into investor’s international returns.
Below are the names and tickers for the new suite. All will trade on the BATS exchange.
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI ACWI Minimum Volatility ETF (BATS: HACV)
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Minimum Volatility ETF (BATS: HEFV)
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EM Minimum Volatility ETF (BATS: HEMV)
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Europe Minimum Volatility ETF (BATS: HEUV)
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Europe Small-Cap ETF (BATS: HEUS)
Robert Nestor, Managing Director and Head of iShares Smart Beta Strategy at Blackrock, said “Our minimum volatility suite allows investors the opportunity to gain broad market exposure and the potential for long-term growth, with the potential for less risk. Extending the suite to include currency hedged funds means those investors looking for broad minimum volatility exposure now have the added flexibility to do so on a hedged or unhedged basis, depending on their preferences.”