PIMCO said the exchange traded fund version of Total Return Fund is scheduled to list on March 1 in a move that will immediately alter the landscape for actively managed ETFs.
The launch will let investors buy a piece of the massive fund, which is piloted by Bill Gross, in an ETF format.
Reports surfaced in December that PIMCO was preparing to introduce the ETF in 2012. [PIMCO Total Return ETF on Tap for 2012?]
Truly active ETFs have yet to make a meaningful impact in the roughly $1 trillion ETF business. However, PIMCO’s Gross brings obvious name recognition and analysts expect an ETF offshoot of Total Return Fund to attract significant investor interest.