Simply put, China Internet and technology ETFs are hot. Some might even say scorching. The Guggenheim China Technology ETF (NYSEArca: CQQQ) is up 48.6% this year while the rival Global X Nasdaq China Technology ETF (NasdaqGS: QQQC) has soared 45.3%. The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (NasdaqGS: KWEB), is up 21% since its August 1 debut.
Yet despite those scintillating performances and ample media coverage of Chinese Internet stocks, CQQQ and QQQC have struggled to attract assets. CQQQ, the Guggenheim offering, is almost four years old and has $40.5 million in assets under management. QQQC, the Globlal X fund, is almost four years old as well and has just $8.2 million in AUM.
Knocking KWEB for a small AUM tally (about $3.1 million) is not fair because the ETF is barely more than two months old. Additionally, KraneShares is looking to take a different approach to building KWEB’s asset base. [China Internet ETF may not Need Alibaba]
Some ETF providers “are like stores with lots of aisles and lots of shelves,” said KraneShares Managing Director Brendan Ahern in an interview with ETF Trends at the Morningstar ETF Invest Conference in Chicago last week.
“Some ETF firms have lots of products and something is always doing well, so they agnostic to what is performing well,” said Ahern.
For now, KraneShares offers just one other ETF in addition to KWEB, though the firm has filed plans for others. The firm’s other offering is the KraneShares CSI China Five Year Plan ETF (NYSEArca: KFYP), which has jumped nearly 19% since its July debut. [KraneShares ETF Provides China Exposure With a Twist]