“Since being launched in 2002, South Korea’s ETF market has sharply drawn investors seeking safer investment vehicles, with assets under management skyrocketing to 20.7 trillion won ($17.5 billion) as of end-September from 300 billion won,” according to the Korea Times.
In the first eight months of 2015 record levels of net new assets have been gathered by ETFs/ETPs listed globally, with net inflows of US$219.7 Bn marking a 16% increase over the prior record set during the first eight months of 2014. In the United States net inflows reached US$127.5 Bn, which is 19% higher than the prior record set last year, while in Europe year to date (YTD) net inflows climbed to US$59.7 Bn, representing a 17% increase on the record set YTD through end of August 2014. In Japan, YTD net inflows were up 74% on the record set last year, standing at US$28.9 Bn at the end of August 2015,” according to ETF research firm ETFGI.
South Korea is Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
Tom Lydon’s clients own shares of GLD.