Like other emerging markets exchange traded funds, the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEArca: VWO) is struggling this year. VWO, the largest emerging markets ETF by assets, entered Monday with a year-to-date loss of about 16%, but that is not preventing some investors from remaining devoted to the fund.
Emerging markets stocks and the related exchange traded funds have been among the most obvious laggards this year, but recent data points indicate traders are buying some marquee ETFs tracking developing economies. After the recent pullback in the equities market, bargain hunters may look to beleaguered emerging market stocks and region-related ETFs for value.
“More than $1 billion flowed into U.S.-listed exchange-traded funds holding developing-nation assets last week, even as the main emerging-market stocks index lost more than 1 percent with the outlook for U.S.-China appearing to take a negative turn amid rising tensions around the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Technologies Co.’s chief financial officer,” reports Bloomberg.
VWO added more than $292 million in new assets last week. That extends VWO’s fourth-quarter inflows to over $717 million.
A New Trend?
The recent inflows are reversal of the trend seen earlier this year when investors pulled $10 billion from emerging markets ETFs in the first two quarters of the year.
The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEArca: IEMG), which vies with VWO among the least expensive emerging markets ETFs, is also adding assets at a prodigious pace.
“In addition, the $49.8 billion iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, ticker IEMG, the second largest emerging-markets ETF, recorded a fifth straight week of inflows,” according to Bloomberg.
Data suggest that for a significant portion of the current quarter, investors have been embracing emerging markets ETFs.
“Combined, developing-nations ETFs have had eight straight week of inflows, a sign that investors continue to see value in these assets after the sell-off earlier in the year,” according to Bloomberg.
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