There have been notable outflows of two ETFs since last week: EFA and QGBR. Regarding units outstanding, the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) saw the loss of 6,600,000 units, a 0.6% decrease week over week.
According to iShares, EFA “seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large- and mid-capitalization developed market equities, excluding the U.S. and Canada.”
The fund, which launched in 2001, holds exposure to a broad range of companies in Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Far East, with a total of 962 holdings. EFA is up nearly 1% with a price of $67.44 as of Tuesday afternoon, and holds a YTD return of -1.29%.
EFA looks to wider geographic areas to add alpha over a traditional international benchmark, while still providing attractive diversification qualities across numerous countries, sectors, and market cap styles.
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On a percentage change basis, the ETF with the biggest outflow was the SPDR MSCI United Kingdom StrategicFactors ETF (QGBR), which lost 150,000 units, a 37.5% decline in outstanding units compared to the week prior.
QGBR targets large- and mid-capitalization companies and has 103 holdings. Some of the fund’s top-weighted holdings include Diageo, AstraZeneca, HSBC, Royal Dutch Shell, and BP. QGBR, which has a YTD return of 1.48%, is currently priced at $52.64.
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