The universe of US-listed cannabis exchange traded funds is now up to four with Tuesday’s debut of the Amplify Seymour Cannabis ETF (NYSEARCA: CNBS). CNBS is the second cannabis ETF to come to market this month, following the The Cannabis ETF (NYSEARCA: THCX).
Like the AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF (YOLO), which debuted in April, the Amplify Seymour Cannabis ETF is actively managed.
“Working alongside Amplify in bringing CNBS to market is early-stage cannabis investor, Tim Seymour, CIO of Seymour Asset Management and CNBC Fast Money co-host, who will serve as the fund’s portfolio manage,” according to a statement issued by Chicago-based Amplify ETFs.
The new CNBS “invests at least 80% of its assets in securities of companies that derive 50% or more of their revenue from the cannabis and hemp ecosystem,” according to Amplify.
The cannabis ETF’s qualifiers are that member firms must be producers of cannabis or hemp plants, provide support, including agriculture or real estate services, or be involved in the ancillary cannabis industry, including consumption devices, technology, finance or media.
Inside CNBS ETF
There are other some requirements for members of the new cannabis ETF.
“Companies in the CNBS portfolio must be federally legal in the countries they operate,” according to Amplify.
Top holdings in the new cannabis ETF include Aurora Cannabis (NYSE: ACB), GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: GWPH), Canopy Growth Corp. (NYSE: CGC) and Tilray (NASDAQ: TLRY). CNBS holds 25 stocks. About two-thirds of the fund’s holdings are mid- and small-cap names while 27.1% are classified as micro-cap stocks.
“The global legal cannabis industry is still very much in its infancy and presents an attractive growth opportunity for investors looking to capitalize on this emerging frontier,” asserted Tim Seymour. “Amplify has a track record of offering investors access to disruptive areas of the market via the ETF structure, and the cannabis industry certainly fits this mold.”
The legal cannabis market in the U.S. is still in its formative stages. Roughly a quarter of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes and almost half have legalized it for medicinal use. Recent data indicate many Americans support cannabis legalization.
CNBS charges 0.75% per year, or $75 on a $10,000 investment.
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