Fund Lineups Shift

ETF managers are reshuffling their investment menus to better reflect investor interest and demand. And ETFs with too few assets are on the chopping block.

Global X Funds is planning to liquidate eight Global X Funds ETFs. All of the funds are stock ETFs covering emerging markets to narrow industry sectors.

The following Global X ETFs are set for liquidation:

•  Global X Russell Emerging Markets Growth ETF (EMGX)
•  Global X Russell Emerging Markets Value ETF (EMVX)
•  Global X Mexico Small-Cap ETF (MEXS)
•  Global X Oil Equities ETF ( XOIL)
•  Global X Farming ETF (BARN)
•  Global X Fishing Industry ETF (FISN)
•  Global X Food ETF (EATX)
•  Global X Waste Management ETF (WSTE)

The funds listed above will close to new investors and cease trading on the NYSE Arca at the end of the trading day on Feb. 16, 2012 and will liquidate on Feb. 27, 2012.

The Board of Trustees of Global X Funds unanimously determined that it was in the best interests of the Funds and their shareholders to liquidate the Funds.

In other industry news, IndexIQ has closed three Asia-focused stock ETFs; The IQ Taiwan Small Cap ETF (TWON), IQ Hong Kong Small Cap ETF (HKK) and the IQ Japan Mid Cap ETF (RSUN) had their final trading day on Dec. 23, 2011. 

Also, ALPS ETF Trust pulled the plug on the Jefferies TR/J CRB Global Agriculture Equity Index Fund (CRBA) and Jefferies TR/J CRB Global Industrial Metals Equity Index Fund (CRBI). The two commodities focused ETFs were liquidated on Dec. 28, 2011.

For advisors that like stocks in commodity linked sectors, ALPS still offers the TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund (CRBQ) and the TR/J CRB Wildcatters Energy & Production Equity ETF (WCAT).

Global X Funds has relaunched the Global X NASDAQ China Technology ETF (QQQC) on the NASDAQ. The fund was previously named the Global X China Technology ETF (CHIB).

QQQC tracks the NASDAQ OMX China Technology Index, which lists ASM Pacific Techno, Lenovo Group, and BAIDU as the three largest holdings within the underlying index.

The stocks within QQQC have their main businesses in the following technology sectors: computer services, Internet, software, computer hardware, semiconductors and telecommunications equipment. Altogether, QQQC holds 30 Chinese technology stocks. QQQC’s annual expense ratio is 0.65 percent. •