ETF Securities (UK) Limited has announced a portfolio simulator aimed at retail investors looking to build ETP portfolios.
ETP usage in Europe remains dominated by institutional investors. However retail investors’ appetite for these products has increased significantly in recent years. In 2013, retail investors and their advisers accounted for close to 12% of ETP turnover in the UK[1] alone. As retail investors continue to look for highly liquid, cost-effective and transparent investment solutions, the size of the ETP market is predicted to grow accordingly.
ETF Securities’ ETP Portfolio Builder helps investors to further familiarise themselves with ETPs and their associated benefits and risks. The simulator, available through the ETF Securities website (here), and powered by Just ETF, offers access to a broad range of investment strategies. It enables investors to structure a hypothetical portfolio and visualise how their ETP assets would have performed on a historical basis.
Key features of the Portfolio Builder include:
o Choice of Currency: EUR, USD, GBP, or CHF
o Choice of asset classes: structure the portfolio by choosing between equities, commodities, currencies and precious metals
o Benchmarks: set a benchmark comparison out of 87 possible benchmarks, such as the FTSE 100 or S&P 500.
o Flexible time frame: set the investment timeline from one month to five years
Commenting on the launch of the Portfolio Builder, Frank Spiteri, Head of Retail Distribution Strategy, ETF Securities, said: “We have been focusing on educating retail investors on the importance of asset allocation and how ETPs can be used as building blocks to achieve their allocation. This simulator further strengthens our commitment to making ETP investing more accessible to the retail market. Furthermore, with the introduction of the Retail Distribution Review, we anticipate an increased use of these investment products by advisors offering fee-based services.”
“The tool not only helps users understand the benefits and risks of investing through ETPs but encourages them to include asset classes such as commodities as part of a diversified portfolio. Gold represented 8% of the retail turnover in ETPs in the UK last year and this trend may continue as investors become increasingly aware that accessing commodities such as gold via ETPs is as easy as trading shares, without having to take physical delivery of the metal.”
