IShares

From MarketsWiki

One of the earliest exchange-traded funds (ETF) families, iShares has been expanded globally by owner Barclays Global Investors (BGI), the world's largest index-fund manager. IShares, whose origins stretch back a dozen years, now cover almost every market-sector index in the U.S. and a wide range of international markets.

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Brief History

BGI launched the predecessor to iShares, WEBS (World Equity Benchmark Series) ETFs, in 1996^[1] and later collapsed that brand into the iShares MSCI series in mid-2000.^[2] Since then BGI has expanded the popular index-based ETFs into 163 separate iShares funds in 12 different domestic and international sectors.^[3]

Trading iShares

IShares are today traded on more than a dozen global exchanges, most notably the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and the NASDAQ exchange in the US. For derivatives traders, the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) also lists several iShares products in its CBOE index options family of contracts while the CME-CBOE electronic joint-venture exchange OneChicago trades futures on four iShares ETFs.

Examples of Products As Of July of 2008

• iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund (ICF)
• iShares Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index Fund (IDV)
• iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund (DVY)
• iShares Dow Jones Transportation Average Index Fund (IYT)
• iShares Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Goods Sector Index Fund (IYK)
• iShares Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Services Sector Index Fund (IYC)
• iShares S&P/TOPIX 150 Index Fund (ITF)

Latest News

• In 2007 and 2008, Barclays increased the visibility of iShares by becoming the first-ever presenting sponsor of the U.S. touring shows of Quebec-based acrobatic circus Cirque du Soleil. The 2007-08 Cirque du Soleil U.S. Tour - comprised of two shows - will visit 20 markets and is expected to reach nearly 3 million people.^[4]

BGI announced in June 2008 it would launch on the NASDAQ exchange four new iShares ETFs tracking Chinese and global alternative-energy markets.^[5] The new Chinese ETF is based on the mid-cap/large-cap FTSE China Index, listed in Hong Kong, which holds around 90 'red-chip' shares. The three new global iShares offerings are compiled by Standard & Poors and track its global Clean Energy Index, Nuclear Energy Index and Timber & Forestry Index. IShares' global family of ETFs, the world's largest, now stands at 65 funds.

References

1. ↑ History. iShares.com. Retrieved on July 3, 2008.
2. ↑ Active Index Investing. Google Books. Retrieved on July 3, 2008.
3. ↑ iShares Products. iShares.com. Retrieved on July 3, 2007.
4. ↑ Press Release. Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved on July 5, 2008.
5. ↑ Barclays Global Investors Announces Launch of iShares Exchange Traded Funds that Offer Exposure to Alternative Energy and Broad Exposure to China. iShares. Retrieved on July 3, 2008.