Flexible Plan Releases New ETF Deathwatch List

The Wealth Advisor Contributor

August 21, 2023

In July, 18 exchange-traded products (“ETPs”) were added to the ETF Deathwatch list and 54 were removed, bringing the total to 506.

Seventeen products were added to the list due to low trading volume. The low volume in these products could be due to the nature of their investment product. One product was added due to low assets under management (“AUM”), though it may have enough AUM to keep it from closure. Our system takes into account both AUM and volume. If both remain low, these funds could be considered for closure.

Thirty-five products were removed from the list due to delisting and 19 were removed due to improved health.

Forty-five ETPs on Deathwatch this month have been in the market for at least 10 years, including many short ETPs.

The average asset level of the threatened ETPs on ETF Deathwatch increased from $9.27 million to $9.52 million, and 34 had less than $2 million in assets. The average age of products on the list increased from 43.20 months to 45.15 months, and the number of products at least 5 years of age decreased from 117 to 112. The largest ETP on the list had an AUM of $24.93 million, while the smallest had assets of just $443,000.

Here is the Complete list of 506 ETPs on ETF Deathwatch for July 2023 compiled using the objective ETF Deathwatch Criteria.

The 17 ETPs added to ETF Deathwatch for July due to low trading volume:

Calvert US Mid-Cap Core Responsible Index ETF (CVMC)
Calvert US Select Equity ETF (CVSE)
AAM S&P Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF (EEMD)
VanEck Egypt Index ETF (EGPT)
iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Growth ETF (EGUS)
iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Value ETF (EVUS)
First Trust Dividend Strength (FTDS)
WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Gold Miners Strategy Fund (GDMN)
KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF (KEMQ)
Unusual Whales Subversive Republican Trading ETF (KRUZ)
First Trust Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF (LALT)
Asymmetric Smart Income ETF (MORE)
Invesco S&P SmallCap Financials ETF (PSCF)
Calamos Antetokounmpo Global Sustainable Equities ETF (SROI)
Virtus Real Asset Income ETF (VRAI)
Innovator US Equity Accelerated ETF - April (XDAP)
Asymmetric Smart Alpha S&P 500 ETF (ZSPY)

The ETP added to ETF Deathwatch for July due to low AUM:

Cboe Vest 10 Year Interest Rate Hedge ETF (RYSE)

The 35 ETPs removed from ETF Deathwatch due to delisting:

First Trust BICK Index Fund (BICK)
Amplify Digital & Online Trading ETF (BIDS)
ETFMG Breakwave Sea Decarbonization Tech ETF (BSEA)
TrueShares ESG Active Opportunities ETF (ECOZ)
Emerge EMPWR Sustainable Dividend Equity ETF/DE (EMCA)
Emerge Etf Trust-Emerge Empwr Sustainable Emerging Markets Equity ETF/DE (EMCH)
Emerge EMPWR Sustainable Select Growth Equity ETF/US (EMGC)
Emerge EMPWR Unified Sustainable Equity ETF/US (EMPW)
Emerge EMPWR Sustainable Global Core Equity ETF/DE (EMZA)
Natixis U.S. Equity Opportunities ETF (EQOP)
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII-Equitycompass Risk Manager ETF (ERM)
FlexShares ESG & Climate High Yield Corporate Core Index Fund (FEHY)
FI Enhanced Europe 50 ETN/UBS (FIEE)
Hartford Schroders ESG US Equity ETF (HEET)
ALPS Hillman Active Value ETF (HVAL)
2ndVote Life Neutral Plus ETF (LYFE)
VanEck Muni Allocation ETF (MAAX)
Fount Metaverse ETF (MTVR)
Nightshares 2000 ETF (NIWM)
AXS 2X NKE Bull Daily ETF (NKEL)
AXS 2X NKE Bear Daily ETF (NKEQ)
Nightshares 500 ETF (NSPY)
Invesco PureBeta FTSE Developed ex-North America ETF (PBDM)
Invesco PureBeta FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (PBEE)
AXS 2X PFE Bull Daily ETF (PFEL)
AXS 2X PFE Bear Daily ETF (PFES)
ETRACS NYSE Pickens Core Midstream Index ETN (PYPE)
AXS 1.5X PYPL Bear Daily ETF (PYPS)
FlexShares Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund (QDYN)
First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VI-Developed International Equity Select ETF (RNDM)
Revere Sector Opportunity ETF (RSPY)
Senior Secured Credit Opportunities ETF (SECD)
AXS Short de-Spac ETF (SOGU)
GraniteShares 1x Short TSLA Daily ETF (TSLI)
UVA Dividend Value ETF (UVDV)