State Street Global Advisors, the second largest ETF player, has taken the wraps off the industry's first convertible bond ETF on Thursday at the NYSE Arca. The SPDR Barclays Capital Convertible Bond ETF comes with an expense ratio of 40 basis points and seeks the mirror the Barclays Capital U.S. Convertible Bond >$500MM Index.

At the end of 2008, SSgA counted more than $159 billion of AUM in its SPDR ETFs.

Boston-based SSgA is the second largest ETF provider behind Barclays Global Investors' iShares, which is in the process of being acquired by Blue Sparkle, a limited partnership formed by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners (see The MFWire, 04/09/09).

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Company Press Release

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), the investment management arm of State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT), today announced that the SPDR® Barclays Capital Convertible Bond ETF (Symbol: CWB) began trading on the NYSE Arca on April 16, 2009. It is the first convertible bond ETF available to U.S. investors.

The SPDR Barclays Capital Convertible Bond ETF seeks to track the price and yield performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. Convertible Bond >$500MM Index (the “Convertible Index”). Convertible bonds are bonds that can be exchanged, at the option of the holder, for a specific number of shares of the issuer’s preferred or common stock. As of December 31, 2008, 156 issues were included in the Convertible Index. The Fund’s expense ratio is 0.40 percent.

"Offering a unique risk-return profile that combines the yield of corporate bonds with the capital appreciation potential of stocks, convertible bond exposure is experiencing increased demand as investors look to improve the diversification of their portfolios," said James Ross, senior managing director at State Street Global Advisors. “As the first ETF to provide exposure to the benefits of convertible bonds, the SPDR Barclays Capital Convertible Bond ETF underscores our commitment to develop innovative ETFs for investors seeking precise access to all segments of the market."

State Street Global Advisors has managed fixed-income index funds since 1984. As of December 31, 2008, the firm managed $270 billion in fixed income assets globally, and SSgA Funds Management, Inc., the adviser to the SPDR Barclays Capital Convertible Bond ETF, manages more than $4 billion across 16 fixed income SPDR ETFs.

State Street Global Advisors is one of the largest ETF providers in the United States and globally. U.S. assets under management for SPDR ETFs totaled more than $159 billion as of December 31, 2008.

About State Street Global Advisors

State Street Global Advisors, the investment management arm of State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT), delivers investment strategies and integrated solutions to clients worldwide across every asset class, investment approach and style. With $1.4 trillion in assets under management at December 31, 2008, State Street Global Advisors has investment centers in Boston, Hong Kong, London, Montreal, Munich, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto and Zurich, and offices in 27 cities worldwide. For more information, visit State Street Global Advisors at www.ssga.com.

SPDR ETFs are managed by SSgA Funds Management, Inc., a registered investment adviser and wholly owned subsidiary of State Street Bank and Trust Company.

 

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