A new firm has entered the ETF principality, and it aims to add some new twists to fundamental investing.

The firm, Reality Shares recently for permission with the SEC to launch three dividend-focused ETFs: the passive Reality Shares Isolated U.S. Dividend Growth Index ETF; the passive Reality Shares Isolated Global Dividend Growth Index ETF and the actively-managed Reality Shares Isolated Dividend Growth ETF.

Reality Shares, which had changed to its current name from ERNY Financial in July, is run by co-founder, chief executive and president Eric Ervin, who had run the Ervin Miller Group at Smith Barney for 16 years.

Other executives at the firm include: director of capital markets Ryan Ballantyne, a former institutional equity and derivative trader at Miller Tabak and Susquehanna International Group. and director of institutional sales Dan Janowiak, former VP of business development and client service for Private Asset Management, Inc. and ;previously VP of sales, client service and consultant relations at Allianz Global Investors Capital.

“The launch of Reality Shares marks the beginning of a truly differentiated way to link investment performance directly to company performance,” stated Ervin. “Stock prices are climbing to all-time highs, but continue to lag the growth of corporate fundamentals. Capturing earnings and dividend performance while minimizing market volatility is imperative to investors trying to grow and protect their assets.”

According to a press release, Reality Shares "aims to isolate individual corporate fundamentals from stock price to uncover only the growth of those fundamentals.  Unlike many products marketed as delivering “fundamental” performance, the firm does not weight stocks based on underlying fundamental growth, minimizing the influence of stock price fluctuations on overall performance."

The company's gradual evolution towards the ETF space was documented by IndexUniverse, with this April story detailing the firm's early filings to gain exemptions for both passive and active ETFs, and this story on the filing for the three dividend ETFs.

Here is the press release:

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Company Press Release

REALITY SHARES, INC. LAUNCHES WITH DIFFERENTIATED APPROACH TO CAPTURING CORPORATE PERFORMANCE

  New Firm Aims to Minimize Stock Price Risk by Focusing on Growth of Company Fundamentals

  SAN DIEGO — November 18, 2013 — Reality Shares, Inc., (“Reality Shares”) an investment firm which offers a suite of innovative tools and indexes that aim to help investors minimize the uncontrollable factors of the stock market on their investment performance, today announced the launch of the business. The company is led by a team of experienced industry professionals that seek to transform the marketplace for investors frustrated with stock price returns.

  “The launch of Reality Shares marks the beginning of a truly differentiated way to link investment performance directly to company performance,” said Eric Ervin, Co-Founder, CEO and President of Reality Shares. “Stock prices are climbing to all-time highs, but continue to lag the growth of corporate fundamentals. Capturing earnings and dividend performance while minimizing market volatility is imperative to investors trying to grow and protect their assets.”

  Reality Shares aims to isolate individual corporate fundamentals from stock price to uncover only the growth of those fundamentals.  Unlike many products marketed as delivering “fundamental” performance, the firm does not weight stocks based on underlying fundamental growth, minimizing the influence of stock price fluctuations on overall performance.

  “Volatility is an ever-present concern for investors and a constant source of frustration as market movements erode real corporate growth,” said Ryan Ballantyne, Director of Capital Markets of Reality Shares. “Our strategy focuses on stability, capital preservation and risk management to quiet the noise of the market and give investors the means to track real corporate performance.”

  Reality Shares is led by an experienced management team that has spent decades on the front lines with investors, including:

  §  Eric Ervin, Co-Founder, CEO and President: Certified Financial Planner™ and a Chartered Financial Consultant™, spent 16 years building the Ervin Miller Group wealth management practice at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

§  Ryan Ballantyne, Director of Capital Markets: MBA, former institutional equity and derivative trader at Miller Tabak and Susquehanna International Group, with 20 years experience covering mutual funds and hedge funds.

§  Dan Janowiak, Director of Institutional Sales: Former VP of business development and client service for Private Asset Management; previously VP of sales, client service and consultant relations at Allianz Global Investors Capital, with more than 15 years industry experience in financial sales and client service.

§  Kristi Procopio, Director of Marketing: Former Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Investor Relations for Bank of the Internet and BofI Federal Bank; former SVP and Director of Marketing for Imperial Capital Bank, with 16 years of experience in financial services, marketing and sales.

§  Tom Trivella, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance Officer: Former Chief Operating Officer and Business Manager of U.S. institutional equities for Citadel Securities LLC, and ICAP PLC, with more than 25 years experience in financial securities operations, business management and administration.

  About Reality Shares, Inc.

Reality Shares, Inc. (“Reality Shares”) is redefining the way investors’ access and capitalize on company fundamentals.  Through a suite of innovative tools, Reality Shares empowers investors by isolating corporate fundamentals — including dividends, earnings and cash flow — from stock price, with the goal of realizing returns based on the reality of how companies perform.

  Reality Shares utilizes decades of experience and proprietary research to deliver innovative tools and indexes previously unavailable to retail investors. For more information, visit www.realityshares.com.

 

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