While a number of issuers have been curtailing their ETF lineup,
AdvisorShares, the Maryland-based ETF issuer, is apparently moving
full-speed ahead with its active ETFs, as evidenced by the recent
series of launches by the firm including the
QAM Equity Hedge ETF (
QEH
)
and the
Global Alpha & Beta ETF (
RRGR
)
which both came out over the summer.
This trend is evidently continuing as the company announced its
latest foray into the actively-managed ETF landscape is the
STAR Global Buy-Write ETF (
VEGA
)
, a new fund that will be managed by Partnervest Advisory Services.
The product marks the 16
th
ETF for AdvisorShares and it also potentially helps the company
expand into the popular 'buy-write' segment, albeit with an active
ETF which could present investors with an entirely new way to play
the space.
VEGA ETF in Focus
This new fund looks to provide investors with consistent,
repeatable returns across all types of market environments. This
looks to be done using a 'buy-write' strategy, in which individual
call options are written against each of the ETFs or stocks in the
portfolio (read
Three Low Volatility ETFs for Stormy Markets
).
This technique looks to lower volatility levels-although it will
probably reduce return potential-while simultaneously generating
income for investors. With this approach, VEGA could be a low risk
way to play the markets and a relatively easy way to implement a
covered call (buy-write) technique without having to monitor
options positions on your own.
In addition to reducing volatility, VEGA's style could also
offer up uncorrelated returns which could make the fund an
interesting choice given the increasingly lockstep market
environment that we find ourselves in at this juncture. If that
wasn't enough, the fund also (when volatility is low) will use
protective puts in order to manage downside risks for
investors.
Investors should also note that although the product has a
relatively high cash position right now, this will shift to more
ETFs as the product begins to implement its option-focused
strategy. With that being said, the current top holdings include
popular ETFs such as
SPY
,
EEM
,
IYR
, and
XLE
, suggesting that it will be writing options against a variety of
funds and market segments (read
Three Defensive ETFs for a Bear Market
).
"We're excited to partner with AdvisorShares in bringing VEGA to
market," said Ken Hyman, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Partnervest
in a press release
. "If history has taught us anything, it is that a single person or
entity cannot consistently predict the markets with any high degree
of accuracy. We feel confident that VEGA may minimize losses on the
downside and has the capability to participate in the market's
upside, providing investors with an attractive all-weather
alternative strategy within a transparent, highly liquid and
cost-efficient ETF wrapper."
Despite the many positives of the fund, investors should be
aware of its rather high expense ratio-at least compared to passive
ETFs-while the product is also likely to see relatively wide bid
ask spreads as long as trading volumes and AUM are low.
In fact, net expenses come in at 2.01%, thanks to a management
fee of 1.35%, 42 basis points of acquired fund fees, and 24bps of
other expenses, suggesting that it could be a high cost fund when
compared to more passive products in the space (read
Guide to the 25 Cheapest ETF
).
ETF Competition
Luckily for VEGA, the expense ratio may not be too much of a
concern as the 'buy-write' ETF market isn't exactly a competitive
one, at least at this time. Seemingly, the only real foe in this
segment is the
PowerShares S&P 500 BuyWrite Portfolio (
PBP
)
.
This ETF follows the CBOE S&P 500 BuyWrite Index which is a
benchmark that invests in the S&P 500 and then writes calls
slightly out of the money one month out. This approach can also
generate income and provide investors with some level of downside
protection, although it can lose out when markets surge in a short
time period (read
Are Buy-Write ETFs Worth the Cost?
).
However, investors should note that PBP only writes calls on the
broad S&P 500 and nothing else. This is in stark contrast to
the just launched VEGA which goes across market segments and
sectors to provide a potentially more robust buy-write
strategy.
While this can possibly provide investors with a more complete
look at how the buy-write strategy is doing, VEGA will cost more in
terms of fees by a pretty wide margin. This suggests that if cost
is a concern PBP is probably going to be a better choice, but if
investors are looking for a more holistic approach to buy-write
investing the newly minted VEGA could be the way to go.
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PWRSH-SP5 BUYWR (PBP): ETF Research Reports
ADVSR-QAM EQTY (QEH): ETF Research Reports
ADVSR-GLBL A&B (RRGR): ETF Research Reports
(VEGA): ETF Research Reports
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