The latest offerings in investments, such as funds and structured products, and other notable developments.

US Global Investors
Seeing a heavily discounted market as a result of pandemic disruptions, US Global Investors is launching the US Global Jets UCITS ETF. Billed as the first “global airlines” UCITs in Europe, the fund will deliver exposure to the sector by tracking companies in the commercial airline, aircraft manufacturing, and airport and terminal services industries. The ETF, which will list on the London Stock Exchange this month, is seen as "well-positioned" to capitalise on the regeneration of the sector as economies open up.

“Commercial aviation still has some challenging times ahead, but leisure travel has already begun to recover and the big four US carriers – American, United, Delta and Southwest – are all up double or triple-digits for the 12 months ending March 2021,” the group said.

The ETF, which will carry a total expense ratio of 65bps, tracking the US Global Jets index, will be passported for sale across Europe. Its US-listed sister ETF, launched six years ago, currently has $4 billion assets under management.

"Like US investors, Europeans are signalling that they want investment vehicles that seek to capitalise on the reopening of the global economy. According to the European Fund and Asset Management Association’s review of investment trends in 2020, UCITS net assets increased 7.6 per cent during the year, with much of this growth occurring in the fourth quarter, when vaccine breakthroughs raised hopes that travel restrictions would be ending sooner rather than later. I believe our upcoming UCITS airlines ETF, in collaboration with HANetf, will meet EU and UK investors’ demand for such a product,” US Global Investors’ CEO and CIO Frank Holmes said.

UBP
Union Bancaire Privée has added its Positive Impact Funds to the retail investment platforms Nucleus and Elevate, increasing its presence in the UK wholesale market. 

The platforms will offer the UBAM Positive Impact Equity and the UBAM Positive Impact Emerging Equity Funds to retail investors, the Geneva-based private banking group said.

The funds are now available on platforms including: Advance by Embark, AJ Bell, Ascentric, Aviva, Elevate, Embark, Fidelity FundsNetwork, Hubwise, James Brearley & Sons, Novia Financial, Novia Global, Nucleus, Old Mutual Wealth, Pershing, Praemium, Raymond James, Seven Investment Management (7IM), Standard Life Wrap, The Big Exchange and Transact.

The UBAM Positive Impact Emerging Equity Fund, which marked its one year anniversary last month, complements UBP’s existing positive impact equity strategy, which launched in September 2018.