State Street Global Advisors, the investment management arm of State Street Corporation has launched two international exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the American Stock Exchange (Amex).
The ETFs include two Japan-focused funds based upon indices created by the Russell Investment Group and Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. The ETFs introduced include: streetTRACKS Russell/Nomura Prime JAPAN ETF, focuses on the broad Japanese stock market and measures the performance of Japan’s 1,000 largest stocks. The index offers investors one of the most comprehensive benchmarks available for the Japanese market.
streetTRACKS Russell/Nomura Small Cap Japan ETF, tracks the smallest 15 percent of companies in the Japanese stock market.
“These new ETFs add to our collection of international funds and enable investors to better access the Japanese market, a global economic powerhouse second in size only to the US market,” says James Ross, a senior managing director of SSgA. “This launch is just a first step for SSgA. In the near future, we plan to introduce additional international ETFs that will provide cutting-edge, geography-specific and industry-targeted exposure.”
“Amex and SSgA enjoy a long-standing relationship, and the introduction of these ETFs underscores our ability to partner with asset managers to provide unique, cutting-edge investment products,” adds Cliff Weber, a senior vice president of the Amex ETF Marketplace. “These ETFs provide new alternatives for investors seeking to further diversify their investment portfolios.”