The Advantages Of ETF Trading: Basics

By Patrick Deaton

Most people are just learning about ETF trading. Many have only heard bits and pieces about the Exchange-Traded Funds market and how it works. This is an incredibly complex market that a person will want to learn and get comfortable with before beginning trading in earnest. This is a brief overview of the benefits of ETF trading that may encourage a person to look into the market more closely.

Usually when someone talks about the "history" of a company, business, or market, people automatically think a long time. This is not the case with ETF. ETF became actively-managed in 2008. The "history" that ETF has is the relationship with the financial firms that are the major financial firms with a long history who are ETF leaders. By looking at these firms history with stocks, one can surmise that ETF will have a solid growth.

Another factor in determining the popularity of ETF training are the numbers. There were 628 ETFs in 2008 with $562 billion. In August, 2009, there were 858 ETFs holding $674 billion. Part of the astounding growth of ETF trading has been due to the number of ETF trading markets that are available. Some of the trading is of minimal risk to a trader. Other trades are extremely high risk and require extensive knowledge of the movement of the market one is trading in.

ETFs are a lot like stocks in terms of ETF trading and have some distinct advantages. They are normally low cost and not actively-managed. There is no buying and selling of securities to accommodate shareholders. There are lower marketing, distribution and accounting expenses. And, most don't have 12b-1 fees.

A person moving from stock trading to ETF trading will notice a distinct increase in the flexibility of buying and selling. ETFs are bought and sold at any time during the trading day. A trader can buy shares on margin and sell short to employ hedging strategies. Many of the stock trading benefits come with ETFs. A trader can use limit orders, stop-loss orders, buy on margin options, etc.

There is the same tax efficiency that is found with mutual funds. They generate relatively low capital gains because there is low turnover in portfolio securities. ETF trading provides market exposure and diversity that allows an investor an economical way to balance portfolio allocations. And, finally, whether the ETF is indexed or actively-managed there is transparency.

In order to be structured an ETF must get an exemption from the SEC. Most ETFs are structured as open-end management investment companies the same as mutual and money market funds so have greater flexibility in constructing a portfolio. They can participate in lending programs and can use futures and options to achieve investment objectives. The SEC has proposed a category for ETFs that will make them open-end management investment companies. When the proposal is approved ETFs will no longer have to get an exemption.

If a person is considering ETF trading, it is very important to talk to a professional who has expertise in ETFs. This person will be able to discuss the many complex and intricate details involved in trading. They will also be able to answer any questions that one may have about how to make knowledgeable decisions in the ETF market.

About the Author:

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Powered by Blogger