The ETF growth story

The first exchange-traded fund, or ETF, was launched in the United States in 1993. The Standard & Po...

The first exchange-traded fund, or ETF, was launched in the United States in 1993. The Standard & Poor's Deposit Receipt gave investors the ability to track the performance of the S&P 500 by holding just one share and it quickly grew in popularity. Since then, thanks to the range of benefits they offer investors, ETFs have evolved into one of the fastest-growing products in financial markets, offering ever more innovative features. At the end of 2007, there were 1,171 listed ETFs on 41 exchanges around the world - 64% up on the year. Assets under management had grown by 40.8% to $796.6bn ...