Indirect ownership of ETFs on the cards

Singapore

EXCHANGE-TRADED funds (ETFs) might not be directly purchased by clients, but investors buying a product from a bank could nevertheless be owning them in some form - from the simple to the complicated.

Kevin Hardy, BlackRock's country head of Singapore and head of beta strategies in Asia-Pacific, said the firm has been creating dividend-oriented funds for Asian clients. For example, insurers can offer the funds through investment-linked policies.

The funds could be a multi-asset offering with equities and bonds in the mix. They could be pitched as low-volatility funds that provide a stable income, whi…