The ProShares Decline of the Retail Store ETF (EMTY US) is the top-performing US-listed equity ETF over the past month (as of 20 August 2019), posting a gain of 12.0%. The fund, which provides inverse exposure to traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers in the US, has profited from ongoing problems in the sector including the effects of trade tariffs, slowing global growth, and the structural trend favouring online competitors.

Cathay Securities, a division of Cathay Financial Holdings, has launched a new ETF in Taiwan, providing investors with leveraged exposure to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The Cathay Dow Jones Industrial Average Daily Leveraged 2X ETF (00852 TT) has listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) and comes with an expense ratio of 1.03%.

The Hong Kong stock exchange has welcomed its first leveraged inverse ETP, the CSOP Hang Seng Index Daily (-2x) Inverse Product (7500 HK), launched by local investment manager, CSOP Asset Management. Brian Roberts, Head of Exchange Traded Products at Hong Kong stock exchange (HKEX), commented, “The listing of the first two-time inverse product on HKEX represents significant progress in the development of Hong Kong’s leveraged and inverse products market.”

Horizons ETFs Canada has launched two new ETFs on Toronto Stock Exchange which are the world’s first to provide inverse and leveraged exposure to marijuana-related stocks. The funds provide twice the daily return and inverse daily return, respectively, of the North American MOC Marijuana Index of North American publicly listed companies with significant business activities in the marijuana industry. Steve Hawkins, President and CEO at Horizons ETFs, said, “[The ETFs] will give Canadian marijuana equity investors the opportunity to potentially generate returns in both positive and negative markets in the marijuana sector.”

Direxion has unveiled a new suite of ETFs on NYSE Arca that use a relative weight methodology. The range consists of ten long/short ETFs, separated into five investment pairs designed to capture both sides of an expressed view – for example, that value will outperform growth or vice-versa. “The beauty of these funds is they allow you to extend your viewpoint to the short side to seek additional returns,” said Dave Mazza, Managing Director and Head of Product of Direxion. “Your view is no longer mismatched with the fund – the fund is now designed to match your view.”

ProShares has launched four new ETFs on NYSE Arca, providing a range of leveraged and inverse leveraged exposures to the newly minted Communications Services sector of the S&P 500 Index. “ProShares is committed to providing knowledgeable investors with a comprehensive set of tools for tactical investing,” said Ben Fulton, Managing Director of ProShares’ tactical products business.

US-based inverse and leveraged ETF specialist Direxion has announced it will raise the daily leverage factor on its suite of ‘PortfolioPlus’ ETFs – a range of lightly leveraged funds providing exposure to the US large, mid, and small cap markets, as well as international developed and emerging market stocks.

Direxion has added four funds to its line-up of leveraged and inverse sector ETFs. The funds provide triple leveraged exposure or triple inverse leveraged exposure to the daily return of the consumer staples and consumer discretionary sectors of the US equity market.

Taipei-headquartered CTBC Investments has launched a pair of ETFs on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) that provide unleveraged and leveraged exposure to China’s offshore equity market.

Samsung Asset Management has launched three new ETFs on Korea Exchange. Listed under the firm’s KODEX brand, two of the funds provide exposure to futures contracts based on long-term Treasury bonds (one long, one short), while the third tracks local companies involved in rechargeable battery production.