ISE Announces That Aggregate Assets Under Management For ETFs Based On ISE Proprietary Indexes Now Exceeds $1 Billion

The International Securities Exchange (ISE) announced today that aggregate assets under management for the portfolios of exchange traded funds (ETFs) based on ISE’s proprietary indexes now exceeds $1 billion. First Trust Advisors has a portfolio of eight ETFs based on ISE’s family of emerging market and sector indexes that track public companies in high growth markets. Sectors covered include natural gas, global wind energy, water, global engineering and construction services, copper mining, and platinum group metals mining. In addition, First Trust Advisors has developed ETFs that track ISE’s CHIndia index that represents the emerging markets of China and India, as well as ISE’s BICK Index that covers Brazil, India, China and South Korea. Direxion has also created two leveraged ETFs based on ISE’s natural gas index.

“Reaching $1 billion assets under management for ETFs tied to ISE’s indexes is a very exciting milestone. We look forward to continuing to work with our existing partners and to developing new relationships to grow the Index and ETF segment of our business even further,” said Kris Monaco, Director of New Product Development at ISE. “At ISE, we remain focused on developing innovative, actionable indexes for the creation of investment vehicles that provide investors with targeted exposure to the most liquid exchange-listed companies in rapidly growing markets.”

“It’s exciting for First Trust that our group of ISE index-based ETFs continues to grow and give investors exposure to these high-growth sectors,” said Robert F. Carey, CFA, and Chief Investment Officer of First Trust. “As the ETF market has grown, it’s clear to us that many investors are focusing on efficient ways to access specialized segments of the market. This milestone proves that.”

“We congratulate ISE on passing the $1 billion milestone. We value our relationship with them, and are consistently impressed by their robust index construction in focused industries such as natural gas and clean energy,” said Mark Carroll, Director of Research at Direxion.

First Trust Advisors offers eight ETFs based on ISE’s proprietary indexes: the First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index Fund (FCG), the First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund (FAN), the First Trust ISE Chindia Index Fund (FNI), the First Trust ISE Water Index Fund (FIW), the First Trust ISE Global Engineering and Construction Index Fund (FLM), the First Trust BICK Index Fund (BICK), the First Trust ISE Global Copper Index Fund (CU) and the First Trust Global Platinum Index Fund (PLTM).

Direxion offers two ETFs based on the ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index: The Direxion Daily Natural Gas Related Bull 2x Shares (FCGL) and the Direxion Daily Natural Gas Related Bear 2x Shares (FCGS).

ISE also offers options on certain index and ETF products within the First Trust and Direxion portfolios, as outlined in the table below.

For more information about First Trust Advisors’ ETFs, please visit www.ftportfolios.com. For more information about the Direxion leveraged indexes, visit www.direxionfunds.com. For information about ISE’s proprietary indexes, please visit www.ise.com/index.