Simon Brown | Founder & CEO Just One Lap

For years the case for ETFs was simple: track the index, keep costs low and stop trying to beat the market. Now a wave of actively managed ETFs (AMETFs) is listing on the JSE (51 on our ETF Database), from big-name managers and boutique houses alike. So is active management back, or is this old wine in a new bottle?

In this Power Hour, Simon Brown looks at the new active ETFs and asks the question that matters: are they any good? He will cover:

• Active versus passive: what “actively managed” means inside an ETF wrapper, and how it differs from both a traditional index tracker and a unit trust
• Why the listing boom: what is pushing managers onto the JSE now, and what it means for costs, access and choice
• Not all active is the same: some funds are true stock-pickers trying to beat an index, some are rules-based strategies, and others are active only because no suitable index exists for what they hold
• The managers and the funds: who is listing, what they offer, and what each one costs you
• Can they beat the market? Year after year, the SPIVA (S&P Indexation vs. Active) scorecards show most active managers underperforming their benchmark. We look at whether an ETF wrapper changes anything, and when paying for active management might still make sense.
• Where does active have a real advantage as illustrated by the SPIVA data?
• Buying them: how to add active ETFs to your portfolio through Standard Online Share Trading and Shyft, including in a tax-free account

The session suits anyone who has seen these new tickers appear on their trading platform and wondered whether they are worth a look, and anyone deciding between index trackers and active funds.

• Register for the webcast here.
• If you want to attend in person at Standard Bank 30 Baker street, Rosebank  please email macdonald@justonelap.com with name, number attending and car reg for secure parking access.