ETFs focused on Chinese equities delivered the biggest returns in the first half of the year, according to ETF.com data.
"The strong performance was largely tied to a reform-minded government that has shown itself committed to do whatever it takes to grow and open up the stock market," writes Cinthia Murphy in a ETF.com report.
ETF.com, which just released its June Midyear 2015 ETF fund flows data, reports that midyear ETF inflows set a new record of $101 billion. The data showed total U.S.-listed ETF assets stood at $2.118 trillion at the end of June—6% higher than at the end of 2014 and 14% higher than a year ago.
The big recipients of fund flows were international equities, and in particular currency-hedged strategies. The most popular ETF following that strategy has been the eurozone-focused WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund (HEDJ), which ETF.com reports has attracted $14 billion this year, bringing HEDJ's total assets to almost $20 billion.
Performance-wise, the first half of the year went well for funds invested in mainland China equities.
Both the Market Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF (CNXT), which targets 100 of the largest stocks listed on Shenzhen's SME and ChiNext Boards, and the Deutsche X-trackers Harvest CSI 500 China-A Shares Small Cap ETF (ASHS), which tracks an index of 500 Chinese small-cap companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, topped the list performance-wise.
