It's not surprising that several ETFs focused on the transition to a low-carbon global economy were introduced while the Glasgow climate change summit was in session, but an ETF that bets against another ETF, which was once the darling of the market, is. That's what happened during the early weeks of November.
Betting Against Cathie Wood's ARKK ETF
Tuttle Capital Management launched the Short Innovation ETF (SARK) on on the Nasdaq. The ETF seeks the inverse return of the ARK Innovation ETF (ARK) for a single day, not for any other period.
According to Tuttle Capital, the ETF lets investors potentially profit from price declines in a portfolio of companies involved in disruptive industries such as electric vehicles, cryptocurrencies, next-gen internet and genomics and telemedicine — the types of companies that Ark invests in and that its CEO, Cathie Wood, champions. Year-to-date, ARKK, which gained over 150% in 2020, has lost about 6%. SARK is betting that those losses will grow.
During its first three trading sessions, SARK gained 5.5%. ARKK lost 5.3% during the same period. It didn't help ARKK that this was the week Tesla, a top holding, fell because CEO Elon Musk sold millions of shares worth about $5 billion. Both ETFs have a 0.75% expense ratio.
Todd Rosenbluth, head of ETF & mutual fund research at CFRA, tweeted, "$SARK provides a more accessible way to bet against $ARKK than shorting the #ETF directly."
Short interest in ARKK was at record 17% last Wednesday, according to the Financial Times, citing data provider S3 Partners.
Matthew Tuttle, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of Tuttle Capital Management, the advisor to SARK, said in a statement that the fund is for investors who "believe that the current bull thesis for transformational industries is stretched," or want protection their existing portfolio of high-growth stocks.
Climate Change and ESG ETFs
Among the new ETFs focused on combating climate change are the Impact Shares MSCI Global Climate Select ETF (NTZO), developed in partnership with the the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance; the VanEck Green Metals ETF (GMET) and sustainable versions of iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond and Minimum volatility equity ETFs.
Impact Shares MSCI Global Climate Select ETF (NTZO)
NTZO aims to maximize exposure to companies that can potentially benefit from opportunities arising from the transition to a lower-carbon economy and increase exposure to companies that are setting science-based emission reduction targets or commit to reduction targets and have a track record of decarbonizing at a rate of 7%.
The ETF tracks the MSCI ACWI Climate Pathway Select Index, which excludes certain securities based on certain ESG and climate change-related criteria and has an expense ratio of 0.30%. It will donate its net management fee to UNCDF to build climate resilience and adaptation in the least developed countries.
New iShares Advanced ESG ETFs
The iShares ESG Advanced Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (ELQD) invests in investment-grade corporate bonds from issuers with favorable environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings. It applies extensive climate-based screens to exclude issuers involved in fossil fuels and controversial activities, including civilian firearms and controversial weapons, tobacco and alcohol, based on the iBoxx MSCI ESG Advanced USD Liquid Investment Grade Index.
