Unblocking barriers to ETF growth in Asia

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recently celebrated their 20th anniversary and have swelled to $2.7 trillion of global assets under management (AUM), according to data from financial information services company Markit. While this growth has been one of the biggest success stories in the financial markets, a common misperception is that it’s largely confined to the US market. ETF penetration among US investors still accounts for 70% of global AUM, underpinned by an efficient single…