ETFs set for boost from US institutions

Nearly half the asset management firms and a third of institutional funds suveyed revealed they expected to increase their positions in ETFs in the next two years, while fewer than 10% indicated plans to cut down allocations. Reasons for employing ETFs varied from liquidity and transition management to rebalancing and hedging. In particular, the percentage of interviewees using ETFs during periods of transition stands at 63% - up from 38% a year ago - while institutions using ETFs for cash equitization has risen to 51% from 31%. iShares US head of institutional Liz Tennican said sh...