New ETF Launches: John Hancock Gets Smart With Sectors

So far, the vast bulk of smart-beta and fundamental index ETFs have focused on broad products, with only a few covering individual industries. Last October, Manulife Financial Corp.’s (MFC) insurance and investment manager John Hancock was one of the first to bring sector-specific smart-beta funds to the market. Those ETFs covered financials, health care, consumer discretionary and technology. With its latest set of five launches on March 29, John Hancock expands its sector set and completes the missing pieces of the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) puzzle.