This Weeks ETF Launches: A Major Indexer Goes Responsible

Most investors equate “mutual fund” and “ETF powerhouse” with indexing. After all, the investment manager invented the concept. But it’s not the only game in town. Manager Northern Trust is no slouch either. Originally, an investment advisor and wealth management firm for high-net-worth clients, Northern Trust brought its brand of indexing — mostly through self-indexed mutual funds — to the masses when it launched its successful FlexShares line of ETFs. Many of Northern Trust’s ETFs have copies of its successful mutual funds.