Ult-6
  • Why Ultumus
  • Our Products
    • Global Index Aggregation
    • Global ETF Aggregation
    • PCF Calculation
    • Global Dividend Forecast
    • Global Corporate Action Service
    • Cosmos ETF Create / Redeem Platform
  • Use Cases
    • ETF Issuers
    • Market Makers
    • Asset Managers & Investor Services
    • Equity Derivatives & Index Trading
    • Case Studies
  • News & Insights
    • Global Index Rebalance Calendar
    • Insights
    • News
    • Restricted Content
  • User Guides
    • PULSE - API
    • COSMOS – Create/Redeem Platform
    • IRONHIDE – Data & Tools UI
  • Contact Us
  • Login

News , coronavirus etf , pacer , covid

Covid ETF

By Bernie Thurston
June 19, 2020

Coronavirus ETF

Pacer Financial, an ETF sponsor based (literally) 15 minutes down the road from Vanguard in Malvern, Pennsylvania, is listing an ETF that learns to love the coronavirus. 

The Pacer BioThreat ETF (VIRS) will be passively managed. The index will include biotech companies trying to develop a vaccine, ecommerce companies, and work from home enablers -- among others. 


Companies are identified by the index provider's proprietary methodology. The prospectus indicates that this methodology involves reading news, quarterly reports and checking companies websites. Stocks picked will be weighted by market capitsalisation.

The prospectus does not give an expense ratio. 

Analysis - Pace, Pacer. Pandemic preparation primes people’s paranoia

So far as fad-chasing ETF listings go, this is a pretty good one. Many kinds of companies have benefited from the coronavirus. And many look like they’re set to continue benefiting. The main two sectors this fund will invest in – healthcare (biotech presumably) and industrials – look likely to be among the top benefactors. 

The lasting impression I got reading the fund’s documentation was that the SEC must have stopped ETF providers calling funds a “coronavirus ETF”. There’s been plenty of other lethal viruses come to light in recent years - Zika, H1N1, Ebola, avian flu, MERS - but none of them triggered ETF listings. So the notion retailed in this fund’s name and prospectus that it’s for all kinds of viral threats rings a bit false.

Subscribe to our Blog Notifications

All posts
About Author
Bernie Thurston

You might also like
Schwab Crypto
Schwab Crypto
June 19, 2020
Canadian Mint
Canadian Mint
June 19, 2020
Virtuous junk
Virtuous junk
June 19, 2020
Ult-6-wit

Our market leading technology powers four highly customizable solutions.

Products
  • Index Aggregation
  • ETF Aggregation
  • PCF Calculation
  • Dividend Forecast
  • Global Corporate
    Action Service
  • Cosmos ETF Platform
Site map
  • Why Ultumus
  • Our Products
  • Insights
  • Contact Us
Contact Us
  • +44 (0) 203 998 2500
  • info@ultumus.com

©2022. All rights reserved