Legal & General Investment (Holdings) Limited (LGIM) has acquired Canvas, the European exchange-traded fund (ETF) platform owned by ETF Securities. The transaction includes the platform and embedded infrastructure for ETFs, as well as $2.7bn of existing assets across 17 products and partnerships.
15 Nov 2017
Canvas is a platform that has built a diverse range of ETFs working with partners and directly in a UCITS compliant ETF format. It manages investments for a number of ETFs on the platform, while also allowing partners to launch and manage their own ETFs. The platform will remain open architecture for differentiated products and for the large majority of ETFs to be managed and distributed by LGIM.
The acquisition provides LGIM’s clients with access to one of the fastest growing segments in asset management, broadening LGIM’s geographical reach and product range. It will also bolster LGIM’s capabilities and expertise, enabling it to provide more solutions to help clients achieve their investment objectives.
Mark Zinkula, LGIM CEO, said: "As a leader in product innovation, we are constantly exploring ways to deliver new investment solutions for our clients. The ETF market is one of the fastest growing segments in asset management. A number of long-term macro trends, including the increasing use of passive vehicles and the drive to digitalisation, will lead to a growing demand for ETF products. We are well positioned to leverage the scale of our $431bn index business1 to develop ETF solutions that complement our existing range of index funds."
"This is a natural step in our strategy to develop products for a wider audience. The acquisition of Canvas enables us to cater to a growing base of clients across Europe and further grow our market share in both retail and institutional markets. LGIM shares a strong cultural alignment with Canvas and we look forward to working with the team going forward."
A team of Canvas employees with specialist ETF skills will join LGIM as part of the transaction, with both groups working closely together to ensure the successful integration of the business.
As at the end of October 2017, the global ETF and exchange traded product (ETP) market size reached a new record of $4.6trn AUM, with year to date flows of $538bn eclipsing 2016’s full year flow record of $391bn. The US remains the largest region by assets with $3.3trn AUM; however, Europe is growing at a faster pace. Assets invested in ETFs/ETPs listed in Europe reached a new record of $0.8trn, increasing 33.7% in the first 10 months of 2017. 2017 is on track for a record year in net inflows in Europe, with October 2017 marking 37 consecutive months of net inflows and a record level of $95bn in the year to date, up 102% on October 2016.2
The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.
The ETF Securities Group is one of the world’s leading innovators of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) and provides specialist investment solutions to investors around the world, enabling them to intelligently build and diversify their portfolios.
The European ETF platform of the ETF Securities Group, Canvas is a leading, scalable UCITS ETF platform which has the flexibility to build on in-house capabilities as well as work with other partners to launch new and innovative ETFs. The Canvas product range is registered for distribution in 14 countries: Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the UK.
ETFGI is a leading independent research and consultancy firm on trends in the global ETF/ETP ecosystem, based in London, England. Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner, co-founder, ETFGI website www.etfgi.com.
Legal & General Investment Management
Legal & General Investment Management is one of Europe’s largest asset managers and a major global investor, with total assets under management of £1.29 trillion1. We work with a wide range of global clients, including pension schemes, sovereign wealth funds, fund distributors and retail investors.
For more than 50 years, we have built our business through understanding what matters most to our clients and transforming this insight into valuable, accessible investment products and solutions. We provide investment expertise across the full spectrum of asset classes including fixed income, equities, commercial property, and cash. Our capabilities range from index-tracking and active strategies to liquidity management and liability-based risk management solutions.
1Globally, we manage assets of £1.42 trillion or CHF 1.75 trillion as at 31 December 2021 (source: LGIM internal data as at 31 December 2021). The data combines assets under management by LGIM in the UK, LGIMA in the US and LGIM Asia in Hong Kong. Assets under management include securities and derivatives positions.
*at 11 Jan 2023
KEY RISKS
Past performance is not a guide to the future. The value of an investment and any income taken from it is not guaranteed and can go down as well as up, you may not get back the amount you originally invested. For illustrative purposes only. Reference to a particular security is on a historical basis and does not mean that the security is currently held or will be held within an LGIM portfolio. The above information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Views expressed are of LGIM as at 3 January 2023.
IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE
In the European Economic Area, it is issued by LGIM Managers (Europe) Limited, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland as a UCITS management company (pursuant to European Communities (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) Regulations, 2011 (S.I. No. 352 of 2011), as amended) and as an alternative investment fund manager with "top up" permissions which enable the firm to carry out certain additional MiFID investment services (pursuant to the European Union (Alternative Investment Fund Managers) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 257 of 2013), as amended). Registered in Ireland with the Companies Registration Office (No. 609677). Registered Office: 70 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin, 2, Ireland. Regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (No. C173733).
LGIM Managers (Europe) Limited operates a branch network in the European Economic Area, which is subject to supervision by the Central Bank of Ireland. In Italy, the branch office of LGIM Managers (Europe) Limited is subject to limited supervision by the Commissione Nazionale per le società e la Borsa ("CONSOB") and is registered with Banca d'Italia (no. 23978.0) with registered office at Piazza della Repubblica 3, 20121 Milan, (Companies' Register no. MI - 2557936). In Germany, the branch office of LGIM Managers (Europe) Limited is subject to limited supervision by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority ("BaFin"). In the Netherlands, the branch office of LGIM Managers (Europe) Limited is subject to limited supervision by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets ("AFM") and it is included in the register held by the AFM and registered with the trade register of the Chamber of Commerce under number 74481231.Details about the full extent of our relevant authorisations and permissions are available from us upon request. For further information on our products (including the product prospectuses), please visit our website.
Established in 1836, Legal & General is one of the UK's leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with over £1.2 trillion in total assets under management* of which a third is international. We also provide powerful asset origination capabilities. Together, these underpin our leading retirement and protection solutions: we are a leading international player in pension risk transfer, in UK and US life insurance, and in UK workplace pensions and retirement income. Through inclusive capitalism, we aim to build a better society by investing in long-term assets that benefit everyone.
*at 31 Dec 2022