Deutsche Asset Management Trims Fees on 4 ETFs

This article was originally published on ETFTrends.com.

Deutsche Asset Management (Deutsche AM) said it is lowering the annual expense ratios on four of its US-listed exchange traded funds. The four Deutsche AM ETFs with lower fees include three international funds and one U.S. equity smart beta ETF.

The Deutsche X-trackers Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor ETF (NYSEArca: DEUS) is now charging 0.17% per year, or $17 on a $10,000 investment, down from 0.19%. That makes DEUS inexpensive relative to the broader universe of U.S. smart beta equity funds.

DEUS “seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor Index. The index is designed to provide exposure to domestic equities based on five factors – Quality, Value, Momentum, Low Volatility and Size,” according to Deutsche Asset Management.

Other multi-factor offerings from Deutsche Asset Management include the Deutsche X-trackers FTSE Developed ex US Comprehensive Factor ETF (NYSEArca: DEEF), Deutsche X-trackers Russell 2000 Comprehensive Factor ETF (NYSEArca: DESC) and Deutsche X-trackers FTSE Emerging Comprehensive Factor ETF (NYSEArca: DEMG).

The Xtrackers Germany Equity ETF (Cboe: GRMY) and Xtrackers Eurozone Equity ETF (Cboe: EURZ), which debuted in October with annual fees of 0.15%, are now charging 0.09% per year, or $9 on a $10,000 investment.

The Xtrackers Japan JPX-Nikkei 400 Equity ETF (NYSE: JPN) saw its expense ratio lowered to 0.15% when EURZ and GRMY debuted, but the Japan ETF got another lower fee. Like EURZ and GRMY, JPN is now charging just 0.09% per year.

GRMY seeks to track the Nasdaq Germany Large Mid Cap Index, which is designed to track the performance of the German equity market.

EURZ seeks to track the Nasdaq Eurozone Large Mid Cap Index, which is designed to track the performance of equity securities from issuers based in the countries in the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union.

JPN seeks to track the JPX-Nikkei 400 Total Return Index, a benchmark consisting of 400 Japanese securities that pass a rigorous screening process. The index uses indicators such as return on equity, cumulative operating profit, and market capitalization to select high-quality, capitally-efficient Japanese companies.

All three of those international ETFs are now among the least expensive in their respective categories.

“We are committed to providing competitive expense ratios for clients looking to invest domestically or to allocate to international equity markets,” said Fiona Bassett, Global Co-Head of Passive Asset Management, in a statement. “Globally, we have been offering ETFs linked to international benchmark indices for more than 10 years. Through our international equity ETF suite, we are able to provide meaningful efficiencies and cost savings to US investors looking to diversify their portfolios through these exposures.”

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