SSgA Files Plans for 2 Minimum Volatility ETFs

State Street's (NYSE:STT) State Street Global Advisors unit, the second-largest U.S. ETF issuer, has filed plans with the Securities and Exchange Commission to possibly list two new minimum volatility ETFs.

SSgA has filed plans for the SPDR SSgA US Minimum Volatility ETF, which will be actively managed, according to the fund's filing.

SSgA has also filed plans for the SPDR SSgA Global Minimum Volatility ETF, which also be actively managed. The filing did not include tickers or expense ratios for either fund.

Minimum volatility ETFs have exploded in popularity, led by the PowerShares S&P 500 Low Volatility Portfolio (NYSE:SPLV). SPLV debuted in March 2011 and has nearly $2.5 billion in assets under management. That ETF is passively managed.

The SSgA funds, should they come to market, could be rivals to the iShares MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Index Fund (NYSE:USMV) and the iShares MSCI All Country World Minimum Volatility Index Fund (NYSE:ACWV). The two iShares funds, which are also passively managed, debuted in October and have proven popular with investors. ACWV has $623.8 million in AUM while has $366.2 million.

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