Skip to content

CONTRIBUTORS

David Mann

Head of Global ETF Capital Markets, Franklin Templeton Investments

Here’s a refreshed look at bid/ask spreads featuring David Mann, Franklin Templeton’s Head of Global ETF Capital Markets. He examines the relationship between the ETF bid/ask spread and its underlying basket of securities.

As part of an effort to revisit my old posts, I am going to review my previous discussion about the misconceptions around bid/ask spreads. And in case you missed the first part of the original series discussing assets under management (AUM), it can be found here.

The main point of the original article was that the bid/ask spread does not necessarily reflect where that spread is in relation to the value of its underlying basket of securities. That is an accurate statement but could use a bit of extra clarification. Specifically, ETFs with similar underlying baskets tend to trade at similar premium/discounts to net asset value (NAV)1 , irrespective of the bid/ask spread at the time of trade.

For ETFs that hold only US underlying stocks, the premiums and discounts to NAV tend to be smaller since the entire underlying basket is open for trading. For example, our Franklin LibertyQ US Equity ETF (FLQL), our multi-factor US large-cap equity ETF, has had an average premium/discount of approximately two basis points (bps)2 over the past 12 months through March 29. In spread terms, this is less than a penny.

Remember, market makers set buy and sell prices for the ETF shares and stand ready to buy or sell throughout a trading session, which facilitates liquidity. For ETFs that hold international equities, market makers will often use correlated securities as proxies to price the ETF since trading in the underlying stocks is closed.

Many of the high-volume international ETFs will serve as a guide for what should be expected in those closed markets the next day. That expectation then helps drive the spreads (and thus the premiums/discounts) of newer funds with similar underlying exposures.

For example, in the first year of trading in the Franklin FTSE Japan ETF (FLJP), there were 11 trades of over $2 million. When comparing the premium/discount to NAV of those trades to those of the largest US ETF that holds Japanese stocks, the average difference was only four bps. In spread terms, this is a little over one penny.

So the part I would have added to my original post on this topic was the expectation that funds with similar baskets would trade at similar premiums/discounts to NAV.

There is also one more point worth highlighting about bid/ask spreads: They do make a difference when investors use market orders. I have a lot of thoughts on the topic—including a new definition for the term “market order”—which I will discuss in my next article.

ENDNOTES

  1. Net Asset Value (NAV) represents an ETF’s per-share value. The NAV per-share is determined by dividing the total NAV of the Fund by the number of shares outstanding.

  2. One basis point is equal to 0.01%. 

The comments, opinions and analyses expressed herein are for informational purposes only and should not be considered individual investment advice or recommendations to invest in any security or to adopt any investment strategy. Because market and economic conditions are subject to rapid change, comments, opinions and analyses are rendered as of the date of the posting and may change without notice. The material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region, market, industry, investment or strategy.

This information is intended for US residents only.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

Franklin LibertyQ US Equity ETF
All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Stock prices fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and dramatically, due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or sectors, or general market conditions. To the extent the fund concentrates in a specific industry or a group of industries, the fund will carry much greater risks of adverse developments and price movements in such industries than a fund that invests in a wider variety of industries; there is also the risk that the fund will perform poorly during a slump in demand for securities of companies in such industries. There can be no assurance that the fund's multi-factor stock selection process will enhance performance. Exposure to such investment factors may detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. Performance of the fund may vary significantly from the performance of an index, as a result of transactions costs, expenses and other factors. These and other risks are discussed in the fund's prospectus.

Franklin FTSE Japan ETF

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Special risks are associated with foreign investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments. Because the fund invests its assets primarily in companies in a specific country or region the fund may also experience greater volatility than a fund that is more broadly diversified geographically. These and other risk considerations are discussed in the fund's prospectus.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns. ETF shares may be bought or sold throughout the day at their market price, not their Net Asset Value (NAV), on the exchange on which they are listed. Shares of ETFs are tradable on secondary markets and may trade either at a premium or a discount to their NAV on the secondary market.

For more information on any of our funds, contact your financial advisor, download a free prospectus or call us at (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236. Investors should carefully consider a fund's investment goals, risks, sales charges and expenses before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing or sending money.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION

This material is intended to be of general interest only and should not be construed as individual investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy, sell or hold any security or to adopt any investment strategy. It does not constitute legal or tax advice. This material may not be reproduced, distributed or published without prior written permission from Franklin Templeton.

The views expressed are those of the investment manager and the comments, opinions and analyses are rendered as at publication date and may change without notice. The underlying assumptions and these views are subject to change based on market and other conditions and may differ from other portfolio managers or of the firm as a whole. The information provided in this material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region or market. There is no assurance that any prediction, projection or forecast on the economy, stock market, bond market or the economic trends of the markets will be realized. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount that you invested. Past performance is not necessarily indicative nor a guarantee of future performance. All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal.

Any research and analysis contained in this material has been procured by Franklin Templeton for its own purposes and may be acted upon in that connection and, as such, is provided to you incidentally. Data from third party sources may have been used in the preparation of this material and Franklin Templeton ("FT") has not independently verified, validated or audited such data.  Although information has been obtained from sources that Franklin Templeton believes to be reliable, no guarantee can be given as to its accuracy and such information may be incomplete or condensed and may be subject to change at any time without notice. The mention of any individual securities should neither constitute nor be construed as a recommendation to purchase, hold or sell any securities, and the information provided regarding such individual securities (if any) is not a sufficient basis upon which to make an investment decision. FT accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss arising from use of this information and reliance upon the comments, opinions and analyses in the material is at the sole discretion of the user.

Franklin Templeton has environmental, social and governance (ESG) capabilities; however, not all strategies or products for a strategy consider “ESG” as part of their investment process.

Products, services and information may not be available in all jurisdictions and are offered outside the U.S. by other FT affiliates and/or their distributors as local laws and regulation permits. Please consult your own financial professional or Franklin Templeton institutional contact for further information on availability of products and services in your jurisdiction.

Issued in the U.S. by Franklin Templeton, One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, California 94403-1906, (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236, franklintempleton.com. Investments are not FDIC insured; may lose value; and are not bank guaranteed.

You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print PDF documents. Download a free version from Adobe's website.

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.