SEC’s Proposed Fund of Funds Rule Simplifies Fund of Funds Compliance, But Creates Liquidity Concerns

By John Yoder and Bo Howell

For over a decade now exchange-traded Funds (“ETFs”) have become a primary investment for asset managers to gain low-cost access to broad segments of the markets. More recently, ETFs have grown to focus on more niche parts of the investment universe (e.g., sector ETFs, thematic ETFs, etc.). The growth in the number and size of these products reflects an asset management trend away from concentrated portfolios to asset allocation strategies. Often, these strategies are packaged in mutual funds or other investment companies that simply acquire shares of ETFs and other funds, as opposed to individual securities like stocks or bonds.