PowerShares Files Plans for Dividend, EM Debt ETFs

Invesco's IVZ PowerShares unit, the fourth-largest U.S. ETF sponsor, has filed plans with Securities and Exchange Commission to possibly introduce two new ETFs. In an effort to capitalize on the growing popularity of dividend ETFs while expanding its own lineup of funds for income investors, PowerShares has filed plans to introduce the PowerShares S&P 500 High Dividend Portfolio. That ETF will track the S&P 500 High Dividend Index. That index is designed to track the 75 S&P 500 constituents with the highest dividend yields. The ETF will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "SPHD," according to an SEC filing. An expense ratio was not included in the filing. Other dividend ETFs sponsored by PowerShares included the PowerShares International Dividend Achievers Portfolio PID, the PowerShares Dividend Achievers Portfolio PFM and the PowerShares High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers Portfolio PEY. PowerShares also filed plans for the PowerShares Fundamental Emerging Markets Local Debt Portfolio. This ETF will track the Citi RAFI Sovereign Emerging Markets Bond Index. As of June 30, 2012, that index included bonds issued by the national governments of Brazil, Colombia, Chile, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey, according to the ETF's filing with the SEC. A ticker and expense ratio were not included in the filing. The PowerShares Fundamental Emerging Markets Local Debt Portfolio looks to be a potential rival to several established non-dollar emerging markets debt funds. The WisdomTree Emerging Markets Local Debt Fund ELD is one of the premier funds tracking the debt of developing nations denominated in local currencies. That ETF has over $1.2 billion in AUM. The Market Vectors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF EMLC has almost $755 million in AUM while the iShares Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund LEMB has nearly $50.4 million in AUM. PowerShares had $56.8 billion in combined ETF and ETN AUM at the end of July, according to data from the ETF Industry Association. For more on ETFs, click here.