Guggenheim Rebrands Most of Claymore

As of Monday this week (9/27/10), much of what used to be known as Claymore was renamed Guggenheim.  It was nearly a year ago (10/15/09) Guggenheim Partners announced the acquisition of Claymore, with Claymore effectively becoming the retail division of Guggenheim.  As part of the ongoing integration and rebranding, the Claymore website has been relaunched with the new web address: http://www.guggenheimfunds.com/.

The announcement includes the following naming changes:

• Claymore Securities, Inc. to Guggenheim Funds Distributors, Inc.
• Claymore Advisors, LLC to Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC
• Claymore Group Inc. to Guggenheim Funds Services Group, Inc.
• 32 Claymore ETFs to Guggenheim ETFs (listed below)

Perhaps what is more interesting about this announcement is what didn't have their names changed to Guggenheim:  Claymore UITs, CEFs, six ETFs, and an ETN.  The Claymore UIT names will likely be changed when the subsequent series are issued.  The plans for the remaining securities are unclear.

Two ETFs that did not have their names changed are Claymore U.S. Capital Markets Micro-Term Fixed Income (ULQ) and Claymore U.S. Capital Markets Bond (UBD).  Both products have failed to attract any meaningful assets in the two and a half years they have been on the market and should have been part of the closures announced in August.

However, it now appears these products are destined for a makeover like we saw with the transformation of the Claymore/Sabrient Stealth ETF (STH) into the Wilshire Micro-Cap ETF (WMCR).  They were able to announce a “new” ETF that wasn't really new and stated that the cost benefits of not having to close one fund and open another was behind the approach.  I expect ULQ and UBD will undergo a similar fate, and the name change to Guggenheim will be accompanied by claims of being “new” products while mysteriously having a multi-year track record.

The four Claymore Wilshire ETFs (WXSP, WFVK, WMCR, and WREI) were not renamed to Guggenheim because Claymore was evidently never part of their name to begin with.  According to the ETF list on the new Guggenheim website, these four ETFs carry only the Wilshire brand name.

Last is the Claymore CEF Index-Linked GS Connect ETN (GCE), a regular on ETF Deathwatch, which apparently no one wants to claim.  It is the only ETP that I am aware of without a summary page posted somewhere on the internet.  It was nowhere to be found at the old Claymore site, it is not on the new Guggenheim site, and is not on the GS Connect site.  It is a candidate for closure, but first someone needs to claim ownership.

Here are the 32 ETFs with name changes.  All ticker symbols and CUSIPs remained the same:

1. Claymore BulletShares 2011 Corporate Bond ETF becomes Guggenheim BulletShares 2011 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCB)
2. Claymore BulletShares 2012 Corporate Bond ETF becomes Guggenheim BulletShares 2012 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCC)
3. Claymore BulletShares 2013 Corporate Bond ETF becomes Guggenheim BulletShares 2013 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCD)
4. Claymore BulletShares 2014 Corporate Bond ETF becomes Guggenheim BulletShares 2014 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCE)
5. Claymore BulletShares 2015 Corporate Bond ETF becomes Guggenheim BulletShares 2015 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCF)
6. Claymore BulletShares 2016 Corporate Bond ETF becomes Guggenheim BulletShares 2016 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCG)
7. Claymore BulletShares 2017 Corporate Bond ETF becomes Guggenheim BulletShares 2017 Corporate Bond ETF (BSCH)
8. Claymore/Beacon Spin-Off ETF becomes Guggenheim Spin-Off ETF (CSD)
9. Claymore/Zacks Multi-Asset Income Index ETF becomes Guggenheim Multi-Asset Income ETF (CVY)
10. Claymore/Zacks Mid-Cap Core ETF becomes Guggenheim Mid-Cap Core ETF (CZA)
11. Claymore/Sabrient Defensive Equity Index ETF becomes Guggenheim Defensive Equity ETF (DEF)
12. Claymore/BNY Mellon BRIC ETF becomes Guggenheim BRIC ETF (EEB)
13. Claymore/S&P Global Dividend Opportunities Index ETF becomes Guggenheim S&P Global Dividend Opportunities Index ETF (LVL)
14. Claymore/Sabrient Insider ETF becomes Guggenheim Insider Sentiment ETF (NFO)
15. Claymore/Ocean Tomo Patent ETF becomes Guggenheim Ocean Tomo Patent ETF (OTP)
16. Claymore/Ocean Tomo Growth Index ETF becomes Guggenheim Ocean Tomo Growth Index ETF (OTR)
17. Claymore/Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF becomes Guggenheim Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF (RYJ)
18. Claymore/BNY Mellon International Small Cap LDRs ETF becomes Guggenheim International Small Cap LDRs ETF (XGC)
19. Claymore/Zacks Sector Rotation ETF becomes Guggenheim Sector Rotation ETF (XRO)
20. Claymore S&P Global Water Index ETF becomes Guggenheim S&P Global Water Index ETF (CGW)
21. Claymore China Technology ETF becomes Guggenheim China Technology ETF (CQQQ)
22. Claymore/Beacon Global Timber Index ETF becomes Guggenheim Timber ETF (CUT)
23. Claymore/BNY Mellon EW Euro-Pacific LDRs ETF becomes Guggenheim EW Euro-Pacific LDRs ETF (EEN)
24. Claymore/SWM Canadian Energy Income Index ETF becomes Guggenheim Canadian Energy Income ETF (ENY)
25. Claymore/NYSE Arca Airline ETF becomes Guggenheim Airline ETF (FAA)
26. Claymore/BNY Mellon Frontier Markets ETF becomes Guggenheim Frontier Markets ETF (FRN)
27. Claymore/AlphaShares China Small Cap Index ETF becomes Guggenheim China Small Cap ETF (HAO)
28. Claymore/Zacks International Multi-Asset Income Index ETF becomes Guggenheim International Multi-Asset Income ETF (HGI)
29. Claymore Shipping ETF becomes Guggenheim Shipping ETF (SEA)
30. Claymore/MAC Global Solar Energy Index ETF becomes Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN)
31. Claymore/AlphaShares China Real Estate ETF becomes Guggenheim China Real Estate ETF (TAO)
32. Claymore/AlphaShares China All-Cap ETF becomes Guggenheim China All-Cap ETF (YAO)

Disclosure covering writer, editor, publisher, and affiliates: No positions in any of the securities mentioned. No positions in any of the companies or ETF sponsors mentioned.  No income, revenue, or other compensation (either directly or indirectly) received from, or on behalf of, any of the companies or ETF sponsors mentioned.