NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services (WSS) today announced that it has been appointed by FocusShares, LLC, a registered investment advisor (RIA), exchange-traded fund (ETF) sponsor and affiliate of online investing firm Scottrade, Inc., to service its 15 new FocusTM Morningstar ETFs. The low-cost ETFs began trading March 30 on NYSE Arca and are the first investment products sponsored by FocusShares since being acquired in June 2010 by Scottrade Financial Services, Inc., the parent holding company of Scottrade, Inc.
The FocusTM Morningstar ETFs include a US Market ETF (FMU); Small Cap (FOS), Mid Cap (FMM) and Large Cap (FLG) ETFs; and 11 sector ETFs, including Basic Materials (FBM), Communication Services (FCQ), Consumer Cyclical (FCL), Consumer Defensive (FCD), Energy (FEG), Financial Services (FFL), Health Care (FHC), Industrials (FIL), Real Estate (FRL), Technology (FTQ) and Utilities (FUI).
J.P. Morgan offers a full suite of services for the development, launch and servicing of ETFs. Industry-wide, J.P. Morgan currently services 138 ETFs with total assets of over $97 billion.
“J.P. Morgan has a history of innovation in the ETF space, with a commitment to the fund service business and pioneering technology,” said Robert Caporale, managing director, J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services. “We look forward to working with Scottrade and FocusShares on these newly launched ETFs.”
Online trading of the FocusTM Morningstar ETFs is available commission-free to Scottrade customers and investment advisors using Scottrade® Advisor Services as their custodian. Investors and advisors who are not Scottrade brokerage customers can purchase FocusTM Morningstar® ETFs through their brokerage firms by paying applicable commissions.
“By selecting J.P. Morgan to service these ETFs, FocusShares has chosen a servicer with robust capabilities and leading technology, a well-suited alliance for FocusTM Morningstar ETFs,” said FocusShares President Erik Liik.
For more information about FocusTM Morningstar ETFs, visit our website at www.focusshares.com. To invest in FocusTM Morningstar ETFs, contact your broker or financial advisor. For general information, call (855) 933-6287. To learn more about commission-free trading from Scottrade, visit www.scottrade.com.
About JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.1 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers, small business and commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management and private equity. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.
About J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services
J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services is a premier securities servicing provider that helps institutional investors, alternative asset managers, broker dealers and equity issuers optimize efficiency, mitigate risk and enhance revenue. Worldwide Securities Services leverages the firm's unparalleled scale, leading technology and deep industry expertise to service investments around the world. It has $16.1 trillion in assets under custody and $7.1 trillion in assets under administration. For more information, go to www.jpmorgan.com/visit/wss.
About FocusShares, LLC
FocusShares, LLC, is a registered investment advisor (RIA), exchange-traded funds (ETF) sponsor and wholly-owned subsidiary of Scottrade Financial Services, Inc. FocusShares launched 15 FocusTM Morningstar ETFs in March 2011 that are based on Morningstar® US Market, Large Cap, Mid Cap and Small Cap broad market indexes and 11 sector indexes, including Basic Materials, Communication Services, Consumer Cyclical, Consumer Defensive, Energy, Financial Services, Health Care, Industrials, Real Estate, Technology and Utilities. FocusShares, LLC, is based in Montvale, N.J. For more information, visit us at www.focusshares.com.
About Scottrade Financial Services, Inc.
Scottrade Financial Services, Inc. is the privately-held holding company for Scottrade, Inc., a leading online investing firm; Scottrade Bank, a provider of online retail banking products and services; and FocusShares, LLC, a registered investment advisor (RIA) and exchange-traded funds (ETF) sponsor. Scottrade, Inc. was founded in 1980 to provide investors with a better way to invest and make their own trading decisions. Today, it has the largest branch network among online investing firms and provides education to help millions of investors invest for themselves. Scottrade Bank was formed in 2008 to provide banking products and services to Scottrade customers. In 2010, Scottrade Financial Services, Inc., acquired FocusShares, which launched the FocusTM Morningstar ETFs in March 2011. Scottrade Financial Services, Inc., is based in St. Louis, Mo. For more information, visit us at www.scottrade.com.
Brokerage products and services offered through Scottrade, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC.
ETFs are subject to commission costs each time a “buy” or “sell” is executed. Depending on the amount of trading activity, the low costs of ETFs may be outweighed by commissions and related trading costs.
Before investing in any FocusTM Morningstar ETF, you should carefully consider the applicable fund’s investments objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other information is in the applicable fund’s prospectus, a copy of which may be obtained by visiting the FocusShares website at www.focusshares.com. Please read the fund prospectus carefully before you invest.
An investment in any FocusTM Morningstar fund is subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal amount invested. Sector funds tend to be riskier and more volatile than broad market funds because they are less diversified. Investing in mid- and small-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies. The FocusTM Morningstar funds are new, and there can be no assurance that active trading markets will develop or be maintained.
Foreside Fund Services, LLC is the distributor of the FocusTM Morningstar funds.