Company: Virtus ETF Solutions

Retiring Brand: BioShares

Today Virtus dropped the BioShares brand from the two BioShares ETFs. The old BioShares Biotechnology Clinical Trials Fund (BBC) is now the Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF, and the old BioShares Biotechnology Products Fund (BBP) is now the Virtus LifeSci Biotech Products ETF. Virtus also shifted the two ETFs' primary listing to the NYSE Arca from the NASDAQ.

BioShares creator LifeSci Index Partners remains the subadvisor to the two ETFs.



Company: GraniteShares

New Fund: the GraniteShares Gold Trust (BAR)

Yesterday GraniteShares launched the GraniteShares Gold Trust. The startup is pitching the new fund, with an expense ratio of 20 basis points, as the "lowest priced gold ETF" in the marketplace.



Company: ETF Managers Group

Liquidating Fund: the ETFMG ETFx HealthTech ETF (IMED)

On September 6 ETF Managers Group plans to liquidate the ETFMG ETFx HealthTech ETF.



Company: Gamco Investors

New Ally: Precidian Investments

On Monday Gamco unveiled a licensing deal with Precidian to create Gamco ActiveShares. ActiveShares is Precidian's planned active ETF structure that offers transparency more in line with a traditional mutual fund. Gamco has already created funds under a competing structure, NextShares.



Company: RobustWealth

New Client: XY Investment Solutions (XYIS)

Advisor-friendly roboadvisor RobustWealth's fully integrated platform will power XY Planning New York's (XYPN) new TAMP, XYIS.



Company: Security Benefit

New Underlying Fund Options: from Rational Advisors and ValMark Advisers

Last week Security Benefit unveiled nine underlying fund option additions to its EliteDesigns and EliteDesigns II variable annuities. The new fund options include eight TOPs funds (built out of ETFs) from Valmark and one fund from Rational Advisors: the TOPS Conservative ETF, the TOPS Balanced ETF, the TOPS Moderate Growth ETF, the TOPS Growth ETF, the Tops Aggressive Growth ETF, the TOPS Managed Risk Balanced ETF, the TOPS Managed Risk Growth ETF, the TOPS Managed Risk Moderate Growth ETF, and the Rational Dynamic Momentum VA Fund.



Company: First Trust

New Fund: the First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF (FPEI)

Last week launched the First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF, subadvised by Stonebridge Advisors.



Company: Amplify Investments

Rebranded Fund: the Amplify YieldShares Prime 5 Dividend ETF (PFV)

Earlier this week Amplify rebranded the Amplify YieldShares Prime 5 Dividend ETF as the Amplify YieldShares Senior Loan and Income ETF, changed its ticker to YESR, and tweaked its investment strategy.



To learn more about recent fund launches, check our most recent New Fund Fuss here. For information about SEC filings or new hires, check out our latest Filings For Fundsters and Follow the Fundsters columns, respectively. If you have a fund filing that you would like to point out, a mutual fund launch, product change or new hire that you would like to announce, please contact the MFWire team at editors@investmentwires.com. 

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