‘Clever’ ETF tickers aim to attract you

Article Excerpt

An academic study titled “Would A Stock By Any Other Ticker Smell As Sweet?” examined the performance of companies with clever stock tickers such as Southwest (LUV), Internet America (GEEK), Lion Country Safari (GRRR), and Explosive Fabricators (BOOM). This study found that between 1984 and 2004, a portfolio of clever-ticker stocks would have handed you substantially stronger gains than the overall market. Perhaps the most plausible explanation was that a cool ticker is indicative of a creative and productive corporate culture. The ETF universe has come up with its own set of “clever” tickers to appeal to investors. Just think of the Procure Space ETF (UFO), the Roundhill Esports & Digital Entertainment ETF (NERD), and the Global X Founder-Run Companies ETF (BOSS). Even the sometimes-boring world of fixed income investing has come up with some memorable ETF tickers. The SPDR High Yield Bond ETF has come up with the ticker JNK, while the iShares TIPS Bond ETF (treasury inflation-protected bonds) carries the ticker…