How securities lending helps ETFs

Article Excerpt

Large ETFs can generate additional income by lending (or “renting”) shares held in the portfolio to counterparties. These counterparties are usually large financial institutions or dealer-brokers that allow clients to sell shares of a particular company short. The counterparty will be required to deposit collateral (mostly cash) with the ETF and also pay “rent” for the term that the security is on loan. The ETF generates income from the collateral by placing it in a money market fund as well as from the negotiated “rent” for the lending of the shares. Most ETFs use the additional income to offset fund expenses. Securities lending is not without its risks. If the borrower of the stock defaults (say the share price of the shorted stock increases dramatically and the borrower cannot return the shares), the collateral may not be enough to buy the stock back at the higher price. ETF investors will be on the hook for the loss. Another risk for ETF investors…