Understanding the Ins and Outs of Money Market ETFs

Article Excerpt

Low-risk ETFs, as described in the analysis above, are useful to hold cash balances in investment or trading accounts. However, investors need to be aware of some pricing arrangements and technical terms that are unique to fixed-income funds. Cash or near-cash ETFs generally have a base price of $50 or $100, which adjusts daily as interest accrues in the fund. When interest is paid out (typically once a month), the price of the fund drops back to the base price. Duration is measured in years and serves as a standard risk indicator for fixed-income instruments or portfolios; if interest rates rise by one percentage point, the price of an ETF with a duration of two would fall two percentage points (and vice versa if rates fell). The higher the duration, the more risk there is if rates rise. Distribution yield is the annual yield an investor would receive if the most recent fund distribution and current fund price stayed the same going forward. It’s calculated…