The latest news in investment offerings, financial products and other services relevant to wealth advisors and their clients.

Franklin Templeton
California-based investment manager Franklin Templeton has launched the Franklin Putnam Focused US Research UCITS ETF, Putnam Investments’ first actively managed ETF in the UK. The ETF will list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on 15 October 2026.

The new fund builds on the momentum for Putnam’s investment capabilities in the UK and follows the recent launch of the FTGF Putnam Global Research Fund, the firm said in a statement. Both new products draw on Putnam’s stock-driven investment approach, combining research, collaboration across sector specialists and disciplined portfolio construction. While the Global Research Fund combines the strength of Putnam’s US Research strategy with Putnam’s non-US research expertise in a global portfolio, the new ETF provides access to a more concentrated portfolio of the investment team’s highest-conviction US equity ideas.

“Many UK investors are beginning to turn to active ETFs to access flexible and cost-efficient investment products,” Harry Reeves, head of UK wholesale said. “With US equities continuing to play a central role in investor portfolios, we believe there is a compelling opportunity for strategies that look beyond index exposure and focus on identifying individual companies with strong long-term potential.”

The Franklin Putnam Focused US Research UCITS ETF will invest in 30 to 45 stocks representing the investment team’s highest-conviction ideas from the broader US Research Strategy, which has outperformed the S&P 500 Index in seven out of the last eight years across in both growth- and value-driven markets, the firm added.

The ETF will be managed by Kate Lakin, Matt LaPlant, CFA, Jackie Cavanaugh, Robert Gray and Will Rives, CFA, who have an average of 22 years of investment industry experience.

Schroders
Schroders has announced plans to introduce an AI-focused active ETF strategy in Taiwan, marking the expansion of its active exchange-traded fund (ETF) franchise into the market. The proposed strategy builds on Schroders' active ETF capabilities in Australia, the US and Europe, while providing investors with access to a portfolio of Taiwan-listed companies across the artificial intelligence and technology value chain from semiconductors and infrastructure to emerging AI frontiers such as robotics, precision medicine and autonomous driving.

The investment process combines fundamental company analysis, AI industry positioning assessments and evaluating corporate competitiveness to identify companies expected to benefit most from long-term AI adoption and innovation trends.

The strategy combines Schroders’ local Taiwan equity expertise with the firm’s global research platform, comprising more than 650 investment professionals across 24 regions. It is also supported by Schroders’ broader Asian equities platform, which brings decades of investment experience, a long track record of active management and extensive regional research capabilities.

“Taiwan plays a critical role in the global AI ecosystem, with companies at the forefront of semiconductor innovation, digital infrastructure and next-generation technologies. As AI adoption accelerates across industries, we see compelling opportunities across the value chain,” Tom Stephen, head of ETFs, Schroders said.

A number of other firms have been continuing their expansion into ETFs such as Pictet Asset Management, and Invesco. See more here.