RBC Global Asset Management Inc. (RBC GAM) Wednesday announced the launch of five new Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) specifically designed to meet the needs of investors and advisors for income, access to international markets and reduced exposure to foreign currency risk.

All five ETFs are now available for purchase on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

“Our ongoing discussions with investors and advisors indicated a need for better income-generating solutions that provide international diversification and limit foreign currency risk,” said Mark Neill, head of RBC ETFs.

“These new ETFs build upon our successful suite of RBC Quant Dividend Leaders ETFs, which feature a forward-looking investment approach, superior portfolio construction and competitive fees while offering additional global investment opportunities.”

RBC Quant Emerging Markets Dividend Leaders ETF (TSX:RXD) seeks to provide regular income by focusing on companies domiciled in the emerging markets by following the rules-based Quant Dividend Leaders investment process which screens for income, financial strength and growth potential and applies a modified cap weighting methodology. This ETF has a management fee of 0.64 per cent. The fund is available in Canadian- and U.S.-dollar-denominated units.

RBC Quant European Dividend Leaders ETF (TSX:RPD) seeks to provide regular income by focusing on companies domiciled in Europe by following the rules-based Quant Dividend Leaders investment process which screens for income, financial strength and growth potential and applies a modified cap weighting methodology. This is the first unhedged European dividend ETF in Canada and has a management fee of 0.49 per cent. The fund is also available in Canadian- and U.S.-dollar-denominated units.

Three new currency-hedged RBC Quant Dividend Leaders ETFs

RBC GAM also announced the launch of three new currency-hedged ETFs: RBC Quant U.S. Dividend Leaders (CAD Hedged) ETF (TSX:RHU); RBC Quant European Dividend Leaders (CAD Hedged) ETF (TSX:RHP) and RBC Quant EAFE Dividend Leaders (CAD Hedged) ETF (TSX:RHI).
RBC Quant EAFE Dividend Leaders ETF is the first and only international dividend ETF available in Canada and it is now available in a currency-hedged option.

The five new ETFs launched Wednesday bring the number of RBC Quant Dividend Leaders ETFs to eight, with four also available in U.S.-dollar denominated units. Each RBC Quant Dividend Leaders ETF is managed by Bill Tilford, head of Quantitative Investments, RBC GAM, and a team of portfolio managers and analysts. The management team employs a rigorous, rules-based investment approach to identify companies with higher-than-average dividend yields, strong balance sheets, positive market sentiment and potential for future dividend growth. Mangement fees range from 0.39% to 0.64%.

With these new additions, RBC GAM offers a total of 17 ETFs, with over $530 million in assets under management as of October 17, an increase of 185 per cent since the start of 2014.