A century after launching the first U.S. open-end mutual fund, MFS Investment Management has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer its first five ETFs.
MFS has filed to offer the MFS Active Core Plus Bond ETF, the MFS Active Growth ETF, the MFS Active Intermediate Muni Bond ETF, the MFS Active International ETF and the MFS Active Value ETF, an April 15 filing showed.
On March 21, 1924, MFS established the Massachusetts Investors Trust, the first U.S. open-end mutual fund, according to the firm’s website. As of March 31, that fund had $6.8 billion in net assets, the website said.
An MFS spokesperson confirmed that the five ETFs would be the firm’s first ETFs.
“MFS offers a broad range of vehicles that can efficiently deliver our investment capabilities and create long-term value for our clients,” the spokesperson said in an April 16 email, adding that those vehicles include mutual funds, retail separately managed accounts and collective investment trusts.
While MFS sees continued long-term demand for those key vehicles, more recently it is “seeing signs of long-term client demand for actively managed transparent ETFs,” the spokesperson said.
“We believe offering active ETFs will complement our existing vehicle offerings and provide investors with greater choice,” the spokesperson said.
Boston-based MFS, a majority-owned subsidiary of Toronto-based Sun Life Financial, had $629.6 billion in assets under management as of March 31.
