SPDR ETF Trading Ecosystem Knowledge Hub

How to Trade and Invest in ETFs

When executing an ETF trade, there are many decisions to make in order to ensure that best execution is achieved. In this section we provide information on how to trade ETFs, choosing the best execution strategy and understanding the various layers of ETF liquidity.

Execution Decision Tree

When executing an ETF trade, there are many decisions to make in order to ensure that best execution is achieved. Below is a summary of execution strategies.

Buying and Selling an ETF: Getting Best Execution

Execution Strategy	Description	High Urgency	Market Impact Sensitivity	Time Risk	Anonymity
Risk trade	Client receives price for the entire trade at once, and the liquidity provider takes on the risk of managing the resulting position. Liquidity providers can be put in competition for the trade, allowing for a clear measure of best execution. Client generally benchmarks vs. the quoted NBBO	✔
NAV trade	Trade executed by buying or selling the underlying basket of securities and subsequently creating/redeeming ETF shares. The client typically receives a price reflective of executions for the underlying basket of securities plus or minus creation/redemption costs. Client generally benchmarks vs. end of day NAV.		✔	✔
Worked order	Electronic order types using automated, preprogrammed trading instructions. Orders can be measured relative to execution benchmarks based on volume, time or other metrics. Can be applied to both trading in the secondary market or trading the basket.		✔	✔	✔

Liquidity

Liquidity is one of the most important features of ETFs, attracting a diverse group of investors to the vehicle. Measuring an ETF’s liquidity isn’t as simple as checking the average daily trading volume (ADV) and bid/ask spread in the secondary market. Looking only at this ‘on-screen liquidity’ misses some of the most important benefits of the ETF structure, such as the ability to create and redeem shares by tapping into the primary market liquidity of the securities within the ETF. We have created a guide to the various layers of ETF liquidity and how to asses both on-screen and primary market liquidity.

Explore the Liquidity Playbook

Trading Calendar

Day by day details on which funds can be traded on the primary market. Includes holidays, trading cut-off times and settlement times. (XLS)

2024 Dealing Calendar

Need Help with a Trade? Access our Capital Markets Expertise

State Street Global Advisors offers a dedicated ETF Capital Markets Team to assist with connecting institutional investors to authorised participants, market makers and other liquidity providers. The team can help with pre-trade analysis, finding pockets of liquidity and ensuring the tightest available spreads.

Request a Pre-Trade Analysis*

Footnotes

Disclaimer

Marketing Communication. General Access.

For professional investor use only.

Important Information

State Street Global Advisors Worldwide Entities

ETFs trade like stocks, are subject to investment risk, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below the ETFs net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

This document has been issued by State Street Global Advisors Limited (“SSGA”). Authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Registered No.2509928. VAT No. 5776591 81. Registered office: 20 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HJ. Telephone: 020 3395 6000. Facsimile: 020 3395 6350 Web: www.ssga.com.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The whole or any part of this work may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without SSGA’s express written consent.

The information provided does not constitute investment advice as such term is defined under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU) or applicable Swiss regulation and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell any investment. It does not take into account any investor's or potential investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status, risk appetite or investment horizon. If you require investment advice you should consult your tax and financial or other professional advisor.

All information is from SSGA unless otherwise noted and has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

ETFs trade like stocks, are subject to investment risk and will fluctuate in market value. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate in value, so that when shares are sold or redeemed, they may be worth more or less than when they were purchased. Although shares may be bought or sold on an exchange through any brokerage account, shares are not individually redeemable from the fund. Investors may acquire shares and tender them for redemption through the fund in large aggregations known as “creation units.” Please see the fund’s prospectus for more details.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

This communication is directed at professional clients (this includes eligible counterparties as defined by the appropriate EU regulator or Swiss Regulator) who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments.

The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description (including retail clients) should not rely on this communication.

The information contained in this communication is not a research recommendation or ‘investment research’ and is classified as a ‘Marketing Communication’ in accordance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU). This means that this marketing communication (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

For Investors in Austria: The offering of SPDR ETFs by the Company has been notified to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) in accordance with section 139 of the Austrian Investment Funds Act. Prospective investors may obtain the current sales Prospectus, the articles of incorporation, the KID as well as the latest annual and semi-annual report free of charge from State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich. T: +49 (0)89-55878-400.F: +49 (0)89-55878-440.

For Investors in Finland: The offering of funds by the Companies has been notified to the Financial Supervision Authority in accordance with Section 127 of the Act on Common Funds (29.1.1999/48) and by virtue of confirmation from the Financial Supervision Authority the Companies may publicly distribute their Shares in Finland. Certain information and documents that the Companies must publish in Ireland pursuant to applicable Irish law are translated into Finnish and are available for Finnish investors by contacting State Street Custodial Services (Ireland) Limited, 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland.

For Investors in France: This document does not constitute an offer or request to purchase shares in the Company. Any subscription for shares shall be made in accordance with the terms and conditions specified in the complete Prospectus, the KID, the addenda as well as the Company Supplements. These documents are available from the Company centralizing correspondent: State Street Banque S.A., Coeur Défense - Tour A - La Défense 4 33e étage 100, Esplanade du Général de Gaulle 92 931 Paris La Défense cedex France or on the French part of the site www.ssga.com. The Company is an undertaking for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) governed by Irish law and accredited by the Central Bank of Ireland as a UCITS in accordance with European Regulations. European Directive no. 2014/91/EU dated 23 July 2014 on UCITS, as amended, established common rules pursuant to the cross-border marketing of UCITS with which they duly comply. This common base does not exclude differentiated implementation. This is why a European UCITS can be sold in France even though its activity does not comply with rules identical to those governing the approval of this type of product in France.The offering of these compartments has been notified to the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) in accordance with article L214-2-2 of the French Monetary and Financial Code.

For Investors in Germany: The offering of SPDR ETFs by the Companies has been notified to the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) in accordance with section 312 of the German Investment Act. Prospective investors may obtain the current sales Prospectuses, the articles of incorporation, the KIDs as well as the latest annual and semi-annual report free of charge from State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Branch in Germany, Brienner Strasse 59, D-80333 Munich. Telephone: +49 (0)89-55878-400. Facsimile: +49 (0)89-55878-440.

For Investors in the Italy: State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, Italy Branch (“State Street Global Advisors Italy”) is a branch of State Street Global Advisors Europe Limited, registered in Ireland with company number 49934, authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and whose registered office is at 78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. State Street Global Advisors Italy is registered in Italy with company number 11871450968 - REA: 2628603 and VAT number 11871450968, and its office is located at Via Ferrante Aporti, 10 - 20125 Milan, Italy. T: +39 02 32066 100. F: +39 02 32066 155.

For Investors in the Netherlands: This communication is directed at qualified investors within the meaning of Section 2:72 of the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht) as amended. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description should not rely on this communication. Distribution of this document does not trigger a license requirement for the Companies or SSGA in the Netherlands and consequently no prudential and conduct of business supervision will be exercised over the Companies or SSGA by the Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank N.V.) and the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (Stichting Autoriteit Financiële Markten). The Companies have completed their notification to the Authority Financial Markets in the Netherlands in order to market their shares for sale to the public in the Netherlands and the Companies are, accordingly, investment institutions (beleggingsinstellingen) according to Section 2:72 Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act of Investment Institutions.

For Investors in Spain: SSGA SPDR ETFs Europe I and II plc have been authorized for public distribution in Spain and are registered with the Spanish Securities Market Commission (Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores) under no.1244 and no.1242. Before investing, investors may obtain a copy of the Prospectus and Key Information Documents, the Marketing Memoranda, the fund rules or instruments of incorporation as well as the annual and semi-annual reports of SSGA SPDR ETFs Europe I and II plc from Cecabank, S.A. Alcalá 27, 28014 Madrid (Spain) who is the Spanish Representative, Paying Agent and distributor in Spain or at www.ssga.com. The authorized Spanish distributor of SSGA SPDR ETFs is available on the website of the Securities Market Commission (Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores).

For Investors in Switzerland: This document is directed at qualified investors only, as defined Article 10(3) and (3ter) of the Swiss Collective Investment Schemes Act (“CISA”) and its implementing ordinance, at the exclusion of qualified investors with an opting-out pursuant to Art. 5(1) of the Swiss Federal Law on Financial Services ("FinSA") and without any portfolio management or advisory relationship with a financial intermediary pursuant to Article 10(3ter) CISA (“Excluded Qualified Investors”). Certain of the funds may not be registered for public sale with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) which acts as supervisory authority in investment fund matters. Accordingly, the shares of those funds may only be offered to the aforementioned qualified investors and not be offered to any other investor in or from Switzerland. Before investing please read the prospectus and the KID. In relation to those funds which are registered with FINMA or have appointed a Swiss Representative and Paying Agent, prospective investors may obtain the current sales prospectus, the articles of incorporation, the KIDs as well as the latest annual and semi-annual reports free of charge from the Swiss Representative and Paying Agent, State Street Bank International GmbH, Munich, Zurich Branch, Beethovenstrasse 19, 8027 Zurich, or at www.ssga.com, as well as from the main distributor in Switzerland, State Street Global Advisors AG (“SSGA AG”), Beethovenstrasse 19, 8027 Zurich. For information and documentation regarding all other funds, please visit www.ssga.com or contact SSGA AG.

For Investors in UK: The Company has been registered for distribution in the UK pursuant to the UK’s temporary permissions regime under regulation 62 of the Collective Investment Schemes (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The Company is directed at 'professional clients' in the UK (within the meaning of the rules of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) who are deemed both knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to investments. The products and services to which this communication relates are only available to such persons and persons of any other description should not rely on this communication. Many of the protections provided by the UK regulatory system do not apply to the operation of the Company, and compensation will not be available under the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

6209439.1.1.EMEA.INST
Exp. Date: 31/01/2025