Game Changer: PIMCO Total Return ETF Set To Launch March 1

Years ago, battle lines were drawn between the proponents of active and passive management. Skirmishing started in the mutual fund space but now has migrated into the realm of exchange traded products (ETPs). There isn't much money under active management in the ETP space yet, but some big players have jumped into the fray.

By Ron Rowland:The PIMCO Total Return Exchange-Traded Fund (TRXT) began trading March 1, 2012. Prior to its launch, TRXT became the most highly anticipated ETF introduction since the MacroShares Major Metro Housing Up/Down pair (UMM and DMM) burst onto the scene.

By Tom Lydon: As the actively managed exchange traded fund space heats up, BlackRock has filed to launch fixed-income ETFs that will not track an underlying index.

By Tom Lydon: PIMCO is getting ready to launch three new actively managed exchange traded funds this year. The funds will follow the success of PIMCO Total Return ETF (BOND)."These three ETFs are designed to provide income and preserve purchasing power," says Don Suskind, head of ETF product management at PIMCO, in a report. "They line up with what we think investors need."

By Michael Johnston:Thursday brought the most anticipated ETF launch of the last several years, with PIMCO debuting an exchange-traded version of its popular Total Return Bond Fund (TRXT). The new ETF, PIMCO’s fifth actively managed product, is managed by bond guru Bill Gross–who is widely regarded as the top fixed income manager in the world.

By Benjamin Shepherd: I'm usually skeptical of exchange-traded fund (ETF) launches that are preceded by a lot of hype; generally, the harder a company works to promote a new exchange-traded product, the less value there is to it.

Michael Johnston submits:PIMCO, the world’s largest bond manager, has ETF investors salivating over the prospect of an ETF version of the ultra-popular Total Return Fund. In a recent SEC filing, PIMCO laid the groundwork to launch an ETF version of the world’s largest bond fund.