BlackRock Inc. (BLK) has expanded its energy-focused group of products with the unveiling of an energy storage and hydrogen ETF.
The asset management giant’s iShares Energy Storage and Hydrogen UCITS ETF (STOR) is listed on Euronext Amsterdam with a total expense ratio (TER) of 0.50%.
STOR tracks the STOXX Global Energy Storage and Hydrogen index, offering exposure to the energy storage industry.
This includes companies involved in energy storage systems such as stationary and heavy-duty batteries, as well as hydrogen fuel and fuel cells, as alternative energy solutions. Its top three holdings are Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., which makes up 8.2% of its portfolio, Air Products & Chemicals Inc. (APD) and Asahi Kasei Corp., which compose 7.7% and 7% stakes, respectively.
This sector has grown as consumers and companies look for more efficient, cost-effective ways to generate power. Contemporary Amperex Technology is a Chinese battery manufacturer and tech company that produces lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, among other purposes. It is a major supplier to Tesla Inc. (TSLA).
On Monday, the company and Jiangsu Lopal Tech Co., a Chinese chemical manufacturer that produces and sells lithium iron phosphate cathode materials, said that they were restarting their lithium refinery after a five-month delay. The move could keep prices for the key component in batteries depressed.
Air Products is a provider of so-called atmospheric gases, equipment and related services for companies in the U.S. and Asia.
Constituents are selected based on FactSet’s Revere (RBICS) granular data to discern revenue sources of the eligible companies.
Additionally, EconSight’s patent data is used to identify innovators in a set of technologies linked to the theme.
BlackRock, which has more than $11 trillion in assets under management, is already poised to expand its ETF offerings. It is set to unveil a bitcoin ETP in Europe, with marketing likely to begin as early as this month.
The bitcoin fund follows less than 14 months after its debut of a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund in the U.S. That product has generated nearly $41 billion in inflows, according to UK-based asset manager Farside Investors. Ten other funds tracking the performance of the largest cryptocurrency by market value have received a combined $21 billion in inflows.
