Falling Fees Boost Appeal of Sustainable ETFs

The fee-cutting fervor sweeping the U.S. asset-management industry is drawing more investors into exchange-traded funds built on environmental, social and governance criteria.

DWS Group Inc., the asset management arm of Deutsche Bank, in March launched a U.S. equity-focused ESG ETF that charges annual fees of just $10 per $10,000 invested. The debut of the Xtrackers MSCI USA ESG Leaders Equity ETF marked a reduction from the previous-sector low of $12, set in the September 2018 launch of Vanguard’s ESG U.S. Stock ETF.