Social Media ETF: File Under "Things Nobody Needs"

I like Global X, I think they’ve launched some interesting, well thought-out exchange traded products over the last few years.  But this latest lauch, a social media ETF,  is corny, foolish and totally unnecessary…

Global X, the New York-based fund provider focused largely on commodity and emerging markets, rolled out today the market’s first ETF to focus solely on social media companies, recalling First Trust’s niche Internet-linked funds.

The Global X Social Media Index ETF (NasdaqGM: SOCL) is the first portfolio allocated entirely to social media names, tracking the 28-security free-float, market-capitalization-weighted Solactive Social Media Index. It comprises companies involved with social networking, file sharing and other Web-based applications. SOCL comes with a net expense ratio of 0.65 percent.

Do we really have to pretend that social media is a business unto itself?  None of the companies that comprise the ETF are in “new businesses” or so special that they need to be in their own index vehicle.  Groupon is not a social media company – it’s in the hundred year-old coupon business.  LinkedIn is basically the yellow pages.  Zynga is a video game maker.

So lame.  And like other contrived indexes, half the components of this thing will be competing with the other half in a zero-sum game that virtually ensures it will go nowhere.  If you want tech, just buy the QQQ’s or something.

Raise your hand if you plan to invest your money in the “social media” ETF….Great, now take that hand and slap yourself across the face with it.

Source:

Index Universe

Tickers: $GRPN $LNKD $QQQ $SOCL