Senior MD & Head of Global Client Business, Blackrock
Search every verified Mark Wiedman interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In an October 2018 interview, Mark Wiedman, then global head of iShares at BlackRock, stated that ETFs act as "shock absorbers" and liquidity vehicles that allow buyers and sellers to find new prices during market stress. He said this conclusion is shared by the Financial Stability Board, the Bundesbank, and the SEC. Wiedman also discussed BlackRock's approach to ESG offerings, saying the firm charges "basically the same very low cost" for these products and that in emerging markets, an ESG-oriented portfolio "may actually outperform over the long haul." Wiedman said BlackRock has not entered the leveraged ETF business and that he does not expect a zero-fee ETF from the firm, as its revenue model is aligned with offering low-cost investing. He described the U.S. market offering at three basis points as "pretty much close to that asymptotic limit." Wiedman projected the ETF market would grow at 13 to 15 percent organically over the next five years, which he said would mean a doubling in size.
“ETFs act as shock absorbers and liquidity vehicles that allow people to set the new price — they don't guarantee that prices stay up, they allow buyers and sellers to find the new price.”
“It's the same conclusion that we've seen the Financial Stability Board, the global regulatory body, the Bundesbank recently come to, and the SEC — that actually these are net contributors to liquidity.”
“I look forward to educating him if there's any gaps in that understanding — to the degree that he has a dim view of ETFs.”
“BlackRock has not gone into the leveraged ETF business, for example, and there are some other structures that some might consider a little out there.”
Oct.24 -- Mark Wiedman, global head of iShares at BlackRock, discusses the influence of market volatility on ETFs, the asset manager's push into ESG offerings, and ETF fee structures. He speaks with Bloomberg's Erik Schatzker on "Bloomberg Markets: European Close."
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