Finsimco logo

Intense, real-world, memorable - gamified simulation training

steve-johnson-j1kXScoIkow-unsplash.jpg

Exchange Traded Funds Course

Participants become ETF portfolio managers, designing and rebalancing index-tracking funds while responding to market shifts, investor flows, and tracking error in our Exchange Traded Funds Course.

icon

Exchange Traded Funds Course Overview


The Exchange Traded Funds Course puts participants in charge of managing real-time portfolios that track major indices and sector themes using ETF principles.

Designed by portfolio strategists and ETF market makers, this course provides a hands-on introduction to the mechanics of ETF construction, replication strategies, and portfolio rebalancing. Participants experience the tension between precision tracking and cost control while responding to market events, investor behaviour, and benchmark adjustments.

Ideal for investment strategy, asset management, or financial markets courses, this course builds both technical knowledge and strategic awareness of one of the fastest-growing investment vehicles in the world.
icon

Exchange Traded Funds Course Concepts


Participants gain applied understanding of how ETFs operate and perform, including:
  • ETF Structures: Physical replication, synthetic replication, and sampling

  • Benchmark Tracking: Tracking error, index rebalancing, and drift

  • Portfolio Construction: Weighting methods (market cap, equal weight, thematic)

  • Liquidity and Market Impact: Bid-ask spreads, creation/redemption mechanisms

  • Investor Behaviour: Flows, demand shifts, and pricing deviations

  • Cost Management: Expense ratios, transaction costs, and slippage

  • Performance Attribution: Understanding excess return and tracking precision

steve-johnson-j1kXScoIkow-unsplash.jpg

Gameflow


icon

What Participants Do


In this course, participants act as ETF portfolio managers. Working solo or in teams, they will:
  • Choose a target index or strategy to replicate

  • Build a fund portfolio based on liquidity, costs, and exposure needs

  • Monitor performance against the benchmark and manage tracking error

  • Rebalance holdings in response to index changes and market shifts

  • Respond to inflows/outflows and adjust positions for liquidity

  • Present fund performance, tracking rationale, and lessons learned

icon

What Participants Learn


The course gives participants direct experience managing passive investment products under real-world constraints. They will learn how to:

  • Construct and rebalance ETF portfolios effectively

  • Analyze the trade-offs between tracking accuracy and cost efficiency

  • Interpret flows, volatility, and benchmark changes

  • Recognize how market microstructure affects ETF pricing

  • Communicate ETF strategy clearly to investors and internal teams

  • Appreciate the strategic and operational complexity of "passive" investing

icon

Why This Exchange Traded Funds Course Works


ETFs are often presented as simple products - but managing them is anything but. This course gives participants a front-row seat to the operational, strategic, and market-facing decisions behind ETF performance.

By navigating rebalancing, investor flows, and market volatility, participants learn that tracking an index is not a passive act - it’s an active process requiring judgment, timing, and risk awareness.

Perfect for finance, investment, or portfolio strategy courses, this course helps participants master one of the most relevant investment tools of today’s markets.
icon

Frequently Asked Questions


  • Do participants need prior investing or ETF knowledge? Not necessarily. The course includes onboarding content to explain ETF basics, replication methods, and benchmark tracking.

  • Can instructors choose different indices or sectors? Yes. Instructors can select from equity indices (e.g. S&P 500, MSCI sectors) or thematic indexes (e.g. clean energy, tech, ESG).

  • How long does it take? The course typically runs over 2–3 hours but can be extended to accommodate multiple rebalancing cycles and presentations.

  • Is it suitable for individual or group play? Both. Team formats often mirror real-world ETF management structures with separate roles (strategy, trading, reporting).

  • How is participants performance evaluated? Based on tracking error, cost efficiency, responsiveness to flows and rebalancing events, and clarity of strategy presentation.

Related Products

icon

Enquire

Webinar 30 Oct 2025 00:00

Join this 20-minute webinar, followed by a Q&A session, to immerse yourself in the course.

or

Private Demo

Book a 15-minute Zoom demo with one of our experts to explore how the course can benefit you.