BUX Ties Up with JP Morgan to Launch Self-Managed Active ETFs

BUX, the Dutch fintech platform now owned by ABN AMRO, has partnered with JP Morgan Asset Management to launch a self-managed active exchange-traded fund (ETF). Dubbed BUX Prime Investment Plans, the company claims that the product will make active management “accessible and affordable” with pre-configured multi-asset portfolios.

The new product will first be available to BUX customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, Spain, France, Germany and Italy.

A New Product for Retail Investors

“Through our partnership with JP Morgan Asset Management, we're providing access to a level of expertise that was previously reserved for high-net-worth clients through asset managers or private banks,” said Yorick Naeff, CEO of BUX and Head of Innovation at ABN AMRO.

According to the company, the BUX Prime Investment Plans will include different risk portfolios and investment goals.

Although the new service will not have additional associated access costs, it will be available only to BUX Prime customers, who pay a €7.99 monthly subscription fee.

“We believe active ETFs can play a key role in helping investors manage today's increasingly complex markets,” said Travis Spence, Global Head of ETFs at JP Morgan Asset Management.

The Sale of BUX

Established in 2013, BUX is headquartered in the Netherlands and offers services across Europe. The platform was acquired by ABN AMRO last year for €68 million, according to the financials of the publicly traded Dutch banking giant. BUX, however, continued to operate independently from its parent.

While the banking group acquired the Dutch neobank business, BUX sold its UK and Cypriot operations, which offered contracts for difference (CFDs) brokerage services, separately.

UAE-based APM Capital bought BUX's FCA-regulated operations and rebranded the UK operations following the acquisition to offer CFDs. Interestingly, Coinbase acquired BUX’s Cypriot entity. This acquisition enabled the American crypto exchange to offer derivatives across Europe. However, it has yet to launch any product under the Cypriot licence.

Read more: Coinbase Acquires BUX's Cyprus Unit; Is the Crypto Giant Entering CFDs?

Meanwhile, the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) fined BUX €1.6 million earlier this year, as the platform paid compensation to existing customers, comparison websites and finfluencers for introducing new customers.