FlexShares Launches Core Select Bond ETF

FlexShares® Exchange Traded Funds, sponsored and managed by Northern Trust, today announced it has expanded its Exchange Traded Fund offering for investors and financial advisors with a second actively managed fixed income ETF: the Core Select Bond Fund (NYSE: BNDC).

“Demand for fixed income ETFs is growing rapidly as evidenced by the growing share of fixed income ETFs in the past several years,” said Shundrawn Thomas, head of Northern Trust’s Funds and Managed Accounts Group. “Investors are particularly interested in ETFs that can serve as core portfolio holdings.”

Northern Trust, which has more than 40 years of global fixed income investing experience, currently manages more than $360 billion in fixed income assetsi.

Actively managed ETFs are relatively new and at $27.9 billion represent approximately 1.2 percent of total ETF assetsii. Of the $27.9 billion in total actively managed ETF assets, fixed income represents 77 percent and has grown at an annual rate of 76 percent since January 2011iii.

“Our Core Select Bond fund allows investor to achieve efficient diversification through liquid investments in underlying fixed income ETFs and individual securities,” continued Thomas. "We believe our deep experience in actively managed fixed income strategies and our distinctive approach to ETF product development provides investors with the opportunity to outperform traditional fixed income funds."

ETFs are among the fastest growing product categories in the U.S. asset management industry with 67 new sponsors entering the market over the last five years. In 2016, according to Morningstar, growth in the U.S. market increased more than 12 percent from the prior year to $2.4 trillion in assets as of Oct. 31, 2016. In the midst of this rapid growth, FlexShares has reached more than $10 billion in assets since the ETF suite’s launch in September 2011.

For more information, please visit www.flexshares.com.

About FlexShares

FlexShares Exchange Traded Funds are designed to pursue specific investment goals across both passive and active strategies. FlexShares offers differentiated ETF strategies that improve and simplify the investment decision process for the long-term investor.

About Northern Trust

Northern Trust Corporation (Nasdaq: NTRS) is a leading provider of wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking to corporations, institutions, affluent families and individuals. Founded in Chicago in 1889, Northern Trust has offices in the United States in 19 states and Washington, D.C., and 22 international locations in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. As of September 30, 2016 Northern Trust had assets under custody of US$6.7 trillion, and assets under management of US$946 billion. For more than 125 years, Northern Trust has earned distinction as an industry leader for exceptional service, financial expertise, integrity and innovation. Visit northerntrust.com or follow us on Twitter @NorthernTrust.

Northern Trust Corporation, Head Office: 50 South La Salle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603 U.S.A., incorporated with limited liability in the U.S. Global legal and regulatory information can be found at https://www.northerntrust.com/disclosures.

Before investing, carefully consider the FlexShares investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other information is in the prospectus and summary prospectus, copies of which may be obtained by visiting www.flexshares.com. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest. Foreside Fund Services, LLC, distributor.

An investment in FlexShares is subject to numerous risks, including possible loss of principal. Fund returns may not match the return of the respective indexes. The Funds are subject to the following principal risks: asset class; commodity; concentration; counterparty; currency; derivatives; dividend; emerging markets; equity securities; fluctuation of yield; foreign securities; geographic; income; industry concentration; inflation-protected securities; infrastructure-related companies; interest rate / maturity risk; issuer; large cap; management; market; market trading; mid cap stock; MLP; momentum; natural resources; new funds; non-diversification; passive investment; privatization; small cap stock; tracking error; value investing; and volatility risk. A full description of risks is in the prospectus. Diversification does not assure a profit or prevent against a loss in a declining market.

FlexShares® Core Select Bond Fund (BNDC)

FlexShares Core Select Bond Fund (BNDC) seeks total return and preservation of capital.

FlexShares Core Select Bond Fund is actively managed and does not seek to replicate a specified index. The Fund is subject to increased credit and default risk, where there is an inability or unwillingness by the issuer of a fixed income security to meet its financial obligations, debt extension risk, where an issuer may exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation later than expected, as well as interest rate/maturity risk, where the value of the Fund's fixed income assets will decline because of rising interest rates. The Fund is subject to increased underlying fund risk, where the Fund’s investment performance and its ability to achieve its investment objective may be directly related to the performance of the Underlying Funds in which it invests. The Fund may also be subject to increased concentration risk as it may invest more than 25% of its assets into the securities of a single developed market. Additionally, the Fund may invest without limitation in mortgage or asset-backed securities, which puts it at increased risk for interest rate/maturity risk, debt extension risk, and prepayment (or call) risk.

___________________________

i As of October 31, 2016

ii Source: Morningstar as of October 31, 2016

iii Source: Morningstar – timeframe of January 2011 to October 2016

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161122005195/en/