For the DAX index market, this paper analyses the development of return differences between exchange traded funds (ETFs) and the DAX index from the perspective of long-term investors. The newly introduced methodology provides the opportunity to continuously identify long-term costs of passively...

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are generally index-based funds that allow investors to buy or sell exposures to an index through a single financial instrument. ETF units are created and redeemed in-kind, rather than in-cash (as in the case of a unit trust fund). The in-kind creation and redemption...