An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a type of investment fund that holds a collection of assets, such as stocks or bonds, and is traded on stock exchanges like individual stocks. It allows investors to buy and sell a diversified group of investments easily and efficiently, often at a lower cost. ETFs provide a simple way to gain exposure to a broad market or specific sectors without having to buy each asset separately.
transfer agencyfinancial
A transfer agency is the service or department that keeps official records of who owns a company’s or fund’s shares and handles changes in ownership, transfers, share issuance, dividend payments and investor communications. Think of it as the ledger-keeper and post office for stock ownership: accurate, timely record-keeping and handling of transactions matters to investors because it ensures they receive dividends, can buy or sell shares, and have their voting and ownership rights recognized without delay or error.
authorized participant servicingfinancial
Services provided to authorized participants are the operational, trading and settlement support that allows designated market makers or broker-dealers to create and redeem shares of exchange-traded funds and similar products. These services include facilitating in-kind or cash creation/redemption, trade execution, custody and settlement, margin or financing, and reporting—functions that keep ETF share supply aligned with underlying assets and affect liquidity and transaction costs for investors.
basket creationtechnical
A basket creation is the process by which an authorized participant assembles a specified list of underlying securities (or cash) and delivers them to an exchange-traded fund (ETF) issuer in exchange for newly issued ETF shares, usually in large blocks called creation units. It matters to investors because this mechanism lets ETF supply expand or contract to keep the ETF’s market price aligned with its net asset value, supports liquidity and price efficiency, and enables arbitrage that narrows differences between the ETF and its underlying holdings—think of it as trading raw ingredients for packaged goods so supply and price stay balanced.
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New capability extends Northern Trust’s fund servicing model to support asset managers launching and operating U.S. ETFs
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) today announced the launch of its U.S. exchange-traded fund (ETF) servicing platform, beginning with its appointment by Harding Loevner to provide ETF servicing solutions for its first U.S. ETF, the International Developed Markets Select Equity ETF (NYSE: LOEV).
“ETFs continue to benefit from powerful structural tailwinds that are driving broader investor adoption and sustained industry growth, and our clients are increasingly looking for a single, strategic partner to deliver services across both mutual funds and ETFs as those worlds converge,” said Ryan Burns, Head of Global Fund Services, Americas at Northern Trust Asset Servicing. “This new capability is a natural extension of the full suite of asset servicing solutions Northern Trust provides to asset managers and positions us to help clients advance their evolving product strategies.”
Northern Trust has served Harding Loevner for more than 15 years, providing custody and fund administration across their fund complexes globally.This mandate represents an expansion of that relationship, with Northern Trust supporting Harding Loevner’s entry into the ETF market through an integrated asset servicing solution across custody, fund accounting, fund administration and transfer agency, alongside technology-enabled ETF-specific services such as basket creation, order taking, and authorized participant servicing.
“We are delighted that Harding Loevner has selected Northern Trust to support the launch of LOEV,” said Phil Nanof, Head of ETF Services, Americas at Northern Trust Asset Servicing. “This appointment represents an important milestone and reflects the strong alignment between Harding Loevner’s investment expertise and Northern Trust’s long-standing fund servicing capabilities and innovative ETF solutions. We built our U.S. ETF servicing platform with the evolving needs of asset managers in mind, combining operational excellence, scalable technology, and a client-centric service model designed to help clients succeed in a rapidly growing and increasingly sophisticated ETF marketplace.”
“Launching our first U.S. ETF is an important milestone for Harding Loevner and reflects our commitment to giving clients more ways to access our investment capabilities,” said Aaron Bellish, CEO of Harding Loevner. “Northern Trust has been a trusted partner to our firm for many years, and we're pleased to extend that relationship as we bring LOEV to market. As we expand the ways we serve our clients and Northern Trust broadens its fund servicing capabilities, we’re excited to build on our long-standing partnership.”
Northern Trust provides a complete suite of asset servicing solutions for global investment managers including fund administration, global custody, investment operations outsourcing and data solutions – supporting a range of complex investment strategies across the full spectrum of asset classes.
About Northern Trust
Northern Trust Corporation (Nasdaq: NTRS) is a leading provider of wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services to corporations, institutions, affluent families and individuals. Founded in Chicago in 1889, Northern Trust has a global presence with offices in 24 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., and across 22 locations in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. As of June 30, 2026, Northern Trust had assets under custody/administration of US$20.0 trillion, and assets under management of US$2.0 trillion. For more than 135 years, Northern Trust has earned distinction as an industry leader for exceptional service, financial expertise, integrity and innovation. Visit us on northerntrust.com. Follow us on Instagram @northerntrustcompany or Northern Trust on LinkedIn.
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/terms-and-conditions.
