State Street’s asset management arm has ditched the ‘Global Advisors’ label as part of its first renaming in 30 years.
Now known as State Street Investment Management, the revamp was prompted by a feedback and consultation exercise with global clients, investors and employees, the announcement said.
The SPDR ETF brand – pronounced ‘spider’ – remains unchanged.
“Today marks a new chapter in our story – one that reflects our values, honours our rich heritage and brings our vision for the future into sharper focus,” said Yie-Hsin Hung, president and CEO of State Street Investment Management.
The $4.7trn asset manager was founded 1978, launching its maiden index fund the same year. In 1990 it became a distinct subsidiary of State Street Corporation and three years later made history by launching the first US-listed ETF – the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY).
SPY held the distinction of being the world’s largest ETF for about 32 years until it was supplanted in February – casting a spotlight on the challenges facing State Street’s US ETF franchise.
Indeed, its US-listed ETFs shed almost $5bn in net outflows between January and May 2025, according to figures from ETFGI, a data provider. Vanguard and BlackRock pulled in $148.1bn and $82.1bn respectively over the same period.
A notable bright spot has been its European ETF business, however. The Europe-listed products recorded net inflows of $5.8bn between January and May, per ETFGI data.
During Hung’s time at the helm, State Street has grabbed a flurry of headlines on the back of a high-profile push into alternative strategies. In February it launched the world’s first private credit ETF and soon after partnered with hedge fund Bridgewater Associates to deliver a risk parity strategy via the wrapper.
“To us, the word ‘investment’ is not just about the capital markets,” explained Hung on the rebranding. “As a firm, we’re investing in our relationships, investing in innovation and investing in the future.”
“These changes to our brand strengthen our value proposition, simplify the way we go to market, and improve our clients’ experience across State Street,” said John Brockelman, chief marketing officer for State Street Investment Management.
“The new name reflects how the company has evolved from an institutional manager in its early days through to one that increasingly interacts with retail investors, either through intermediaries or more direct channels,” he told ETF Stream.
State Street recently unveiled a ‘Vision’ range of emerging sector ETFs in Europe.
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