A Hundred Years On, Firm Behind First Mutual Fund Plans ETFs (1)

After launching the world’s first mutual fund 100 years ago, MFS Investment Management is poised to make its debut in the ETF market.

In the most powerful sign yet that the low-cost trading vehicles are taking over the world of investing, the firm has applied to create five actively managed exchange-traded funds spanning stocks and bonds, according to Monday filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Their arrival will be a milestone moment in asset management. Until now, Boston, Massachusetts-based MFS was among the few holdouts to the $8.6 trillion ETF market. The firm is famously home to the ...