The Firm Behind the First Mutual Fund Is Launching Its Debut ETF

MFS Investment Management — which birthed the world’s first mutual fund 100 years ago — has finally arrived in the $11 trillion ETF arena.

Boston, Massachusetts-based MFS launched five actively managed ETFs spanning stocks and bonds on Thursday, according to a press release. The debut comes a century after MFS created the Massachusetts Investors Trust, the first-ever open-end mutual fund that launched back in 1924.

It’s a powerful sign of the times in the investing world. Trillions of dollars have exited from mutual funds in favor of ETFs over the past decade, with investors drawn to the wrapper’s ...