---
title: "Asset subtypes"
description: "Asset subtypes are the abbreviations Fincanva uses for the specific kind of instrument within an asset type — ETF, ETN, ETC, CEF, ETD, ETMF, and more."
canonical_url: "https://fincanva.com/docs/screeners/asset-subtypes"
last_updated: "2026-07-24"
md_url: "https://fincanva.com/docs/screeners/asset-subtypes.md"
---

# Asset subtypes

Asset subtypes are the abbreviations Fincanva uses to label the specific kind of instrument within a broader [asset type](/docs/getting-started/asset-type) — the **Asset subtype** field in a screener's [universe facets](/docs/screeners/universe-facets). For exchange-traded products they read ETF, ETN, ETC, CEF, ETD, and ETMF; for stocks they read Common, Common (secondary), Preferred, and Unit. Each is a narrower class inside the asset type, so filtering on a subtype keeps only instruments of that exact kind.

## What each asset-subtype abbreviation means

Each abbreviation names a specific instrument structure inside the ETP (exchange-traded product) family:

| Abbreviation | Full name | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| ETF | Exchange-Traded Fund | A fund holding a basket of assets that trades on an exchange like a share. |
| ETN | Exchange-Traded Note | An unsecured debt note whose return tracks an index — you carry the issuer's credit risk, not a basket. |
| ETC | Exchange-Traded Commodity | An exchange-traded security that tracks a commodity or commodity index. |
| CEF | Closed-End Fund | A fund with a fixed share count that trades on an exchange, often at a premium or discount to its net asset value. |
| ETD | Exchange-Traded Derivative | A derivative contract standardised and traded on an exchange. |
| ETMF | Exchange-Traded Managed Fund | An actively managed fund in an exchange-traded wrapper. |

The stock subtypes are plain English — Common and Preferred shares, a Common (secondary) listing, and Unit — so they aren't abbreviated. Note that **ETP** itself is not a subtype but the parent asset type these six sit under, and **ADR** and **OTC** are separate universe facets (the Country and Exchange fields), not asset subtypes.

## Defaults in Fincanva

- Asset subtype is a universe facet: it narrows a screener to instruments of that exact kind before any metric filter runs.
- The subtypes offered depend on the asset type — stocks expose Common / Common (secondary) / Preferred / Unit; ETPs expose ETF / ETN / ETC / CEF / ETD / ETMF.
- The same subtype also appears as a column in a screener's results, labelled **Asset subtype**.

## Worked example

Three instruments can track the same gold price yet be different subtypes. A gold **ETF** holds the metal (or gold-linked assets) in a fund and trades as shares. A gold **ETN** is a bank's debt note promising the index's return — if the issuer fails, the note can too, regardless of where gold is trading. A gold **ETC** is an exchange-traded security backed by the commodity itself. Filtering **Asset subtype = ETF** keeps the first and drops the other two.