The State Street SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE) was launched on November 8, 2005, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Financials - Banking segment of the equity market.An increasingly popular option among retail and institutional investors, passively managed ETFs offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; they are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.Sector ETFs also provide investors access to a broad group of companies in particu ...