VettaFi

Discover how strong corporate earnings, AI capex cycles, and 5%–10% fixed income yields outweigh midterm election and Fed rate uncertainties.

The third quarter of 2026 emphasized an increasingly divided macro regime for financial advisors and institutional allocators alike. On one end, broad market hopefulness drove steady capital deployment into broad-market beta, while on the other end, raised rate volatility and geopolitical tension forced strategic pivots across fixed income, real assets, and systematic strategies, according to BlackRock’s Q3 earnings call, released October 14.

Matthew Bielski, founder and CEO of Defiance ETFs, recently joined Scarlet Fu and Eric Balchunas on Bloomberg’s ETF IQ to discuss the Defiance Autism Impact ETF (ASD) and the personal family experience that helped inspire its development.

BlackRock, WisdomTree, and Fidelity Investments had representation at the recent Nasdaq VettaFi Asset Allocation summit.

In a recent webcast, Ari Polychronopoulos, TMX VettaFi’s head of RAFI Indices™, and Brent Leadbetter, TMX VettaFi’s head of RAFI Distribution, discussed growing market concentration risk.

Last week, the NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF (QQQI) crossed $15 billion in assets under management. This major milestone was the result of investor demand. In the first nine months of 2026, the tax-efficient options-based ETF had $7.0 billion in net inflows. With the help of the $13 billion NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF (SPYI), NEOS has firmly established itself as a premier manager for enhanced income ETFs.

A new peptide ETF launched today, holding the drugmakers behind GLP-1 weight-loss treatments along with the companies that make and deliver them.

The Northern ETF SKOR crossed the $1 billion AUM threshold following $247 million in recent inflows amid surging corporate bond yields.

The recent Nasdaq Vettafi summit on asset allocation saw issuer leaders talk thematic ETFs, AI, and leveraged ETFs.

CLOs simply offer strong yield potential that often outpaces corporate bonds with similar credit ratings. Given that the ‘income’ portion of fixed income is often a key priority for investors, attaining high yield on a consistent basis gives CLOs a compelling use case.

Tokenization has taken hold in money market funds, leaving ETFs room to grow, while Cerulli eyes private markets as the long-term prize.

Broadly speaking, when advisors and investors consider adding focused industry exposure to a portfolio, there needs to be a strong justification for doing so. Take the AI industry, for example, where sustained buildout has driven many to target key tech players for exposure.

September ETF launches highlighted active strategies and an AI hardware ETF as year-to-date inflows reached a record $1.54 trillion.

Advisors choosing between two similar ETFs often let the lower expense ratio decide, but that fee says little about a fund’s liquidity. It may not even point to the cheaper fund to own, according to State Street Investment Management research.

Sometimes, there’s safety in size. Semiconductor Goliath Nvidia (NVDA) is proving as much. Already one of the world’s largest companies by market capitalization, Nvidia is up 29.5% year-to-date. That extends a five-year run in which the stock surged 1,066%.

Broadly speaking, when advisors and investors consider adding focused industry exposure to a portfolio, there needs to be a strong justification for doing so. Take the AI industry, for example, where sustained buildout has driven many to target key tech players for exposure.

Interest rates are on the rise, and, according to market expectations, the ascension may not be over quite yet.

On the surface, the municipal bond market may not check the “dynamic” box. After all, individual muni bonds and ETFs such as the ALPS BBH Intermediate Municipal Bond ETF (MNBD) are positioned, rightly so, as conservative, income-bearing investments.

International stock funds outpaced U.S. large caps in September, as ETF inflows cooled and investors leaned toward defensive sectors.

In a world defined by rampant energy demand and electrification, battery tech is one of the more intriguing places to invest. While attention has turned to the big AI narratives and debates in the market, tech categories like battery innovation have plenty of opportunities.

Bond yields still look attractive, but investors are earning little extra for taking on corporate credit risk, according to Thornburg Investment Management.

Long viewed as an emergency brake for macroeconomic panic, gold is starting to prove itself as much more than a crisis asset.

September’s fixed income sell-off marked a watershed moment for muni bond markets, delivering the steepest drawdown since the 2008 Great Financial Crisis. As benchmark yields spiked, prices across muni ETFs fell in tandem, and the volatility has not let up. This week, both 10-year and 30-year Treasury yields climbed to their highest levels since 2002.

VettaFi has experienced strong growth as a differentiated index provider in 2026. This momentum continues with today’s acquisition of The SPADE® Defense Index. The deal adds a popular, high-conviction thematic sector strategy to a global platform. More than $260 billion in index-based assets is tied to VettaFi.

T. Rowe Price has announced the launch of the T. Rowe Price Dynamic Emerging Markets Bond ETF (TDEM) on the Nasdaq today, the company said.

In September, Vanguard ETFs overall recorded a mix of steady market performance, some volatility, and significant dividend distributions, with investors pouring substantial capital into its funds.

Midterm elections are increasingly taking over the headlines, and that includes coverage of markets. While inflation, rates, and geopolitics probably have more outright impact on portfolios, investors and market watchers still look to midterm elections as a major event.

Yesterday’s cooler-than-expected PCE print finally gave the bond market a breather, pulling Treasury yields down from their brief 5.3% peak. For financial advisors, this recent whiplash brings fixed income duration conversations back to center stage — specifically, balancing the hunt for long-term yield with the safety of ultra-short cash alternatives.

Explore how muni bond ETFs and targeted state funds can provide tax-efficient yields and strategic flexibility heading into 2027.

It’s a complicated economic environment to retire in, with high costs and significant geopolitical and policy uncertainty. Still, people want and often may need to retire. However, thanks to innovation in the asset management world, investors have an increasing array of options.

Given that the Federal Reserve raised interest rates earlier in September, inflation data that was already crucial has taken on a new meaning. These reports could now serve as a barometer for what is to come from the central bank.

On September 23, Invesco launched the Invesco Nasdaq International Innovators 100 ETF (QQI), a fund that seeks to track the performance of the Nasdaq International Innovators 100 Index.

Retail investors buy corporate bond ETFs expecting steady coupons and ballast against stock market volatility. Traditionally, fixed-income portfolios were anchored by defensive issuers like banks, industrials and utilities.

The BlackRock Model Portfolio Solutions team made significant allocation shifts during the week ended September 24, 2026. The team recently managed over $300 billion and often causes shockwaves in the ETF industry.

The yield on the 30-year hit a multi-decade high this week, spiking amid continued fiscal and monetary concerns. The 30-year hitting 5.45%, its highest mark since 2004, comes amid an already busy year for bonds.

We know from recent history why this question feels so timely. Fixed income remains a foundational portfolio building block, offering low-correlated or uncorrelated diversification and downside risk mitigation. However, holding long-dated bonds in recent years has been notoriously painful.

The Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) is more than a regional milestone — it is a shift in competition among U.S. capital markets. After months of anticipation, the TXSE reached a major landmark last week as Texas Capital’s TXS and OILT ETFs became its first primary listings, followed a day later by PWRX as the first new ETF to launch on the exchange.

Markets have dealt with serious whiplash from the Federal Reserve’s dramatic policy pivot this year. In just six months, the Fed funds futures market went from pricing in two rate cuts totaling 50 basis points to now pricing in two rate hikes in 2026.

Share buybacks are when a company purchases its own shares, reducing the total number of shares on the market. Oftentimes, these buybacks occur on the open market, but companies may also look to buy shares from existing shareholders as well.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management launched two new ETFs Monday, expanding exposure to emerging and international equities. The ETF duo includes the Goldman Sachs Data Enhanced Emerging Markets Equity ETF (GEMQ) and the Goldman Sachs Data Enhanced International Equity ETF (GIEQ). That pair joins an ETF landscape in which those segments are seeing growing interest.

In August, a flurry of ETF-related deals were announced and expected to close by early 2027. Goldman Sachs is buying NEOS Investments. T. Rowe Price plans to add F/M Investments. Victory Capital is acquiring First Eagle.

Throughout this Indexing Redefined series, we explored how traditional market-capitalization indexing ties portfolio weights directly to stock prices, creating hidden concentration risks. Furthermore, we discussed how fundamental indexing offers a disciplined alternative by weighting companies according to their real-world economic footprint. In this final installment, we address the dilemma investors face in highly concentrated equity markets.

According to the latest SPIVA U.S. Scorecard report, broader isn’t always better for active managers. Following a volatile start to the year, the S&P 500 rebounded sharply in the second quarter to gain 10% through June 30 thanks to robust corporate earnings.

In an environment marked by the Fed’s first rate hike in three years and ongoing market uncertainty, income-focused investors face a unique dilemma. While cash alternatives offer attractive yields in the short-term horizon, they leave portfolios vulnerable to reinvestment risk should the

As ETF strategies continue to expand into new asset classes and structures, the SEC has been taking a closer look at how some of these products fit within existing regulations.

ETFs are increasingly breaking down the wall between public and private markets. Asset managers are finding ways to “ETF-ize” private equity and pre-IPO holdings — giving retail investors liquid, fractional access to growth opportunities historically restricted to institutional and accredited buyers. As companies stay private longer, the most explosive growth phases of high-profile startups often occur off public exchanges.

Janus Henderson launched a new international equity ETF on Wednesday, according to a Janus Henderson press release. The Janus Henderson International Core Alpha ETF (JINT) seeks long-term growth of capital across developed markets outside the U.S.

Single-stock leveraged ETFs were unusual when they first arrived in the U.S. market just four years ago. Today, it might be hard to find a stock without one. Issuers are aggressively pushing beyond megacap tech into niche equities, pre-IPO registrations, and even experimenting with leverage levels and frequency.

Discover how autocallables provide steady income and downside risk protection in volatile markets, and how autocallable ETFs can help.

On September 2, TMX VettaFi Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth appeared on the Schwab Network to discuss ETF inflows nearing record highs in 2026 and the 50th anniversary of the first-ever index fund, the Vanguard 500 Index Fund. The fund’s ETF share class, which trades under the ticker VOO, is a bit newer, having launched in 2010.

Demand for fixed income ETFs hit a historic high-water mark in September. Investors and advisors turned to fixed income ETFs at a record-breaking pace, driving 2026 net inflows of $446 billion past all-time levels with months to spare. The massive tide of capital arrives at a critical juncture.

In Part III, the focus will center on practical applications of this discipline. In particular, how advisors can integrate the methodology into modern asset allocation, and why it offers an evolutionary leap for passive investing that’s available through exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Many market participants have highlighted how value investing is back as the equity market rally broadened out beyond high-flying growth names. However, taking an index-based approach to the value style requires looking under the hood. Not all value ETFs are created equally.

Investors can’t get enough of ultrashort bonds. Driven by concerns over high equity valuations and rate volatility as the U.S. Federal Reserve mulls over the direction of interest rates, capital preservation strategies appear to be the elixir to help ease uncertainty. As such, ultrashort bonds have been seeing greater demand as traditional safe havens fall short on yield or carry unwanted duration risk.

Elevated interest rates have investors scrambling for yield, and munis have been ready to answer the call with tax-exempt income.

Brent crude oil rose above $100 a barrel for the first time since July, while the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crossed $95, with varying impacts on energy ETFs. The price surge followed escalation in the Middle East conflict, including U.S. military strikes on five Iranian oil tankers and Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities.

From an earnings perspective, this summer proved to be a largely fruitful one for many companies within the S&P 500.

Bond markets around the world have trembled in the last week, as uncertainty continues to rise. A mix of geopolitical, trade, debt, and currency pressures have put immense pressure on yields. The Yen carry trade situation alone has soaked bond markets, but when combined with U.S. debt fears and Hormuz concerns, the picture has shifted.

Oil prices climbed further Tuesday, with Brent crude rising 1% to $97.95 a barrel and briefly touching $99.46, according to the Associated Press. The benchmark has climbed from around $72 over the past two months. Fighting tied to the war with Iran has clouded hopes for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to tankers.

The U.S. ETF market reached $16.4 trillion in AUM in August 2026, driven by record product launches and a defensive shift to Treasuries.

The SEC wants to rescind a 15-year-old rule curbing political donations by investment advisers, aiming to ease compliance burdens for RIAs.

I love ETF milestones and round numbers almost as much as I love watching football. There is something deeply satisfying about watching a fund hit a clean asset threshold. Crossing $500 million, $1 billion, or $2 billion in assets under management (AUM) is more than just a psychological victory. It signals real validation from financial advisors, provides greater liquidity, and lowers the risk of fund closure. Plus, as a fun bonus this week, our three featured funds all start with the letter B!

Global fixed income and equity ETF strategies posted gains and saw inflows surge in August, even amid ongoing macroeconomic turbulence and elevated long-term borrowing costs. International equities maintained their year-to-date lead over U.S. stocks throughout the month, led by notable strength in emerging markets.

The saying “May you live in interesting times” is becoming relevant in the bond market for all the wrong reasons. “Interesting” usually means “trouble.”

On Wednesday, September 2, State Street Investment Management announced the debut of the State Street SPDR UC Investments 90/10 Endowment Strategy Index ETF (UCBG). Notably, this fund was created through a collaboration between State Street and UC Investments, the investment arm of the University of California.

August 2026 was a blockbuster month for ETF acquisitions.

It’s back-to-school season, and the ETF market is closing out a summer that proved anything but slow. August brought $180 billion in fresh net ETF asset inflows and saw the number of new ETFs coming to market cross 1,000 for the year. August also saw a barbell strategy against macro risks become a popular approach with ETF investors.

Record fixed income ETF inflows in August pushed year-to-date ETF totals past $1.4 trillion, with short-term bonds leading the surge.

State Street’s top inflows for its SPDR ETFs during the year-to-date period and the past four weeks suggest that while investors have confidence in U.S. large caps, they’re still looking to hedge their bets by allocating to gold.

The autism care economy is expanding across healthcare, technology, education, and behavioral services. As a result, investors are beginning to look at the companies serving it through a broader investment lens.

In Part I of Indexing Redefined, the foundational strategies comprising Research Affiliates’ fundamental indexing methodology (RAFI) were introduced. With the baseline premise established, there is one myth to debunk: Some detractors may assume that RAFI is merely a niche value strategy.

As the month of August came to a close, the first index mutual fund got to celebrate a key milestone. The mutual fund in question is the Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), which originally launched on August 31, 1976.

Advisors did not slow down on exchange-traded funds in the second quarter. They added more of them, and pointed the money somewhere new, according to AdvizorPro’s Q2 2026 RIA ETF Trends report.

Investors are used to a swirling mass of scary headlines and geopolitical and monetary risk. Yen carry trade and yield concerns, however, may have some feeling of trepidation. Despite those risks, equities continue to appeal.

On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Northern Trust Asset Management expanded its suite of distributing ladder ETFs with the launch of eight new funds. The newly launched ETFs offer additional target maturity options for Northern Trust’s existing strategies.

Victory Capital Holdings, Inc. (VCTR) announced an acquisition of First Eagle Investments Wednesday, a deal that will create a combined asset manager with $571 billion in client assets, the companies said.

European equities have long been written off as the ultimate value trap — a sleepy, slow-growth market living in the shadow of Wall Street’s tech-fueled mega-rally. But a massive shift in market dynamics is unfolding across the Atlantic.

It’s been a busy year in the game of ETF landgrab. And a colorful one, too. From exciting M&A deals to some splashy building-from-scratch newcomers, we are seeing a little bit of everything as asset managers look to build scale and capture the impressive growth momentum of the ETF market.

U.S.-listed ETFs pulled in a record $193.42 billion in July, pushing year-to-date net inflows to $1.23 trillion. That total is the strongest seven-month haul on record, according to ETFGI’s July 2026 U.S. ETF industry report.

When it comes to equities exposure, investors typically gravitate toward a passive, market-cap-weighted index as the default strategy. These strategies are often billed as an efficient, low-cost method to capture broad market returns. As such, cap-weighted funds that track the S&P 500 or MSCI World have taken in trillions of dollars in global capital. However, within these market-cap-weighted indexes, a structural flaw exists.

On the back of the White House’s cryptocurrency confab, which brought together policymakers and leaders of the digital asset community, Bitcoin notched a double-digit gain over August 19-20 — a rally that pumped new life into the largest digital currency.

For 11 of the 12 years following the 2008 financial crisis, U.S. stocks beat international markets. But that trend has flipped: Over the past four years, international equities have taken the lead.

Morningstar's study, Mind the Gap 2026 reveals a 1.2% return gap. Learn how financial advisors can use automation to protect client wealth.

Leading asset managers T. Rowe Price announced the acquisition of $19 billion F/m Investments in a press release Thursday afternoon. The deal brings F/m’s suite of leading fixed income strategies and ETFs into T. Rowe Price’s fund stable, reinforcing those areas in the latter’s list.

There’s new life in the gold market, and that momentum could represent a buying opportunity for bullion-enthused investors seeking income. The NEOS Gold High Income ETF (IAUI) is ready to meet the moment.

Investor appetite for fixed income continues to expand, as evidenced by the latest weekly ETF inflows report from TD Securities. For the week ending August 14, 2026, U.S.-listed ETFs gathered $41.0 billion in total weekly net inflows, which included $13.2 billion into fixed income funds.

Anthropic’s preliminary second-quarter results reignited enthusiasm across the artificial intelligence sector, lifting semiconductor stocks 1% on Monday despite broader tech sector declines. Q2 revenue topped $11.5 billion — a 14x surge year-over-year and more than 2x last quarter’s figures.

Learn how RAFI fundamental indexing offers an alternative to market-cap weighting in this interview with Rob Arnott and TMX VettaFi.

Gold’s outlook has brightened considerably following its first-half correction. Spot prices have rebounded to flirt with $4,400 per ounce, supported by renewed central-bank buying, softer economic data, and diminished expectations for further Fed tightening.

VettaFi today officially completed its acquisition of RAFI Indices, LLC from Research Affiliates Global Holdings, LLC. The deal was originally announced in June 2026. The transaction unites RAFI’s decades of deep, academically grounded intellectual property with VettaFi’s agile, modern indexing infrastructure.

Small-cap equities are winning out against their large-cap counterparts in a classic David versus Goliath ETF battle. After years of mega-cap technology dominance, small-cap equities have delivered investors a historic first half of 2026.

Whether fixed income investors are focused on locking in yield, managing duration risk, or building resilient core portfolios, bond ETFs have been seeing elevated demand this year.

The consumer remains resilient, but spending is becoming increasingly selective. Bank of America’s August Consumer Checkpoint showed total card spending per household increased 5.0% year-over-year in July, with spending excluding gasoline up 4.3%.

Artificial intelligence data centers are hitting a power problem that has little to do with computer chips, according to a new report from Thornburg Investment Management.

The fixed income landscape continues to offer real opportunity this year as well as persistent, events-driven uncertainty. Still, cutting through the headlines, investors can find major opportunities inside the portfolios and in adding new funds.

Among the key benefits of the ETF wrapper is the wide range of tools it gives advisors and investors to build tailored fixed income portfolios. And given today’s complex rate and inflation environment, it certainly helps to have a wide range of options available.

Discover the top ETF launches of summer 2026, including new funds from iShares, Amplify, and Defiance targeting crypto, AI, and core equity.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management is continuing its aggressive expansion into active, high-yielding options strategies with a definitive agreement to acquire NEOS Investments. Similar to Innovator Capital Management, another recent acquisition, NEOS has established a firm leadership position in the ETF space.

The S&P 500 has closed at a new record high some 25 times this year, the most recent taking place just last week. The benchmark, which is now up about 13% — as measured by the performance of the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPYM) in 2026 — has been boosted by momentum, solid earnings and ongoing economic growth.

The mantra carrying the markets higher for years has been to leave it to mega-cap tech titans and AI leaders to drive the bulk of market gains, leaving cap-weighted indexes historically top-heavy. But a new narrative has begun to take over.

Given how uncertain advisors and investors are over the Federal Reserve’s plans for handling interest rates, the July jobs report was perhaps watched even more closely than normal. That being said, the latest report may not have inspired much confidence.

Stronger gold prices are happening for a couple different reasons. First of all, optimism is rising that the Strait of Hormuz may finally reopen soon. The news in Iran is certainly welcome, but new jobs data from ADP is helping gold, too.

The AI trade has faced renewed volatility as investors question AI spending and current valuations. Semiconductor stocks and related areas — including memory, networking, photonics, and chip equipment—have all been caught in the pullback.

Morningstar research shows ETF investors gave up 1.2 points a year to poor timing, a gap advisors can help clients close through discipline.

Reflecting on the first half of 2026 provides a clear roadmap to strategize for the remainder of the year. Before that can occur, however, it’s imperative to check the pulse on the current state of the market and posit what may happen next.

The numbers are in, and the story of ETF adoption goes on undeterred. In July, ETFs saw their third month this year of asset inflows exceeding $190 billion. If 2025 was a record-breaking year for ETF asset creation, 2026 is promising to upstage it.

S&P 500 companies are turning in their strongest earnings season in five years. And a handful of sectors are doing most of the heavy lifting.

Advisors and investors of all kinds are used to closely watching the outcome of each of the Federal Reserve’s meetings, given how critical interest rates are to equity and fixed income markets alike. However, the recent July Fed meeting was particularly crucial. Many were uncertain what direction the central bank would go with interest rates.

On Thursday, July 30, Amazon Inc.(AMZN) released its Q2 2026 earnings report. Given its crucial position as a Mag 7 mega-cap straddling both tech and e-commerce, Amazon’s earnings reports are usually closely watched by the broader investing community.

Mega-cap tech stocks have helped large caps dominate small-cap ETF flows and performance for years. However, this year a shift is taking place. In 2026, small-cap index ETFs are outperforming their large-cap peers as the market has broadened out.

As concerns grow about the market’s biggest companies, investors are looking further down the market-cap scale. Mid-cap innovators are drawing more attention because they have more room to grow.

Following historic inflows, momentum in the covered call ETF market continues unabated. Yet first-generation buy-write products were often viewed somewhat narrowly as high-yield income vehicles built on sacrificing equity upside for immediate cash flow. While early strategies proved the massive appetite for yield, they also exposed key advisor pain points — from steep NAV erosion in bull markets to tax-inefficient distributions.

Oil markets have entered a period of heightened volatility. Geopolitical tensions, shifting supply expectations, and uncertain demand forecasts continue to weigh on investor sentiment. This environment can make traditional energy investing challenging. However, it also increases interest income generation strategies like the Amplify Energy & Natural Resources Covered Call ETF (NDIV).

South Korea and Taiwan are grabbing the majority of financial news headlines when it comes to international exposure, but a peek inside Latin America reveals potential opportunities. Brazil, in particular, could be offering investors ample value in both equities and bonds beyond those aforementioned countries already benefiting from the artificial intelligence (AI) buildout.

Considering that the Federal Reserve has been meeting this week, it’s safe to say that inflation is likely front-and-center on the minds of many advisors and investors. After all, energy prices and supply chain constraints have kept inflationary pressures far more persistent than the Fed would like.

In the current macroeconomic landscape marked by higher-for-longer interest rates, investors looking to optimize their short-term capital allocations may want to consider collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) as a higher-yielding potential alternative to traditional cash proxies like money market funds.

Without the support of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, it’s been a lethargic year in terms of performance by municipal bonds and the related ETFs, but that doesn’t mean advisors and fixed income investors should ignore this bond segment.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that tariff tensions between the United States and the rest of the world won’t be going away any time soon. Last Friday, the U.S. imposed a series of tariffs on 60 different trading partners, including China, Canada, and the European Union.

On July 28, Morgan Stanley launched two new spot crypto ETFs on NYSE Arca. The Morgan Stanley Ethereum Trust (MSSE) and the Morgan Stanley Solana Trust (MSOL) provide spot price exposure to underlying ethereum (ETH) and solana (SOL), alongside additional distributions from staking yields.

June may have proven to be a difficult month for silver investors, but it’s likely far too soon to give up on the precious metal. To better understand this, it’s important to contextualize why silver’s price is struggling and why the metal’s long-term opportunities are still there.

The ETF market saw a push in capital away from the concentrated U.S. tech sector to defensive broad market exposure, short duration bonds, and commodities. The shift in flows is amplified by the semiconductor market pullback, interest rate uncertainty, and ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

The U.S. energy sector has outperformed in 2026, driven primarily by geopolitical-related supply fears, elevated oil prices, and rising demand from the AI infrastructure buildout. While broad energy funds have also surged, investors can potentially enhance exposure by targeting specific segments of the energy market.

Semiconductor exchange-traded funds have gained more than 25% this year. Intel Corporation’s (INTC) second-quarter earnings report after today’s close could test whether that rally continues.

During periods of elevated market stress, including those that see pinched corporate bonds, collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs) often outperform other corporate bond assets. Add to that, CLOs often emerge from those rough patches in strong form, delivering impressive returns a year after downturns.

Those who are familiar with Vanguard’s ETF lineup are likely well-acquainted with the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). After all, this fund — which provides low-cost exposure to the S&P 500 — is currently the largest fund in terms of AUM.

Small-cap and mid-cap stocks are outrunning large caps in 2026, and one portfolio manager says the shift has room to run.

According to Bankrate’s Mortgage Rates, the national average for a 30-year fixed mortgage is 6.61%. That’s uncomfortably high and a major headwind to many prospective homebuyers, particularly those in the first-time category.

A major milestone for the story of the stock market this year looms this evening. Alphabet (GOOGL) will report its earnings today after the bell. Reports suggest the firm will have big, positive news to share, so investors may have questions.

VettaFi’s Midyear Market Outlook symposium Thursday saw industry leaders take on the big questions. Where is the market going? How should investors and advisors navigate uncertainty and potential volatility? Leaders from Fidelity Investments and Invesco both joined for one of the early segments, focused on innovative U.S. strategies.

I have been tracking the ETF industry for a long time. I remember when the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) made history as the very first ETF to hit the $100 billion mark. Since then nearly two dozen have joined SPY.

Markets are embracing the idea that we are in an AI supercycle. Investors are betting on a multi-decade technological shift, similar to the internet, that will transform industries, computing, and infrastructure.

Halfway through the year, the U.S. equity market performance is broadening. That said, market concentration remains incredibly high, while equity and bond correlations sit in positive territory — conditions that scream a call for diversification. Investors are heeding that call, many with alternatives ETFs.

Entering Wednesday, the Russell 2000 and S&P SmallCap 600 indexes were up an average of 20.8% year-to-date, confirming small-cap stocks are back with a vengeance. Arguably overlooked in that scenario, some vibrant ETFs represent higher-quality approaches to smaller stocks.

On July 15, Direxion launched the Direxion Daily SK Hynix Bull 2X ETF (SKHL), seeking to replicate double the daily performance of the South Korean semiconductor manufacturers Sk Hynix (SKHY). The fund provides leveraged exposure to the world’s leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips. It boasts an expense ratio of 97 basis points.

Big Pharma has a $300 billion problem, and biotech developers with promising drugs are becoming the fix. Major drugmakers are spending at a pace not seen since 2019 to replace medicines that will soon lose patent protection.

Small-cap stocks remain the cheapest corner of the U.S. market. That’s true even after posting their best first-half performance in more than three decades, according to Morningstar’s Q3 2026 stock market outlook.

The rules governing global commodity markets are starting to witness a profound shift, which is putting critical minerals at the forefront of policy. On a recent episode of ETF Guide’s Metals in Motion, Justin Tolman, Senior Portfolio Manager and Economic Geologist at Sprott Asset Management, discussed this dynamic.

Friday, July 10, may have been ordinary for those outside the investment community, but for folks engaged with the market, it marked an opportunity to gain exposure to the second most valuable company in South Korea. On Friday, SK Hynix (SKHY) became available to U.S. investors via the Nasdaq.

For decades, traditional index-based ETFs have served as the low-cost foundational anchor for core allocations, consistently demonstrating that outperforming a broad market index is an uphill battle.

When it comes to space stocks, Elon Musk’s SpaceX (SPCX) is clearly the big kahuna. After all, the company just completed the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history, rapidly joining the $1 trillion-plus market capitalization club in the process. However, the broader space economy extends beyond a single company.

Fixed income investors continue to grapple with an uncertain macro environment, dominated by higher-for-longer interest rates and a new-look U.S. Federal Reserve, in which rate hikes may be forthcoming. Rather than make a directional bet on interest rates to combat duration risk, consider floating-rate ETFs, a compelling option.

Given how crucial the fixed income sleeve can be to one’s portfolio, the recent concerns over inflation have caused many advisors and investors to rethink how they go about their exposure. This includes debating over active and passive funds, and reevaluating the type of bond duration that is most attractive at this moment.

Morningstar data shows most active strategies lag passive indexes, but selective active fixed income ETFs can generate alpha.

The Federal Reserve’s plans for interest rates in the second half of 2026 appear very much up in the air. That said, advisors and fixed income investors may want to renew their focus on short duration bonds and related ETFs.

Traditionally speaking, folks that have looked to tap into innovation in the AI space have done so through tech exposure, particularly with mega-cap names. This is not a surprise, considering the interplay between these companies and AI innovation. However, healthcare also has many opportunities for innovation.

Russell Investments is getting new owners. An investor consortium led by B Capital, a global multi-stage investment firm, has agreed to acquire the asset manager from TA Associates and Reverence Capital Partners. The group also includes the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), according to a Thursday press release.

The action in Emerging Markets ETFs this year has been really interesting to watch. From record-breaking asset flows to impressive results, albeit massively dispersed, this category of funds has had quite a ride so far in 2026. What comes next could be equally interesting.

One of the bigger questions facing advisors and investors right now revolves around credit. Inflation, volatility, and Fed rate hikes all loom, potentially heightening credit risk for portfolios. Navigating that risk may be a crucial task in the second half of this year.

On June 30, Defiance debuted the new Defiance KSM TipRanks Analyst ETF (RANK). With an expense ratio of 60 basis points, this fund aims to leverage Wall Street’s highest-rated analyst consensus data to capitalize on U.S. market momentum.

During the June 30, 2026, World Cup round of 32 match between France and Sweden at the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium, the logistical scale of a global mega-event was on full display. Moving 80,663 fans safely through a sprawling transit corridor and securing a massive open-air venue demands complex engineering. Underpinning the operation is a capital-intensive ecosystem of physical AI, advanced sensors, and automation software.

ETF Database saw a massive surge in readers this past June. The most popular pieces focused on everything from breaking SpaceX IPO news to the technical mechanics behind top-performing ETFs.

Right now, advisors are facing a massive generation of clients trying to navigate retirement. That’s challenging enough, but with inflation and the cost of living rising, assuaging those clients’ concerns and delivering for them has become much trickier. Income ETFs can help meet those clients’ goals, with new, daily covered call ETFs an appealing option.

Bypass the headaches of individual closed-end funds. Discover how Invesco's PCEF bundles over 100 CEFs to capture June's debt rallies.

While the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at the latest meeting, investors increasingly speculate that rate hikes are on the table in 2026.

The U.S. nuclear sector advanced on two fronts in recent days. Advanced microreactors completed a key federal target while the existing commercial fleet signed a landmark agreement with a major retailer. These moves show momentum at both the innovation edge and the operating base.

The strong run by the Nasdaq-100 and the S&P 500 the last few years has loaded portfolios with heavy concentration risk. As a tiny group of mega cap tech giants shapes the market, finding meaningful diversification has become a priority for advisors. Data from last week’s VettaFi Mid-Year Market Outlook Symposium confirms that wealth managers are actively looking down the market-cap spectrum to rebalance risk.

At VettaFi, we’ve been talking a lot about bottlenecks as a concept. Some of the brightest equity market opportunities for capital growth are tied to bottlenecks in a supply chain-context.

U.S.-listed ETFs locked in a record-breaking first half of the year. Read the analysis on active ETFs, fixed income shifts, and equity flows.

Markets may have ended the first quarter with a thud, but stocks put another record run in the books to close out the first half of 2026. The U.S. ETF market had already shattered records, crossing the $15 trillion threshold and cruising past $1 trillion in net inflows right before summer officially began.

It’s been a long time coming for the asset management world, but ETF share classes are now a reality. Fidelity Investments has joined that movement, with the launch of its first ETF share classes for some of its mutual funds.

As growth stumbled, the S&P 500 Momentum Index captures a 7.5% gain in June and a 44% gain in the second quarter.

Benchmarks are broken. That was the premise established in a conversation with Samarth Sanghavi, head of fixed income index product at TMX VettaFi, when the problem was first addressed in a previous article. TMX VettaFi creates innovative index solutions, and with the premise established that benchmarks are indeed broken, here is the fix.

The ETF ecosystem is always changing and growing. Thanks to the ETF’s flexibility, transparency, and tradability, it can help investors achieve plenty of bespoke goals. That even includes investing with an eye towards philanthropic causes as with philanthropic ETFs ASD and DUTY.

Markets have been hyper-focused on AI, crypto and buffer ETFs, but REIT ETFs have quietly staged an impressive comeback. The REIT terrain has shifted rapidly over recent years, and forward-looking investors and advisors have taken notice.

During the past month, the ETF market has seen a wave of excitement surrounding a concentrated group of companies. While investors still want exposure to the tech giants that have dominated the past few years, the successful launch of SpaceX in early June created widespread anticipation for planned IPOs like Anthropic and OpenAI.

Investors now have more optionality when looking for Nasdaq 100 exposure. State Street Investment Management (SSIM) just launched the State Street SPDR Portfolio Nasdaq 100 ETF (QNDX). It will invariably go heads up with the Qs, namely the Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) and the Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM).

The ETF landscape includes plenty of exciting ETFs. Not all, however, can claim to combine high current income and outperformance. The ProShares Russell 2000 High Income ETF (ITWO) has done just that so far this year with its innovative approach to covered calls.

VettaFi currently has index products tied to ETFs issued by American Century, Victory Capital, and ALPS ETFs, but the addition of RAFI products issued by Invesco and PIMCO that are fundamentally weighted is really exciting, according to Rosenbluth.

Join the industry’s leading strategists for the Midyear Market Outlook Symposium—a comprehensive briefing designed to help advisors audit their current allocations and prepare for the opportunities of the next six months

The international ETF landscape has become quite popular with investors over the last year. Investors flocked to ex-U.S. equity opportunities over the last 12 months, driven by high domestic valuations and persistent concentration risk. By contrast, emerging and international markets have both offered lower costs and healthy diversification.

In broad terms, there appears to be little headline risk facing advisors and income investors mulling municipal bonds. All 50 states carry investment-grade credit ratings, confirming that their credit quality remains solid.

THOR builds upon the success of the firm’s Thornburg Investment Income Builder Strategy, bringing that same income generation expertise into a flexible, actively managed ETF.

While the market-cap methodology has been the guiding principle for equity index creators, it’s increasingly viewed as a structural error in the world of fixed income. Today, TMX VettaFi is helping to spearhead a growing movement of index innovators who are inclined to challenge the fixed income status quo.

The fixed income environment continues to project uncertainty, as higher-for-longer interest rates persist amid sticky inflation. Investors may want to lean on the expertise of active managers when deciding between an active and indexed fund.

A real, potentially lasting U.S.-Iran deal appears to be on the horizon for the first time in many weeks of on-, then off-again negotiations. Should this be the deal that does it, or another one in the near term, oil prices will respond. In fact, they’ve already dropped in response to the news that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen.

Humanoid robots grab headlines, but they are just a fraction of the physical AI ecosystem. Autonomous robots, drones, cobots, and eVTOLs are rapidly scaling across industrial and defense sectors.

Discover why DoubleLine's Jeffrey Gundlach is urging a structural defensive rotation into emerging markets and international assets.

The emergence of leveraged ETFs tied to Space Exploration Technologies (more familiarly known as SpaceX) points to strong investor demand for concentrated exposure.

Investors have plenty of reasons to celebrate the covered call ETF boom. Covered call strategies have offered new ways to add income to portfolios. Challenges in fixed income were a catalyst for assets to flow into traditional covered call ETFs.

Exposure to critical minerals, specifically rare earths, provides an opportunity for investors to capitalize on growth and diversify their portfolios simultaneously. However, there are also geopolitical implications that investors should know about as well. In particular, more nations are reducing their reliance on China.

Higher-for-longer interest rates and ongoing geopolitical friction make navigating emerging markets (EM) and capturing their growth potential a trying task. This is where investors can shift the onus of EM investing to experienced portfolio managers, with an active fund such as the Fidelity Fundamental Emerging Markets ETF (FFEM).

Participate in artificial intelligence (AI) investing long enough and you’re apt to hear plenty about this disruptive technology’s substantial power demands. Market participants know the anecdotes. For instance, some data centers consume more power than states. Another one: Data centers in aggregate consume more power than nearly all of the world’s countries.

This week J.P. Morgan Asset Management launched two actively managed municipal bond ETFs focused on California and New York debt, offering investors a way to earn tax-free income inside a more flexible and transparent fund structure.

On Monday, June 15, Guggenheim Investments debuted a pair of new fixed income ETFs. Each of these new funds offers an active take on the fixed income space. This may help investors looking to amplify portfolio yield.

J.P. Morgan converted two mutual funds into active muni ETFs for California and New York investors seeking tax-free income.

Advisors searching for diversification from a concentrated S&P 500 Index often reach for equal-weight strategies. However, a new report argues that all equal-weight approaches are not interchangeable.

Several ETFs have added exposure to Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX) after the aerospace giant completed the largest initial public offering in market history. Trading on the Nasdaq, SpaceX surged 19% from its initial $135 offering price to close at $160.95 per share, notching a historic $2.1 trillion valuation. Actively managed ETF vehicles were able to use their operational flexibility to add positions in SpaceX at its debut.

VettaFi’s core mission is to provide the index and distribution solutions that help asset managers build, grow, and navigate the markets with precision. Last week we took a massive, transformational step forward. TMX VettaFi signed a definitive agreement to acquire RAFI Indices from Research Affiliates, the undisputed pioneer of fundamental indexing and smart beta strategies.

Given all the interest and hype over the SpaceX IPO, many advisors and investors have been increasingly gravitating towards thematic ETFs that focus on the space industry. Given that the SpaceX IPO is the largest IPO in history, this should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Discover how Capital Group’s active CGGR ETF navigates this mega-cap divergence to uncover secular growth beyond tech.

Goldman Sachs and Innovator panelists say buffer ETFs can help advisors move cash-shy clients into stocks with built-in downside limits.

The ETF industry has reached a historic turning point. Vanguard has officially surpassed BlackRock’s iShares to become the largest ETF provider. The milestone underscores a broader structural shift among investors prioritizing low-cost investments in portfolio allocations.

At a time when the cost of living is rising and market volatility appears to be rising, too, investors may be looking for current income to bolster their portfolios. Current income can especially help investors at or near retirement to adapt to retired life.

Inflation and geopolitical uncertainty are pushing advisors and investors to rethink how they build diversified portfolios.

May saw 148 new ETF launches in May alone – although launch figures were partially driven by a 37-fund rollout from Corgi Insurance Services.

Building resilient portfolios in markets delivering mixed messages can be a challenging affair. In our ongoing engagement with the retail and advisor community at VettaFi, we hear first-hand just how investors are tackling that challenge this year.

Markets have treated AI as a gold rush of LLMs, chips and cloud applications, but as the industry shifts from chatbots to agentic systems — AI that autonomously runs workflows and makes decisions — hyperscalers are now facing a brutal physical bottleneck.

It’s no secret that investors are on the lookout for opportunities in their fixed income portfolios. This is especially true in today’s shifting landscape. Equities are hot, perhaps too hot, and many investors want strong performances out of their bonds in order to keep up.

Confirming that the bar is high for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor makers’ earnings reports, shares of Broadcom (AVGO) plunged 12.59% on June 4, a day after the chip giant delivered quarterly results. The results weren’t the problem. It was a lack of a positive update regarding AI semiconductor demand.

In my more than two decades covering index funds, I have never seen anything quite like the frenzy surrounding the SpaceX IPO. The sheer scale and market anticipation of this pending debut this week have done something rare. It has encouraged index providers to re-evaluate how they build and maintain benchmarks that are tracked by trillions of dollars.

On June 4, Vanguard launched the Vanguard U.S. High-Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF (VCHY) on the Cboe BZX. VCHY provides ultra-low-cost exposure to higher-yield U.S. corporate bonds. It comes with an expense ratio of just five basis points.

Bond ETFs secured a record $64 billion in monthly inflows, driving total fixed-income ETF assets above $2.5 trillion.

There are short duration bonds and corresponding ETFs. For advisors and fixed income investors who really want to minimize interest rate risk, there are ultra-short alternatives. Those products are worth considering this year.

The top-performing non-leveraged ETFs of 2026 span a distinct blend of digital assets, next-generation semiconductor technology, and localized international equity plays. For advisors assessing portfolio allocations heading into the second half of the year, these performance figures highlight a sustained risk-on appetite among investors.

The top-performing non-leveraged ETFs of 2026 span a distinct blend of digital assets and localized international equity plays.

The closed-end fund landscape may be seeing a big change as regulations may be shifting at the SEC, per recent announcements.

On Wednesday, June 3, Wellington Management and The Hartford announced that Wellington will be acquiring Hartford Funds. Once the acquisition is complete, Hartford Funds will operate under Wellington’s brand through the firm’s U.S. Wealth business.

The first phase of the artificial intelligence investment trade was relatively straightforward: if you wanted to capture the AI boom using familiar names, you bought semiconductors.

Given its focus, the launch presents a milestone for the asset management community. ASD blends a sophisticated index design with structural corporate philanthropy to create an ETF that resonates with those invested financially and emotionally.

Space ETFs have seen strong inflows coupled with standout performance, capturing significant market attention. For investors, the rapid pace of capital deployment into the space economy underscores a compelling investment opportunity. For this edition of Bull vs Bear, writers Zandile Chiwanza and Elle Caruso Fitzgerald debate the use cases for space ETFs in portfolios.

The global defense industry continues to move rapidly from legacy, heavy-hardware platforms to agile, unmanned systems. Today, the Trump Administration announced that it’s pursuing funding deals for drone companies in an effort to increase domestic production in today’s defensive landscape.

The ETF landscape includes a wide variety of innovative, intriguing funds that look to meet investor goals. From equities to fixed income, all kinds of strategies offer intriguing spins on areas like income and dividends.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management has expanded its alternative lineup with the launch of the JPMorgan Managed Futures Plus ETF (JPFP) on the Nasdaq. The actively managed fund combines a core U.S. equity allocation with a systematic managed futures strategy spanning equities, bonds, currencies, and commodities.

In the 24-hour financial news cycle, there’s much buzz surrounding the buildout of infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI). What about infrastructure beneficial to humans? There are plenty of ETF opportunities in the sector that’s gone from defensive hedge to dynamic capital appreciation engine.

The ETF industry has exploded in popularity in recent years. Old mutual fund heavy firms have increasingly leaned into the space, while new shops have proliferated, adding all kinds of new ETFs for investors to consider. That has benefitted investors and advisors immensely.

This persistent growth highlights how central low-cost core index products remain to advisor and retail portfolios alike. Even as asset managers roll out specialized strategies, capital continues to flow within broad-market beta.

A tidal wave of conversions has siphoned an unprecedented amount of capital out of mutual funds and into the ETF wrapper. Last year’s record 60 mutual-fund-to-ETF conversions in 2025 across 31 firms pushed total converted assets past $260 billion, and the past five years have now seen a grand total of 203 conversions.

The push for international equities diversification continues amid shifting global macroeconomic conditions. These days, investors have more options when it comes to international exposure. Given the current market uncertainty, they may want to put quality at the forefront of their decision-making process.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) made a big announcement this week, touting $100 billion in total ETF AUM. The milestone comes following the firm’s recent acquisition of Innovator ETFs adding several notable funds to the firm’s overall roster.

Private credit is more inherently complex than the traditional bond market. In comparison, private credit information comes at a deficit. That’s because private credit loans are essentially bespoke agreements between a lender and a private borrower.

On May 26, 1896, Charles Dow calculated a simple arithmetic average of 12 industrial stocks and arrived at a closing value of 40.94. Now, exactly 130 years later, that same benchmark has crossed the historic 50,000 threshold.

New AdvizorPro data shows RIAs broadened their ETF lineups in Q1 2026, leaning into real assets, active managers, and defense strategies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) might be the talk of the town these days, but quantum computing is the quiet thunder rumbling in the background. It just got much louder with the U.S. White House commiting to roll out a massive $2 billion funding package distributed across nine quantum computing companies.

Now, that prospect feels much farther off. Indeed, as government debt grows and macroeconomic pressures and inflation reemerge, investors face a complicated rate environment. Dividends can provide a solution.

By moving beyond benchmark constraints, active portfolios can access off-the-run bonds, specific securitized tranches, and maturity buckets with superior risk-reward profiles. They also have the flexibility to adjust positioning throughout the market cycle — reallocating across sectors, ratings, and issuers as conditions evolve to capture opportunities and mitigate drawdowns.

Industry discussions on Janus Henderson’s ETF lineup are typically centered around its fixed income funds given the firm’s history in this asset class. However, the issuer also has equity ETFs that are garnering attention, which include a fund that’s close to crossing the $1 billion assets under management (AUM) threshold: the Janus Henderson Small-Mid Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSMD).

Nvidia is now a textbook fit for quality-focused indexes in ETFs given its strong underlying business fundamentals. The company has become the smartest kid in the quality classroom, scoring exceptionally high on metrics like high return on equity (ROE), strong return on invested capital (ROIC), stable earnings growth, and low balance sheet leverage.

Recently, Matthew Bartolini, global head of research strategists at State Street Investment Management, sat down with VettaFi to discuss where inflation stands, opportunities within portfolio construction, and much more.

Model portfolios are a key pillar for asset managers competing for advisor and investor attention. They offer straightforward, pre-packaged tools that help investors target and achieve specific financial goals. Designing and operating models, however, takes a particular set of skills. Goldman Sachs Asset Management recently made a big hire therein.

With mega tech AI capital expenditure projected to cross a staggering $660 billion to $750 billion, according to estimates from firms like Goldman Sachs, CreditSights and Bloomberg, saying the stakes are high for Nvidia and the AI ecosystem is an understatement. It’s no wonder we can focus on little else this week.

The consumer is still spending, but with a higher level of caution. Inflation remains a persistent pressure point, particularly for lower- and middle-income households. This has caused the U.S. personal saving rate to fall to 3.6% as of March 2026, leaving significantly less breathing room for discretionary purchases.

The rapid deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) is evident; 99% of CEOs say their companies are investing in the technology. Apparently, AI is also quick at garnering assets. Launched less than three months ago, the Pictet AI Enhanced US Equity ETF (PQUS) is already approaching the $100 million mark in assets under management (AUM).

Tax-equivalent yields on high-quality munis are hitting 7% to 9%. Discover how WisdomTree ETFs, WTMU and WTMY, exploit the steep yield curve.

The artificial intelligence (AI) evolution moves at breakneck speed. While generative AI is still a significant part of the underlying investment thesis, physical AI is rapidly accruing momentum.

Chemistry is a vital component when building an organizational powerhouse. This applies not only to just sports, but also the executive world. In the NBA, the New York Knicks assembled the “Nova Knicks.” This effectively reunited a championship-caliber core of Villanova alumni in Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges.

Investing in emerging markets (EM) used to be synonymous with getting exposure to China. It’s an ideal notion, given that it’s the second largest economy and thus commands a heavy weight in standard EM benchmarks. Challenging that narrative today is a changing geopolitical landscape, which continues as U.S. president Donald Trump visits China in a high-stakes meeting between the two economic superpowers.

Semiconductors and software have largely overshadowed the electrification ETF trade. Paul Baiocchi, head of fund sales and strategy at SS&C ALPS Advisors, says most investors are missing the sectors that actually power the AI buildout.

Top RIA executives said Tuesday the industry's growth is still early, with breakaway clients and a talent shortage as key forces.

With inflation persistent and rising due to soaring energy prices, it’s not surprising that advisors and fixed income investors are revisiting Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). In fact, data indicate that inflation-linked bonds have been among the most popular fixed income destinations, dating back to 2022.

The ETF landscape is ever changing, and has grown massively since the ETF rule arrived in 2019. It was the game-changer that streamlined the launch process for new funds, thus allowing asset managers to offer new and innovative strategies in the wrapper.

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) executives detailed their artificial intelligence strategy for operational efficiency as new data showed the top 100 registered investment advisor firms now manage more than $1.6 trillion in client assets, double what they controlled just two years ago, according to Padi Raphael, global co-head of third party wealth at the firm.

Fears of hotter-than-expected inflation were realized today. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data revealed that headline CPI rose 0.6% month-over-month in April. This pushed the year-over-year figure to 3.8%, which constitutes the highest reading since May 2023. To beat the CPI heat, three distinct natural resource ETFs offer varying ways to hedge against higher inflation.

In the current market, broad healthcare exposure means navigating relentless regulatory pressure and drug-pricing reform, a combination that can erode returns quickly. To find true value in this challenging macro environment, investors are increasingly turning to cash as the ultimate truth-teller, specifically, free cash flow (FCF).

Innovation drives portfolio growth, but how can investors access it while limiting concentration risk – or paying for red-hot valuations? Most investors are already significantly exposed to megacap tech names, but there are plenty more tech players out there that can deliver for investors.

The nuclear industry has seen a recent flurry of announcements, headlined by two major industry partnerships to rapidly deploy new reactors. These exciting developments come against the backdrop of a new national poll showing increased positive sentiment towards nuclear energy. This all adds to the positive tailwinds for nuclear development in the U.S.

In my former life as a mutual fund analyst, T. Rowe Price was always a staple of my research. Back then, the focus was on their fundamentally focused active mutual fund lineup. However, in the last 15 years, the investment world — and my own research focus — has moved toward ETFs. I watched with strong interest as this Baltimore-based firm brought its active management expertise into the ETF world in 2020.

Advisor clients have myriad goals and needs for their portfolios — but this year, delivering on them has gotten more complicated. Events in the Middle East will likely spur inflation for the rest of 2026.

In a recent Market Outlook Symposium we hosted at VettaFi, we learned that 2026 has marked the return of fixed income as a strong contributor to an investor’s total return. We also learned that the biggest theme in fixed income investing this year is dispersion. Where you are putting your money to work matters.

With shares of Amazon (AMZN) up 28% over the past month, it’s safe to say investors are at peace with the company’s massive artificial intelligence (AI) spending plans.

The performance reflects a shift toward gaming infrastructure over content, with the technology sector contributing 10.39% to the index’s return while consumer discretionary holdings subtracted 0.80%, according to VettaFi index data for April.

April showers came in the form of more inflows raining down on the exchange-traded fund (ETF) market last month. Assets under management (AUM) have now grown to a staggering $14.7 trillion for the year. That’s punctuated by year-to-date (YTD) net inflows of over $636 billion.

While the ETF leaderboard continues to be dominated by S&P 500 index-based products, there are many other success stories that are likely being missed. There are now more than 5,100 products for advisors, investors, and even analysts to keep up with. Let’s take a look at some funds that have sprouted in just the last few months.

Like Treasuries and Treasury Inflation-Protection Securities (TIPS), municipal bonds betrayed their normally docile reputations in March as the conflict in Iran stirred increased volatility for normally subdued corners of the bond market.

In today’s market, income investors remain firmly focused on one objective: yield. With traditional sources of income still under pressure, demand for high-income ETFs continues to grow — especially those capable of delivering consistent monthly payouts.

Core aggregate benchmarks remain the bedrock of many fixed income portfolios but advisors are increasingly looking to income alternatives.

Where should advisors and investors be looking to find the best opportunities in fixed income? Given the current macroeconomic picture, now is certainly a good time to consider shifting one’s fixed-income portfolio.

The rapid institutionalization of the $3 trillion private credit market has left many financial advisors racing to catch up. While the asset class was once a walled garden for pension funds, the mainstreaming of private debt requires a new level of diligence and education. The shift toward transparency is finally allowing advisors to look under the hood of these complex structures.

Participants will gain a deep understanding of the macroeconomic drivers shaping the next three months. We will move beyond the headlines to provide actionable insights on portfolio construction, risk mitigation, and identifying value in an environment characterized by both transition and opportunity.

Now and then, advisors need to get a sense of how Americans of all ages approach retirement planning. Back in March, Fidelity Investments released its 2026 State of Retirement Planning Study. The report took a deep dive into how different age groups of Americans are viewing retirement preparations.

It’s a stressful investing landscape right now and investors are feeling it. Volatility, driven by a chaotic geopolitical landscape, has defined much of the market narrative this year — perhaps just second to everything AI. Although markets have marched steadily upward, a growing number of investors are making more defensive moves to adapt. In fact, recent data from VettaFi suggests downside protection ETFs are gaining significant traction.

Active ETFs are punching well above their weight in 2026. Despite representing just 12% of total ETF assets, actively managed funds have captured 40% of year-to-date flows, Todd Mathias, head of North America ETF product strategy at Franklin Templeton, told attendees at an April 27 roundtable discussion at the firm’s Manhattan office.

It’s the big story so far in 2026. Alongside AI, geopolitical market volatility is creating dislocations for investors to target. While some are more immediate and some are longer term, the ETF wrapper offers strategies that can attack all kinds of sectors. In corporate bonds, for example, growing volatility could create opportunities.

The midstream energy arena, which includes master limited partnerships (MLPs), has long lured income-hungry investors. A new ETF amplifies that proposition. The MLP & Energy Infrastructure High Income ETF (MLPI) debuted last December. It’s generating buzz, helped by the White House’s rhetoric on bolstering American energy independence, which is viewed as a potential boon for MLPs.

After positive earnings releases from peer semiconductors like Texas Instruments, Taiwan Semiconductor, and ASML, it was Intel’s turn to further support the notion that the semiconductor industry is doing just fine amid the recent volatility.

The primary contagion risk is sector concentration. Software and tech-enabled services represent roughly 15-20% of direct lending portfolios. A meaningful portion of these loans also resides in the Broadly Syndicated Loan (BSL) market – the bedrock of CLO ETFs – leading to a software weighting of 12–18% in typical CLO collateral pools.

Clients may love the relative safety of cash, but many advisors know those assets could do more. A multisector bond approach for example, offers plenty of rewards for those willing to dive in. The right ETF can give tax efficient exposure to the space, providing both yield and total return.

Even before the first active dual share class fund from Dimensional launched, active mutual funds and ETFs were already roommates rather than existing in separate silos. Ben Johnson, head of client solutions at Morningstar, revealed in a LinkedIn post that active managers are increasingly using ETFs as essential tools for building portfolios.

At this point, investors of all ages are well aware just how much inflation can cut into one’s spending power, whether it be for everyday expenses or big-time purchases.

The sheer complexity of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) using derivative-based strategies could have investors turning the other away. Instead, investors have been running towards them. The capital markets witnessed a surge in demand for these tactical ETF tools during the first quarter of 2026, making it a topical theme at the most recent Nasdaq-sponsored Asset Allocation Summit.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) announced Monday that Tim Cook will transition to executive chairman, while John Ternus will become CEO effective September 1. Ternus has served as senior vice president of hardware engineering since 2021. He will lead the company after 25 years focused on product development across iPhone, Mac, iPad, AirPods and Apple Watch.

Not only has infrastructure been devastated in key energy production zones, but other critical commodities like fertilizer have become much more expensive as well. It’s important for investors to respond, especially those at or near retirement. The right type of income ETFs can be that response.

When advisors and investors hear the terms “high yield” or “junk” as it relates to bonds, they understandably have some apprehension. After all, junk bonds carry elevated credit risk relative to their investment-grade peers. Hence the higher yields, which act as added compensation for the extra risk.

Geopolitical conflict is forcing the markets to think critically about critical minerals. More specifically, the importance of critical materials has shifted from industrial use to a vital component in national defense and energy security.

Yes, much of the blame lies with energy prices, which surged due to the war in Iran. Still, the March reading of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) serves as a reminder of the work to be done to damp inflation.

Exchange-traded fund flows surpassed $500 billion in the first three and a half months of 2026 as the industry continues its rapid expansion with more than 300 new launches and record trading volumes.

Amplify’s path is unique in the ETF space and has carved out a small but powerful stronghold for itself. Its focus on thematic and income strategies lends Amplify resilience across different market types, and its commitment to innovation means it doesn’t tend to issue many “me too” products.

One of the hottest themes in investing this year has been Space. Partly due to its tie-in with the broader Defense theme, and more recently, thanks to investor excitement over the upcoming SpaceX IPO, space investing as a thematic opportunity has been capturing attention and investor dollars.

On Wednesday, April 15, Sprott Asset Management expanded its lineup of exchange-traded funds with the debut of the Sprott Rare Earths Ex-China ETF (REXC). According to Sprott, REXC is the only ETF on the market that is offering a focus on rare earth companies outside China.

For many, the statistics surrounding autism aren’t just numbers on a page — they are lived experiences. I am one of those people; I have an extended family member on the spectrum, and I’ve seen how people have slowly begun to better understand and support the neurodivergent community.

The artificial intelligence theme is entering a more granular phase, with investors increasingly looking beyond foundational large language models (LLMs) toward the physical infrastructure required for scale.

In an investment world marked by ongoing macro uncertainty, more investors are seeking alternative strategies to navigate murky markets. One of the funds capturing this shift is the Fidelity Managed Futures ETF (FFUT). That fund secured the award for Best New Alternatives ETF in the 2026 ETF.com Awards.

The escalating conflict in the Middle East — especially the closure of the Strait of the Hormuz — had an adverse effect on many investment strategies in March, and gold was no exception. The spot gold price closed out March at $4,668.06.

With Q1 earnings season well underway, it was Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) giving investors a peek at how the broader healthcare sector might perform

Diversification is finally paying off. After more than a decade of U.S. dominance, international equity ETFs are enjoying monster inflows, outpacing their domestic counterparts for the first time since early 2023.

Rapid technological shifts and shifting interest rate expectations continue to define the current market environment. Amid the uncertainty, investors are looking for a reliable North Star to guide their growth allocations. They can start with the Fidelity Blue Chip Growth ETF (FBCG).

The first quarter of 2026 ended with a downpour of volatility as the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) rose 69%. Nonetheless, Goldman Sachs (GS) reported first-quarter 2026 earnings that outpaced Wall Street expectations though a thick fog of uncertainty still lingers in Q2.

For financial advisors, tax season should not be the only time to talk to clients about municipal bonds. However, with April 15 arriving this week, the timing is ideal to examine how muni bond ETFs are rapidly becoming a cornerstone of fixed-income allocations in 2026.

Jason Chura, head of global consulting at Voya Investment Management, outlines a behavioral framework to help advisors project confidence, build credibility, and guide clients through uncertainty.

New ETF launches address concentration and liquidity risks exposed by volatile markets through active and passive strategies.

It goes without explaining at this point, that advisors and investors are keeping an extremely close eye on the trajectory of the Federal Reserve’s ongoing fight against inflation. As of now, the battle certainly seems far from over. Fortunately, tools such as bond ladder ETFs can help portfolios maintain their course and mitigate the brunt of inflation.

During Exchange 2026, experts and thought leaders from firms across the country gathered. They shared different approaches and ideas for tackling the market’s biggest challenges.

VettaFi sat down with Innovator ETFs CIO Graham Day to discuss the move as well as the future of those defined outcome ETFs. Day, who joined the firm in 2017, has been part of many of the shop’s launches in the defined outcome space, one of the more popular options ETF segments.

The debate over whether artificial intelligence has entered bubble territory has reached a fever pitch. For this edition of Bull vs Bear, writers Nicholas Peters-Golden and DJ Shaw discuss the disconnect between infrastructure spending and software revenue.

On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Morgan Stanley announced the launch of the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust ETP (MSBT). As Morgan Stanley notes, the launch of MSBT marks the first time a U.S. bank-affiliated asset manager is offering a crypto ETP.

Investors are starting to understand that robotics and AI each represent an industry of industries. Not a sector. Not a theme. The foundational technology stack that every other industry increasingly depends on. In Q1, the market decided to stress-test that thesis, and the results tell a more nuanced story than the headline numbers suggest.

Last month at the Exchange conference in Las Vegas, Anna Paglia, State Street Investment Management’s chief business officer, discussed how the firm’s private credit lineup came to be and how the firm sets about developing some of its products.

At Exchange 2026, key thought leaders from firms across the country gathered in Las Vegas to share their ideas for navigating today’s macroeconomic uncertainty and the future of ETFs.

With the conclusion of a volatile first quarter in 2026, the Amplify Energy & Natural Resources Covered Call ETF (NDIV) demonstrated the resilience of its underlying index (VettaFi Energy and Natural Resources Covered Call Index).

Gold’s recent drop from $5,600 to $4,400 is a classic liquidity story where investors are selling their most liquid winners to raise cash.

For much of the past decade, U.S. investors didn’t need much convincing to stay close to home. But according to experts at a recent AllianceBernstein (AB) Product Due Diligence Session, the tide shifted dramatically in 2025, signaling a “new dawn” for non-US stocks.

Amid hopes that the conflict in Iran will soon de-escalate, stocks rallied in recent days. This provided some much needed relief for the growth-heavy Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX). However, advisors and experienced investors know that things can change in a heartbeat.

March 2026 ETFs: Investors pivot to safety with $29B in short-term bonds and a record $5B in Energy as Tech faced a Q1 recalibration.

Income ETFs using options have been one of the biggest categories in recent years. As global volatility has risen, advisor clients and investors of all kinds have clamored for some added income.

A look at ETF flows for the month of March suggests caution is back in vogue. Fixed income ETFs showed serious muscle in the asset gathering race last month, capturing nearly 45% of net creations.

Systematic indexing removes the psychological stress of timing crypto markets by allowing advisors to capture broad asset-class returns through disciplined rebalancing.

DoubleLine continues to fortify its presence in the ETF market, adding a new active fixed income solution designed for today’s complex interest rate environment. The DoubleLine Ultrashort Income ETF (DLUX) launched on NYSE Arca on April 1, marking the latest expansion of the firm’s rapidly growing ETF lineup.

At ETF Exchange 2026, TMX VettaFi caught up with Dave Mazza, CEO of Roundhill Investments, to discuss the firm’s evolving strategy for ETF innovation in a market that’s continuously seeking specialized exposure.

Investors have no shortage of metrics to evaluate equities, but not all measures capture the same economic reality. In an environment defined by elevated capital spending and market concentration, earnings-based measures may not fully reflect how efficiently companies convert investment into cash.

Investors have taken notice of the eye-popping federal commitments to new nuclear capacity in the U.S. in recent months. Headlines have focused on massive reactor-deployment partnerships and loan authority in the hundreds of billions.

Today, Vanguard decided to join the target-maturity party, launching a suite of corporate bond ETFs designed to assist investors with bond laddering. Vanguard’s entry is significant due to its massive distribution scale in tandem with its low-cost reputation.

Weight loss pills and treatments have exploded in popularity since GLP-1 drugs hit the market. From Ozempic to Wegovy, those pills have changed the lives of countless people around the world. They’ve also paid dividends to the companies that produce them.

The actively managed fund charges a 0.65% expense ratio and uses an options overlay designed to generate income while managing volatility. Energy makes up 45.87% of the fund’s sector allocation, followed by information technology at 25.83%, industrials at 16.43% and utilities at 11.87%, according to the factsheet.

As the ETF industry witnessed expansive growth during the past decade, providers have been engaging in a fee war as competition heats up. Industry giants like Vanguard and BlackRock have slashed expense ratios to near-zero, but that era of fee compression could be reaching an inflection point.

The Amplify Video Game Leaders ETF (GAMR) hit the reset button this March. With 22 constituent adjustments, the rebalance goes beyond just routine maintenance. It’s a tactical recalibration designed to capture a shifting global landscape and lean back into core gaming fundamentals.

An aging population is leading to a profound demographic shift known as the “Silver Tsunami.” With more Baby Boomers reaching retirement age, the demand for senior living facilities and medicinal innovation is increasing.

The conversation about automation is still stuck in 2016. “Robots are coming for your job.” But look at what’s actually happening in the countries that leaned into robotics.

Artificial intelligence will reshape how asset management firms operate, but the biggest obstacle isn’t technology, it’s getting people to change how they work, according to VanEck CEO Jan van Eck.

Uncertainty persists in 2026, affecting the broader fixed income market. Collateralized loan obligations (or CLO) have emerged as a viable option with the advent of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which have democratized access to retail investors.

T. Rowe Price is leveraging three decades of private equity experience to give active ETF investors access to companies at the core of artificial intelligence, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Databricks, according to Christopher Murphy, head of ETF specialists at the firm.

The Securities and Exchange Commission should focus on enabling retail investor access to innovation rather than limiting products through merit-based judgments, according to Commissioner Hester Peirce. In a discussion with Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at TMX VettaFi, during the Exchange conference in Las Vegas, Peirce shared insight from her term at the SEC and examined the agency’s role moving forward.

Some forms of technical analysis are often too much “inside baseball” for many investors. However, the concept of moving averages is one of the most important technical indicators and an easier one to grasp.

Economic dislocations create opportunities. While many market watchers are seriously concerned about the microshifts in markets and stocks, others may see the opportunities that emerge when oil prices spike.

Rob Arnott, founder & chairman of Research Affiliates, took part in a session at Exchange 2026 to discuss this, his views on growth opportunities, and more. Roxanna Islam, CFA, CAIA, head of sector & industry research at VettaFi, moderated the session.

For decades, the 60/40 portfolio was the gold standard for balanced investing. However, as correlations between stocks and bonds fluctuate and traditional safe havens face new pressures, advisors are looking toward alternatives to increase portfolio efficiency.

With 2026 now in full swing, it’s time to announce the global podium for robotics — brought to you by the ROBO Global Robotics and Automation Index (ROBO).

International equities — non-U.S. equities — brought in a record $60 billion in January. Investors are looking abroad for their investment opportunities amid domestic uncertainty like significant concentration risk, Fed questions, and policy concerns.

The Procure Space ETF (UFO) has entered 2026 with significant momentum as investor enthusiasm around the commercialization of space continues to build.

As advisors explore 2026 ETF Trends, Exchange presented a session covering top-of-mind stories. The session featured members from Women in ETFs, that inlcuded J.P. Morgan’s Julie Abbett, American Century Investments’ Cleo Chang, Fidelity Investments’ Lubna Lundy, and moderator Roxanna Islam from VettaFi, who unpacked the state of ETF markets in 2026.

As artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure debt floods bond markets, investors face a new risk landscape shaped by complex financing structures and potential overbuilding across the data center ecosystem.

Supported in part by a growing U.S. defense budget, legacy aerospace and defense ETFs are performing admirably. A trio of those funds each have more than doubled over the past three years.

State Street Investment Management is continuing its push into the intersection of public and private credit with the launch of a new ETF.

Soaring oil prices and the military conflict in Iran are among the primary reasons the MSCI EAFE Index is off nearly 6% over the past month.

Japan is a major oil importer. That explains the vulnerabilities of the country’s equity market to conflict in Iran. Over the past month, the MSCI Japan Index is off about 2%.

2026 has kicked off with investors on the lookout for opportunities in a broadening market. While tech remains an important part of countless investor portfolios, it’s not the only category offering opportunities.

Global conflict has erupted in 2026, from South America to the Middle East. With energy at the center of the picture, markets face potentially serious volatility.

Data center developers plan to reduce their reliance on utility grids by investing in onsite power for rapidly scaling facilities. The shift creates opportunities for electrification infrastructure providers as energy independence takes on new urgency.

Thematic exchange traded fund assets in the U.S. have surged from $22 billion in 2015 to over $193 billion today, but not all thematic funds deliver on their promises, according to a new FactSet analysis.

As investors navigate an increasingly complex market, the demand for sophisticated, outcome-oriented ETF strategies has reached a significant inflection point. Goldman Sachs Asset Management is seeing strong success in this space, evolving its suite of derivative-based ETFs to meet the diverse needs of modern portfolios.

As the market continues to move deeper into the first quarter of 2026, the fixed income landscape calls for more stability.

Amid perceived artificial intelligence (AI) threats, cybersecurity stocks are enduring quite a rough patch. However, there are alternative viewpoints.

The most-read articles on Advisor Perspectives for February covered an eclectic mix of interesting topics, ranging from whether money can buy happiness to what a depreciating dollar could mean for investors.

Artificial intelligence has become one of the defining investment themes of this cycle. Yes, we may be hearing about the AI pullback as a valuation reset. However, that doesn’t change the underlying scale of adoption for this theme. And that’s evident even “under the hood” of ETFs.

February data shows investors abandoning growth strategies for cyclical sectors as value funds attract $15 billion in new assets.

Energy is among the smallest sectors in the S&P 500, representing only about 3.5% of the benchmark’s sector allocations, and yet, it’s energy that’s capturing investor attention this year. A big part of the story centers on oil and natural gas, now in sharp focus due to an ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The AI narrative often centers on the limitless potential of software. However, the real-world trajectory of the technology is increasingly dictated by rigid physical limitations: copper wiring and data center temperature control.

The U.S. ETF market has reached a tipping point. With nearly 5,000 funds now trading—officially outnumbering listed stocks — the industry is flooded with complexity.

Energy is dominating headlines on escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Following military strikes over the weekend, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint responsible for roughly 20% of global oil flow— have sent markets into a risk-off frenzy.

Strong performance and dividend yields amid volatility — typically, an investor may need to sacrifice one in order to maximize the other.

Artificial intelligence-themed companies certainly propelled the stock market to greater heights in 2025. Near the tail of end of the year, however, market experts questioned whether certain companies benefiting from the AI theme had the underlying fundamentals to support their lofty valuations.

Small-caps and the related equities have found their respective grooves. The fact that the Russell 2000 Index is higher by more than 7% year-to-date confirms this. On the surface, the small-cap resurgence is good news.

Last year’s market surge wasn’t built on hype. New research from Alger shows that AI spending and the accompanying infrastructure buildout drove corporate earnings higher, with fundamentals doing the heavy lifting rather than investor sentiment alone.

2026 offers plenty of opportunity in tech investing once again following a breakout year for tech AI tech in 2025. Inventors want that tech upside, but this year could behoove investors to diversify outside of AI hyperscalers.

Almost 1,000 active ETFs launched in 2025, but did their performance substantiate the demand? Across the universe of funds, active managers for ETFs and mutual funds found that outperformance was elusive compared to their passive peers based on the latest Morningstar US Active/Passive Barometer report.

On a recent episode of Road to Exchange, VettaFi Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth interviewed Jennifer Morgan, Founder & CEO of Connective Communications. Morgan is slated to bring her “Storyselling” workshop to the Exchange Conference.

2026 may already be more than a month in, but advisors and investors are still quite keen to navigate the complex geopolitical market in order to find the most opportune investment opportunities.

In a notable shift for the start of 2026, the S&P 500 is experiencing a divergence in factor performance. Typically, high beta (aggressive, high-risk) and low volatility (defensive, safe-haven) factors sit on opposite sides of the seesaw. When one goes up, the other usually comes down.

As the hunt for yield and stability remains a cornerstone of portfolios in 2026, a group of iShares short-term bond ETFs have made a strategic move to the Big Board today.

Roundhill Financial, GraniteShares, and Bitwise have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for prediction market ETFs. These funds would let investors bet directly on election outcomes. That would be a departure from traditional political theme funds that hold baskets of stocks expected to benefit from certain party victories.

Income ETFs have become a key part of the ETF landscape in recent years. With their ability to use tools like call options and FLEX options, as well as dividend-focused stocks, income ETFs can help investors meet their goals.

Not long ago, CLO ETFs were niche vehicles only talked about at credit conferences and in sophisticated bond manager circles. But fast forward to 2026, and they’ve entered the mainstream – drawing meaningful interest from both institutions and retail investors.

Thematic ETFs have maintained their impressive momentum in early 2026, building on a resurgent 2025. After gathering $23 billion last year, the category added another $4 billion in January alone.

Emerging market ETFs are back in focus. Two of the ten largest U.S.-listed ETF inflow winners year-to-date are broad EM funds. As expected, low-cost passive strategies continue to dominate flows, although they don’t always lead on returns.

Gold has always been one of the go-to assets when stomach-churning volatility forces queasy investors into safe havens. However, recent volatility has been challenging that safe haven narrative, and one of the drivers has been speculative trading activity in China ETFs.

The performance of digital assets in recent months, especially bitcoin, has been testing investor conviction in both the category’s near-term growth potential as well as bitcoin’s standing as a gold-like store of value and a key character in the debasement trade story.

As of February 10, 2026, Victory Capital managed $20 billion in ETF assets, with an impressive $9 billion of new money flowing in during the past 12 months.

Despite headwinds, ESG ETFs saw a 6.62% growth in AUM in 2025, according to State Street Investment Management.

The year is young, but already, a clear theme is emerging: investors are looking to add international equities exposure to their portfolios. ETFs already offer a wide variety of options for investors to get that exposure, but which fund or funds make th

There’s no stopping the momentum in the ETF market. January 2026 brought a record $166 billion in net inflows, surpassing the last three Januarys combined.

The year is young, but already, a clear theme is emerging: investors are looking to add international equities exposure to their portfolios. ETFs already offer a wide variety of options for investors to get that exposure, but which fund or funds make the most sense?

The ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES) jumped 9.26% in January as investors turned their attention to the massive power requirements of AI data centers and the infrastructure needed to support them, according to recent ALPS Advisors insights.

The fund’s outperformance comes as investors debate whether market leadership will broaden beyond mega-cap technology names. While passive index funds must hold all constituents regardless of fundamentals, CNEQ’s structure enables its portfolio manager to concentrate capital in companies they believe are showing accelerating growth.

DroneShield’s rising success shouldn’t come as a particular surprise to the investment community. As drones continue to become more of a part of everyday life, both for defense and commercial use, demand will continue to mount for companies and software designed to preserve public safety and mitigate the threat of military drones.

Investors seeking protection from geopolitical volatility and stubborn inflation in 2026 may find opportunity in short-term bonds, where active management has historically delivered returns 25% higher than passive strategies, according to Vontobel Asset Management.

The term private credit is often reduced to its most literal meaning – lending money privately. While accurate, Chris Getter, managing director and portfolio manager at Simplify Asset Management, believes that definition does a disservice to the asset class.

The start of 2026 has brought no shortage of challenges for advisors, ranging from shifting rate expectations to valuation concerns in a top-heavy market. Nonetheless, ETFs gathered an impressive $165 billion of new money in January, more than the previous three Januaries combined, according to State Street Investment Management.

There’s an ongoing shift in how investors access income through ETFs. No longer is sourcing income a pursuit centered solely on fixed income assets. Today, it increasingly includes the use of derivatives to boost yield and total return, and to capitalize on equity volatility.

Top strategists joined VettaFi on January 29 to provide data-backed forecasts on the trajectory of global interest rates, persistent inflationary pressures, and the resilience of corporate earnings. Advisors came away from the event with the tools needed to mitigate risks stemming from sudden regime shifts while capturing alpha in a fragmented market.

For years now, advisors and investors alike have been pouring significant attention — and inflows — into the broad spectrum of fixed income ETFs.

VettaFi recently sat down with Morten Paulsen, head of research for robotics & machinery at CLSA, to discuss the transition of physical AI into a tech-driven industrial up-cycle. Paulsen projects that persistent U.S. labor shortages will drive domestic robot shipments toward a historical high of 40,000 units in 2026.

Passive, active, Treasuries, corporates, munis, international, and more — the whole spectrum of fixed income ETFs seemed to come off a strong year in 2025. The year was also marked by a bevy of launches.

Join us at the Winter Symposium for a crucial session dedicated to defining investment strategy for the coming year.

Private markets were historically for institutional and ultra-high-net-worth investors. Today, that exclusivity is breaking down, as many retail investors realize the value behind private markets and advisors look for additional diversification tools.

2025 capped off a record year for orbital launches, confirming that the space industry is more than alive and well. This creates a growth opportunity set for the Procure Space ETF (UFO), which can capture ongoing developments in the industry in 2026.

Another blockbuster year for bond ETFs is in the books. After two straight years of record net inflows, taxable fixed income ETF assets have nearly doubled since 2020 – crossing the $2 trillion mark. But the big story in 2026 will be rising pressure to move out of money market funds.

According to Baiocchi, advisors are reevaluating portfolios and recognizing gaps in exposure to companies driving major market themes.

As geopolitical tensions reshape global trade, capital flows and investor risk appetite, gold is once again surfacing as an important component of asset allocation. Some investors and central banks are arguably viewing gold as a risk hedge, supplanting US Treasuries as a safe-haven asset.

As seen in a How to Find Pure Play Approaches to Drone Technology webinar, a lot goes on behind the scenes when building an exchange-traded fund (ETF) — in this case, the REX Drone ETF (DRNZ).

In 2025, despite representing just over 10% of ETF assets, actively managed ETFs gathered nearly one-third of all ETF inflows. Investors increasingly turned to discretionary active equity and fixed income ETFs and not just index-based ETFs. That has persisted thus far in 2026, with active ETFs gathering 37% of new money.

Amplify ETFs had an impressive year in 2025, outperforming the broader market in both asset growth rate and performance across its thematic and income-oriented suites.

The whole world may be talking about AI nonstop right now, but that doesn’t mean other tech segments are falling off. Some are actually outperforming. Blockchain ETF BLOK, for example, has significantly outperformed its ETF Database Category average over the last year.

In the investment business, it’s common to address not only what occurred during the past twelve months but also to provide an assessment of future prospects.

With 2025 in the books, it will be a difficult year to top for fixed income exchange-traded funds (ETFs), but Morningstar is predicting more excitement to come. That should keep fixed income investors fixated on what new developments the space brings this year.

2025 will go down as another year of record-breaking achievements for exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Among the past year’s highlights was a record number of mutual funds converting to ETFs, as noted by Ben Johnson, Morningstar Head of Client Solutions, via a LinkedIn post.

The MSCI Emerging Markets index rallied more than 30% in U.S. dollar terms, easily outpacing the S&P 500 and other developed market benchmarks. And many are expecting that broader outperformance to continue in 2026 – thanks to a combination of macro developments, valuations and AI exposure.

There’s a lot of buzz about the opportunity in US small cap stocks this year. There’s a confluence of factors that seem aligned just right for the segment, chief amongst them earnings growth expectations.

Investors have flocked to the evolving income ETFs space in recent years. The arrival of the ETF rule in 2019 helped launch countless new and intriguing ETF offerings aimed at adding income to investor portfolios.

With large cap growth companies showing signs of frothy valuations, investors could be looking elsewhere to add that extra shot of growth. Thematic ETFs can do just, focusing on niche sectors that may not get the fanfare on financial news sites.

Vanguard Group Inc. is bringing its decades-long relationship with Wellington Management into the ETF structure. It is launching three active equity ETFs. This marks the indexing giant’s first venture into actively managed equity products in the wrapper.

In a year where moderation, not momentum, may define returns, options-enhanced ETFs offer an attractive way to stay invested while monetizing the more limited upside many expect.

Nuclear energy has seen a hot start to 2026, benefitting from positive sentiment around artificial intelligence, ongoing support from the US government, and notable nuclear news from Meta (META).

Midstream is unique from the rest of energy in being able to provide EBITDA guidance for the year ahead or multi-year periods without depending on specific commodity prices. Companies provide services for fees under long-term contracts, which results in stable and predictable cash flows.

The ETF universe continued to expand in 2025, with a growing number of high-income products incorporating options strategies to enhance payouts. However, for many investors and advisors, traditional ETFs that own dividend-paying stocks remain a core component of a well-rounded portfolio.

With the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking place in Las Vegas, investors’ eyes are on Nvidia (NVDA). A predictable response, but one that underscores the importance of the semiconductor behemoth in the artificial intelligence (AI) space.

2025 capped off another strong year for fixed income ETFs, as ongoing market uncertainty pushed more investors into the safe confines of bonds. When it came to inflows, it was Vanguard that was well-represented with four funds cracking the top 10.

While stablecoins are a form of tokenization, tokenization is a broader concept than stablecoins. Tokenization is the process of creating and recording a digital representation of traditional assets (e.g., securities, deposits, real estate, commodities, etc.) so ownership and transfer can happen in more automated, accessible ways.

There’s a lot of collective wisdom about the challenge of forecasting markets and the economy. Warren Buffet once famously said: “”Forecasts may tell you a great deal about the forecaster; they tell you nothing about the future.”

VanEck’s muni bond ETF kept all 49 holdings intact during its fourth quarter rebalance but executed an internal rotation favoring higher-yielding funds over investment-grade names, according to index data from VettaFi.

ETFs have come on in leaps and bounds since the ETF rule arrived in 2019. Exchange-traded funds are taking a bigger and bigger role in the investment landscape, offering a different route into many strategies compared to mutual funds.

Canada’s strong showing was part of a broader global rotation away from U.S. mega-cap technology stocks and into international “value” markets.

Nuclear power tends to be attractive for its reliability, longevity, and emission free-power generation. Despite these benefits, nuclear energy represents a relatively small portion of worldwide power generation. In 2024, nuclear accounted for 9% of the global electricity mix.

In late December, I attended the Direxion Investments opening bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange. In October 2025, Direxion launched a new family of ETFs into their ever-growing roster of leveraged and inverse funds: the Titans ETFs.

Investors and advisors have numerous goals to meet with their portfolios. Some investors full send their portfolios to produce as much capital appreciation as possible. Others, especially those at or near retirement age, look for current income and ballast to steady their financial ships.

The most-read practice management articles of the year touch on topics ranging from helping clients retiring early get suitable health insurance to dealing with conflicting political views held by clients or colleagues.

Thematic ETF assets climbed 49.6% through the first 11 months of 2025, reaching $467.93 billion by the end of November, according to research from ETFGI.

In 2025, Advisor Perspectives’ most-read commentaries mainly centered on uncertainty around U.S. equities and on record-high valuations, in particular. Key themes included the bleak forecast for U.S. equities and the opportunities presented by non-U.S. stocks. Other articles weighed in on the risks around private equity that await retail investors delving into the space and on the investment potential of utilities due to AI and the shift to clean energy.

Retirement dominated 2025’s top articles, featuring insights from William Bernstein and Allan Roth among others. Key highlights include critiques of retirement calculators, Vanguard’s expectations for the next decade, Roth IRA strategies, and the nuances of dividend investing for long-term portfolios.

Plenty of headlines were written as the One Big Beautiful Big Bill Act (OBBBA) made its way through U.S. Congressional debates earlier this year. For the advisor community, many were likely wondering how the OBBBA would affect their portfolio strategies. To be more specific, which investing themes could be boosted by this U.S. policy maneuver?

As the dollar weakens and the migration to international equities continues, investors might still be on the fence when it comes to getting exposure.

Barring a miracle, bitcoin will end 2025 in the red, marking just the fourth time the largest cryptocurrency has done so in its history.

2025 is drawing to a close, and investors have plenty to look back on. Active ETF performance and proliferation was once again an important theme, and as the category matures, its standout performers have diversified.

While often overlooked, water management plays an important role in oil and gas production. Oil wells typically produce more water than oil, while hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) requires water to be pumped into wells. Water infrastructure related to oil and gas production is considered midstream and is classified within gathering and processing.

While assets under management have grown modestly, the fund’s impressive Sharpe and Information ratios—outperforming the vast majority of its peers—validate the efficacy of its strategic partnership with Apollo.

AI’s third wave could represent a broadening opportunity set of companies for investors to capitalize with. Businesses that adopt AI into their operations could ramp up productivity and expand their valuations at a rapid pace.

The era of "easy" yield in money market funds is ending as the Federal Reserve begins its long-awaited series of rate cuts. To stay ahead of shifting borrowing costs, investors are increasingly looking toward the flexibility and proprietary research of actively managed fixed income ETFs.

In the world of exchange-traded funds, some investors tend to look at index-based ETFs as static alternatives to the more flexible active funds. However, that is not necessarily the case. Index-based funds do move their assets around, particularly when their underlying indexes rebalance at points throughout the year.

This year’s research highlights a clear investor preference for high-conviction themes like crypto, global defense, and commodities, which dominated both inflows and market discourse.

LPL Financial explores trending retirement policy shifts topics, including Trump Accounts and private equity’s expanding role in 401(k)s.

Coming into 2025, amid a debate about concentration and lofty valuations in the largest of large-cap stocks, as well as concerns about macro uncertainty and economic conditions, we collectively called for diversification. That diversification, among other things, singled out the opportunity in small-caps.

Preparing for the new year? It helps to look back on the big stories in fund management that can inform plans for 2026.

Cannabis stocks soared on Friday following news that U.S. president Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order as soon as Monday that would ultimately ease federal restrictions on marijuana.

Looking to add exposure to the Nasdaq? The key market index, with its heavy focus on the information technology sector, can help investors lean more into some key growth-oriented firms in the U.S. and global economy.

Once considered a tactical niche product for nervous investors, buffer ETFs are reshaping how financial advisors approach risk management.

In their latest SPIVA report, S&P discussed the underperformance of active funds relative to index blends across various assets.

With Elon Musk’s SpaceX eyeing an initial public offering that could value the company at over $1 trillion, investors looking for exposure to the space industry can turn to a space ETF that has already delivered outsized returns in 2025.

The launch of multi-token crypto products (i.e., crypto index ETFs) signals that many issuers believe the next growth phase in crypto ETFs will be driven by investors who want a rules-based basket approach rather than single asset calls.

Growth, growth, and more growth — that’s been the common refrain in the current market environment. However, peeking from behind the curtains is the quality factor. While it has yet to receive the full spotlight in 2025 relative to growth, it’s due for a breakout performance (potentially in 2026).

Active fixed income ETFs took center stage at VettaFi's recent 2026 Market Outlook Symposium, with two industry leaders sharing thoughts.

Join us for our 2026 Market Outlook Symposium, where our panelists will tackle all of these topics and shed light on top strategies aimed at helping your clients reach their financial goals

This focus on payout growth and a relatively higher tech allocation suggests OUSA may be well-positioned for performance in 2026, even as corporations globally favor share buybacks over dividend payments.

Amidst geopolitical tensions, global defense has become one of the most persistent and outperforming investment themes in 2025, even in the absence of a major crisis. Investors are increasingly diversifying into international defense markets through new and existing ETFs, recognizing the exposure to rising non-U.S. military budgets and the resilience of long-term contracts.

When developing research strategies to achieve positive alpha, there are typically two methodologies: quantitative and fundamental. Discerning investors who have a predilection for one or the other no longer have to choose with the MFS Blended Research Core Equity ETF (BRCE) and the MFS Blended Research International Equity ETF (BRIE).

For fixed-income investors seeking diversification, Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS), specifically the VMBS ETF, are presented as a high-quality alternative to potentially overvalued corporate bonds, particularly those fueling the AI boom.

The Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) is now close to modernization as it seeks proxy votes from shareholders to approve a reclassification.

Investor appetites for international equities could continue after the Fed implemented a second rate cut. Investors looking to get international equities exposure would be wise to consider using an actively managed fund like the MFS Active International ETF (MFSI) .

Given the relatively mixed signals that the U.S. stock market is seeing in the months ahead, some sectors of the global market could compel.

The year 2025 has been a "baffling" year for markets, with surprising outcomes like gold and silver surging while stocks rose despite global conflicts, proving that "macro is hard."

Indexed ETFs can provide an easy, cost-effective alternative for fixed income exposure that draws from myriad sources. However, investors could be missing out on the advantages associated with active management. Given the current macro environment, it’s almost a necessity.

State Street Investment Management (SSIM) has been the investment advisor for the Select Sector SPDR ETFs since 1998. It will now take over the distribution and marketing for these funds. The move brings 11 ETFs in-house under the SSIM umbrella to unify its product offerings and enhance the investor experience.

Following a rocky start to the year, the municipal bond market has shown strong performance in Q3 2025, outperforming broader bond indexes due to factors like easing oversupply and growing demand.

Despite the "America First" focus of the current administration, international markets, particularly emerging markets (EM), have outperformed domestic financial markets. This surprising trend is highlighted by the strong performance of EM debt and equities, driven primarily by U.S. dollar weakness and corresponding monetary easing by EM central banks.

This month, the global investment community is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the world’s first fixed income ETFs, the iShares Core Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF (XSB) and the iShares Core Canadian Universe Bond Index ETF (XBB).

This impressive performance, fueled largely by the prominent allocation to the "Magnificent Seven" tech stocks, highlights the strong adoption of ETFs and VOO's role as the premier choice for U.S. equity exposure amidst a challenging macro environment. This success helped the entire ETF industry surpass its previous trillion-dollar record.

This article argues that a grateful mindset is a powerful strategy for improving financial and investment decision-making, citing research that links gratitude to better outcomes and overall well-being.

The ALPS Electrification Infrastructure ETF (ELFY) is drawing investor attention as U.S. electricity demand heads for its fastest growth in decades, driven by artificial intelligence data centers, manufacturing reshoring, and expanding electric vehicle infrastructure.

Bitcoin miners are landing contracts with some of the world’s largest technology companies. This happens as they pivot from cryptocurrency mining to artificial intelligence infrastructure, according to recent research from CoinShares.

The SEC has granted Dimensional exemptive relief to offer dual share class funds, a move that allows certain mutual funds to offer an ETF share class under the same structure. This monumental decision, following the expiration of Vanguard's patent, is expected to open the floodgates for other asset managers seeking to offer their existing mutual fund clients the tax efficiency and structural benefits of ETFs.

Looking at your portfolio and feeling a distinct lack of income? Now may be the time to get more income into portfolios, with this version of covered call ETFs offering a solid option.

Vanguard continues its push into the active ETF market with the introduction of three news funds focused on equities. These are the Vanguard Wellington U.S. Value Active ETF (VUSV), Vanguard Wellington U.S. Growth Active ETF (VUSG), and Vanguard Wellington Dividend Growth Active ETF (VDIG). This bolsters the current active equity roster to now eight funds for the issuer.

As measured by the largest ETF dedicated to the sector, real estate stocks are offering middling performances this year. That is disappointing considering the Fed has pared interest rates two times. However, that tepid sentiment arguably belies opportunity with ETFs such as the ALPS Active REIT ETF (REIT).

Alternative investments have already gained plenty of traction in 2025, and things may very well be the same for 2026. However, it’s crucial to evaluate which kind of alternative investments could provide a more potent use case than others.

The ETF industry continues to grow, with new funds arriving all the time. Each year, hundreds of ETFs arrive on the scene, from covered call ETFs to active bond ETFs and everything in between.

Are you looking to combine small-cap upside with income? With markets seeing increased volatility and large-caps looking expensive, marrying the two could boost portfolios.

October ETF launches saw a plethora of funds join the ETF ecosystem, representing important trends and intriguing ideas.

As 2025 draws to a close, investors and advisors will be considering their tax-loss harvesting opportunities. By selling some investments at a loss, those investors can reduce their overall tax bills next year.

Covered call strategies have become a very popular fund type in recent years. By leaning on the options market, covered call funds offer high levels of income but can limit upside.

Artificial intelligence has brought about a paradigm shift in the diagnostics industry, enhancing the accuracy, speed, and efficiency of disease detection. AI can now process and analyze vast, complex datasets, from medical images and lab reports to genetic data, far beyond human capacity.

For the third quarter of 2025, most energy infrastructure companies maintained their payouts, with MLPs largely providing sequential growth. Still, the vast majority of midstream companies have increased their dividends within the last year.

There’s no denying AI has again been a captivating theme for investors and technology enthusiasts this year. But that proposition could be ramped up in 2026.

Corporate bonds typically appeal to those seeking higher yield potential relative to safer government debt, but current market uncertainty may keep fixed income investors from making the move. However, strong fundamentals are also underpinning corporate bonds, which only add to their appeal despite ongoing risks.

To be sure, it’s not a point for investors to get carried away with. But it is noteworthy in the current environment. RSPF has exposure to the booming prediction markets space. That’s likely an underappreciated factor. And that’s because of the ETF’s status as a home to a slew of old-guard bank st

We discuss Figure’s $1 billion fundraise, XPENG’s (XPEV) humanoid launch, the humanoid market, and how Elon’s $1 trillion pay package fits into this.

While AI applications dominate the conversation, a less-visible hardware trend is already delivering results. Key photonics companies are posting strong earnings, validating the theme for investors in AI and robotics and automation ETFs.

The retirement landscape in America is undergoing a quiet revolution, according to Vanguard’s inaugural "How America Retires" report.

When we look at broader multi-asset portfolios that tap into real assets, including digital assets, as well as inflation fighters like income securities and real return strategies, we find that they have delivered strong results to the debasement-trade crowd.

According to a survey conducted by BlackRock and YouGov, ETF adoption continues to expand while also seeing a shift demographically.

The nuclear energy sector is experiencing a powerful revival, driven by macroeconomic shifts and technological innovation. For financial advisors and investors, understanding these trends is key to identifying investment opportunities as the nuclear energy landscape evolves.

The equity arena is certainly booming with cheers following the Fed’s second rate cut. But the reaction from the fixed income crowd might be more mixed.

VettaFi recaps key takeaways from energy infrastructure MLPs and corporations third-quarter 2025 earnings calls.

Solana and Ethereum are challenging Bitcoin's dominance among institutional investors. CoinShares' latest survey reveals fund managers are increasingly choosing these alternatives for their growth potential.

First and perhaps most importantly, model portfolios aren’t chasing clients away. In fact, a slew of studies and surveys confirm clients are more than fine with model portfolios. That’s because above investment performance, they prize advisors’ communication skills, trustworthiness, and other “soft skills.”

A recent poll of financial advisors confirms that interest in the “nuclear renaissance” investment case is driven by several distinct tailwinds. When asked what they find most interesting about the sector, the responses revealed enthusiasm for new technology, built upon an appreciation for the fundamental benefits of nuclear power.

When it comes to inflows, it seems like ETFs are content with beating themselves. After a record 2024 that saw inflows amass just under $1.14 trillion, ETFs did it again by edging past that level today. And they’re not done. State Street Investment Management is projecting total inflows could end the year at $1.4 trillion.

Actively managed ETFs, particularly those of the fixed income variety, are among the fastest-growing ETF segments today. That growth has been facilitated in part by advisors moving away from higher-fee mutual funds and issuers converting popular mutual funds to the ETF wrapper, among other factors.

After implementing the first interest rate cut of the year, the prospect of further easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve could make fixed income investors nervous.

MPLX (MPLX) has reported third-quarter 2025 financial results that aligned with market expectations. MPLX has recently announced positive updates for investors, including a 12.5% increase in its unitholder distribution and a strategic new opportunity to support data centers in Texas.

After the first rate cut of 2025 and the prospect of more rate cuts to come, the capital markets are now wondering at what pace the U.S. Federal Reserve will institute them. For fixed income investors looking for options that balance credit quality and yield, municipal bonds should be considered.

For many crypto investors, it’s fine to focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum. After all, those two assets combine for nearly $2.7 trillion of the crypto universe’s total market capitalization of $3.75 trillion. “Dominant” doesn’t begin to underscore the status of bitcoin and ether.

U.S. tech equities driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) theme have been a prime catalyst for market gains this year. Have valuations exceeded their underlying fundamentals? If so, one potential avenue to diversify tech exposure is the Invesco China Technology ETF (CQQQ).

The all-ETF portfolio is becoming a reality, as product offerings have evolved into a comprehensive tool kit for total portfolio construction.

It’s been a good year for international equity ETFs. As a category, broad exposure funds tapping into both developed and emerging market equities have delivered outsized gains relative to U.S. markets this year, as well as much sought portfolio diversification.

Wall Street excels at creating catch phrases. The latest one is the “debasement trade.” JP Morgan analysts coined the term earlier this year. Thanks to macroeconomic and geopolitical factors such as lower interest rates, rising fiscal deficits, trade policies, and global geopolitical tensions, concern is rising about the debasement or devaluation of fiat currency.

When it comes to taking financial advice, humans still prefer their own kind. That's crucial in helping to meet an advisor shortage.

Advisors may sometimes feel like they’re venturing out to solve the world’s personal financial problems alone. They don’t have to feel that way when they’re recommending active funds with the requisite expertise and experience behind them. Vanguard active ETFs can offer that.

Every month, TMX VettaFi publishes hundreds of articles across our ETF-focused websites. Reviewing the pieces that capture our readers’ attention provides a clear picture of prevailing advisor and investor sentiment. In October, five articles stood out. They primarily focus on the surging themes of AI, international equities, and alternatives.

Advisors are using exchange traded funds to expand beyond public markets to private markets to modernize 60/40 portfolios.

Investors who watched the robotics space peak back in 2021 may see the current rally with apprehension. Back then, the narrative of a China-driven logistics and e-commerce boom sent robotics stocks to dizzying heights. What followed was China’s economy first slowing down, and then a pandemic-fueled demand shock. The sector fell hard.

Actively managed ETFs, particularly those of the fixed income variety, are among the fastest-growing ETF segments today. That growth has been facilitated in part by advisors moving away from higher-fee mutual funds and issuers converting popular mutual funds to the ETF wrapper, among other factors.

October saw some strong data for bond ETFs, according to recent research, suggesting opportunities may abound in the category.

Rising electricity demand continues to be a key trend for investors to watch, with the latest news revolving around Google (GOOG). GOOG, a key AI hyperscaler, announced a collaboration with NextEra Energy (NEE) for the restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear plant earlier this week.

Five of the so-called “Magnificent Seven” firms reported earnings this week in a major milestone for 2025’s economic narrative. Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOGL), and Meta (META) all shared their earnings, offering some important insights into key tech firms amid the AI revolution.

Global electricity demand is accelerating as AI data centers, electrification, and economic growth drive an unprecedented need for reliable energy. Nuclear power is uniquely positioned to meet this challenge, delivering clean, zero-emission baseload electricity with the highest capacity factor of any major energy source.

Rather than toil over the construction of an ideal fixed income portfolio for a client, advisors can simply apply a template primed for success using Vanguard’s model portfolios. On that note, Vanguard just introduced two new dynamic asset allocation fixed income model portfolios that can suit various investor profiles.

As widely expected, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points for a second time this year. This gives fixed income investors an opportunity to reposition their portfolios with intermediate bonds or reconsider active exposure if they don’t have it already.

Markets move fast, and in the ETF corner of the world, sometimes it feels like it’s practically impossible to keep up. Product development and proliferation have been so intense in recent months. New tickers are coming at us faster than ever.

Evan Harp sat down Axon’s Brady Lochte to talk about his practice, the Exchange conference, and the challenges facing advisors and their clients today.

The robotics space is entering earnings season with positive momentum, as solid performance in Q3 has continued into October. This note recaps the key themes and performance drivers from the quarter for investors, while previewing Q3 results.

Strong credit ratings remain a key feature for midstream companies, providing significant cost savings on debt. The subsector is largely dominated by investment-grade players, which also offer attractive dividend yields. Learn more below about the importance of an investment-grade rating and why midstream indexes are skewed towards these creditworthy names.

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be a prime catalyst for large-cap ETFs tilted toward growth. Companies integral to meeting the hardware demands of AI infrastructure buildout may be Broadcom, Palantir, and Nvidia. All three are core holdings currently in the VictoryShares Free Cash Flow Growth ETF (GFLW).

Recently, I attended the North American Blockchain Summit 2025, a digital asset conference in Dallas. Last year’s agenda leaned heavily on legislation and policy.

Kinder Morgan (KMI) announced its third-quarter results this week. It reported in-line results as well as a robust outlook for growth. Beyond earnings results, company commentary focused on its so-called shadow backlog and the recently announced binding open season with Phillips 66 (PSX) for the Western Gateway pipeline.

Nuclear-related stocks have seen significant positive momentum this year. In addition to policy tailwinds, investors are recognizing the critical need for reliable, carbon-free power generation for years to come. Nuclear represents a compelling opportunity in that vein.

Friday, October 10 was a forgettable day all the way around for risk assets. Those included cryptocurrency and crypto-related equities. The CoinShares Valkyrie Bitcoin Miners ETF (WGMI) wasn’t immune to the broader market pullback.

JPMAM has converted a major muni bond fund to the ETF wrapper, as muni bond ETF JMUB arrives on the stage.

A weakening greenback is being compounded by global de-dollarization and lower interest rates, creating an environment for emerging markets (EM) ETFs to prosper. In turn, more investors are flocking into EM equities, but for more targeted exposure, South Korea could present an intriguing alternative.

For those new to the practice, it’s relatively straightforward. Nearly every investor and advisor has an investment that is on track for a loss this year. Not all investments hit, after all. Selling at a loss helps tamp down a portfolio’s overall gains for the record books, reducing the end-of-year tax bill, “harvesting” losses to offset gains.

As noted by TMX VettaFi Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth, fixed income ETFs are having a banner year amid record inflows. The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) and Vanguard Total International Bond ETF (BNDX) were two of the top funds responsible for the $325 billion in net inflows (as of October 15).

The U.S. has become the world’s top producer of natural gas liquids (NGLs) thanks to abundant supplies. Rising worldwide demand for plastics and clean fuels has sent U.S. NGL exports soaring, establishing a compelling long-term growth story for midstream players.

Although specific themes come in and out of favor, thematic investing is here to stay, as investors seek diversified exposure to hot new trends and industry disruption.

Northern Trust Asset Management provided justification for the mounting interest in munis in the fixed income space.

They may have never encountered unidentified flying objects, but something savvy investors can identify with is outperformance. And the Procure Space ETF (UFO) has been doing just that this year: outperforming the S&P 500 with an over 60% gain.

As investor adoption of crypto, retail and institutional, continues to grow exponentially, discussions are typically centered around bitcoin and ethereum. The former is lauded for its store of value while the latter carries more functional utility when taking into account its role in the blockchain network.

While many investors entered 2025 heavily exposed to tech already, that hasn’t stopped markets from identifying other opportunities created by the need for AI computing power, like data centers.

For most investors, energy security probably tends to be an afterthought until an event drives a jump in prices at the pump, as seen with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, energy security is about much more than geopolitics, especially as demand for electricity is poised for growth.

Active fixed income ETFs can provide the refresh many investors want as the year draws to an end in an uncertain rate market.

Pictet Asset Management just added three funds to a 2025 that’s seen a record number of actively managed ETF launches: the Pictet AI Enhanced International Equity ETF (PQNT), Pictet Cleaner Planet ETF (PCLN), and Pictet AI & Automation ETF (PBOT).

As the bond market expects more rate cuts to come after September’s drop of 25 basis points, investors may want to consider intermediate bonds as a way to maximize income.

One of the most interesting changes was Vietnam’s upgrade from frontier to emerging market. This will affect all FTSE indexes as of September 2026, likely with a phased implementation.

Many investors are likely familiar with the rapidly increasing demand for electricity, and the role nuclear power can play therein. Rcapacity is complicated in a country that has only added three large reactors since 1996. But recent news from the U.S. military may jump start nuclear power infrastructure supply chains.

The sector is also emerging as the most in-demand S&P 500 sector this quarter. XLV has attracted some $872 million in net new money by Oct. 13, according to our data. That places XLV among top 10 equity ETF asset gatherers this quarter.

Last week’s headlines around China tariffs and corresponding weakness in oil prices brought back memories of April and May when oil and energy stocks sold off sharply on the heels of tariff news. The weakness in energy infrastructure has been particularly acute.

The Vanguard Retirement Outlook broke down exactly how retirement-ready the American workforce is, on a generational basis.

September proved to be a powerful month for ETF flows, even as investors faced elevated long-end volatility, concerns about fiscal deficits, and a shifting macroeconomic backdrop. Rather than retreat from markets, investors leaned into opportunity, particularly in fixed income.

While energy policy in the US tends to be polarizing, nuclear energy enjoys broad support from both sides of the aisle. Republicans are drawn to nuclear’s energy security and reliability.

There's a base layer that underpins technological buildouts for disruptive technology — the need for natural resources.

This year several new funds have debuted, each designed to meet the changing needs of today’s diversified portfolios.

As the Fall gets into gear, more and more investors and advisors will be considering their end of year tax bills. While markets saw plenty of uncertainty and upheaval so far in 2025, many will be facing significant tax implications on their gains.

Often pitted against each other, gold and Bitcoin are both benefiting from the effects of the current “debasement trade.” In turn, this creates investment opportunities to capture upside in ETFs that offer exposure to cryptocurrencies.

Already off to a fine start due in part to the government shutdown headlines, bitcoin and BRRR could be in style this month and over the course of the fourth quarter with the help of favorable seasonality.

The fourth quarter is typically – seasonally – positive for U.S. equities. An ongoing government shutdown is not a strong backdrop for markets, but major indices remain close to record highs, waiting for new data for direction. It looks like a good time to be cautiously optimistic, or to get a little defensive, maybe add a little gold, and steer clear of highly valued stocks.

September was a powerful month for ETF flows, despite volatility, fiscal deficit concerns, and a shifting macroeconomic backdrop.

Many investors have moved to add significant foreign equities exposure this year, rewarding them with strong performances and returns.

The U.S. Federal Reserve instituted its first interest rate cut of the year, which could force investors to reassess their fixed income portfolios to plan for further monetary policy changes. Given this, it’s an opportune time to consider using more flexible active funds in order to mute any rate cut noise.

All of that data center activity requires huge new amounts of electricity, but with most renewables slowing down, nuclear energy stocks could be poised to benefit. That presents a notable opportunity in the nuclear energy ETF NUKZ.

In 2006, Andrew Fire and Craig Mello shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), which they published in 1998. Since then, the potential of a technology capable of silencing disease-causing genes has been a very attractive proposition.

In big news for the energy infrastructure space, Targa Resources Corp. (TRGP) has announced significant new investments in its Permian Basin operations. The announcement includes a new natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline and incremental natural gas infrastructure.

Many investors have turned to MLPs over the years for their income, which makes the outlook for distributions a perennial focus for investors. With MLP yields currently elevated relative to long-term averages and a flattish near-term outlook for U.S. energy production, the distribution outlook is particularly topical.

Emerging markets investing has had an overall positive year in 2025. Entering the year, with many U.S. investors underweight foreign equities, some market watchers anticipated big opportunities abroad.

Electricity demand is on the rise globally thanks to electrification, adoption of electric vehicles, wider use of air conditioning, and the rise of AI-related data centers.

Within the emerging markets story in 2025 is a potentially even more intriguing subplot: the strong performance of Africa equities.

Vanguard announced the debut of a new low-cost, emerging markets (EM) exchange-traded fund (ETF) — the Vanguard Emerging Markets ex-China ETF (VEXC). EM assets have been garnering increased investor attention this year and could see additional interest with the prospect of more interest rate cuts to come.

With bond strategies offering a compelling use case for the moment, advisors may want to consider approaches to build out their portfolios.

Given the current market environment, should investors include China, the top economy in emerging markets (EM), or simply avoid it?

September’s rate cut may be exciting for many investors’ equities holdings, but those same investors may feel less excited about the income on offer from bonds going forward. Falling rates, of course, lead to falling yields in numerous debt securities and offerings.

There are many ways to navigate market uncertainty, and pursue both upside participation and some level of downside protection. Options-based approaches such as the Defined Outcome ETF category loom large here, fit for purpose.

At this point, it’s no longer just a crypto-friendly government propelling movement forward — it’s real regulations that have been created.

Venture Global (VG), which went public earlier this year, is a rapidly expanding, low-cost producer of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its business centers around liquefaction, which is the process of cooling natural gas into LNG, making it possible to ship overseas.

In what represents a positive trend for investors engaged with ETFs such as the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) and the Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM), the AI adoption conversation continues gaining importance and momentum.

JFLX charges a 45 basis point net fee for its investors. The strategy, per its prospectus, is empowered to invest across the debt spectrum. Its managers can shift its active strategy toward markets or sectors as market conditions change.

Even as rate cuts occupy center stage in the 24-hour financial news cycle, surprise inflation could strike anytime. In the current macro environment, inflation could stem from the constant wildcard of tariff policy.

The healthcare sector has certainly been fraught with a myriad of challenges this year, but weakness in the sector could have investors looking for value-oriented plays. That, in turn, could positively affect value-focused funds like the VictoryShares Free Cash Flow ETF (VFLO).

Private credit isn’t necessarily new to retail investors. In fact, closed-end funds (CEFs) and business development companies (BDCs) have been giving everyday investors access to private loans and middle-market financing for years (see my previous note here). What is changing now is the scale and accessibility.

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is fueling a massive buildout of power-intensive data centers, creating a significant new source of domestic energy demand.

For years, midstream companies have generated significant free cash flow (FCF), which has differentiated them from the broader market. With balance sheets in good shape, excess cash has been used to reward shareholders with dividend growth and opportunistic equity repurchases

Cybersecurity continues to grab consistent media attention as hackers become increasingly emboldened. They’re also more ambitious in terms of targets, many of which are familiar companies behind goods and services consumed by Americans on a daily basis.

Many have said that midcap stocks are a “sweet spot” of market capitalization. They deliver both growth potential — typically associated with smaller companies — and profitability — usually seen in larger companies. To quote WisdomTree, in a recent research note, midcaps sit in the “sweet spot between innovation and maturity.”

There are growing pains associated with scaling a financial advisory business, but a way to alleviate these pains is practice management.

This article is part of a series exploring two complementary investment themes. The ROBO Global Artificial Intelligence Index (THNQ) captures the digital AI ecosystem, including AI-semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, connectivity, and applications.

Figma, Circle, and CoreWeave are just a few names to remind investors that the initial public offering (IPO) market is alive and kicking despite the market challenges in 2025. This opens the door into a room with IPO-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that can provide niche exposure to these up and comers.

A retrospective look at the data around some of this year’s ETF launches reveals some key trends in the industry.

The VettaFi Q3 Fixed Income Symposium came just less than 24 hours after the Federal Reserve instituted its first rate cut of the year. While this was widely expected by the capital markets, investors may not be well-positioned to maximize their fixed income exposure. It’s an ideal opportunity to take advantage of active management.

Cybersecurity continues to grab consistent media attention as hackers become increasingly emboldened. They’re also more ambitious in terms of targets, many of which are familiar companies behind goods and services consumed by Americans on a daily basis.

The Federal Reserve’s recent rate cut of 25 basis points didn’t come as a surprise to the majority of the capital markets.

Investors must know how to navigate the current fixed-income environment in which the Fed is easing monetary policy, and how best to maximize cash as opposed to letting it sit idly by on the sidelines.

Vanguard continues to bolster its active ETF lineup with a new, high yield fund — the Vanguard High-Yield Active ETF (VGHY). It’s the first high yield active ETF from Vanguard, bringing their current active ETF roster to nine funds.

Hearts, Minds & Wallets: The Thin Book That Closes Gigantic Deals, a profound new book from Jennifer Morgan, presents itself as a practical guide for professionals to communicate more effectively. As it says on the tin, it is a thin book that provides effective ideas and methodologies for closing deals. However, its true value transcends that because it is about so much more.

Advisors and investors aren’t the only ones looking to pick up exposure to bitcoin these days. Even the most old-school and traditional firms on the market are starting to consider building exposure to the cryptocurrency.

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates today by 25 basis points (bps), following months of speculation about inflation, politics, and economic data.

This symposium brings the brightest minds in the ETF and mutual fund industry together for panel discussions spanning nine critical fixed income topics.

Artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize healthcare. Its headline-grabbing potential in drug discovery is still years from materializing. However, its impact is already tangible in diagnostics and treatment selection. Leading this immediate charge is Tempus AI, a company focused on structuring the complex data needed to make personalized patient care a reality.

The U.S. Federal Reserve today implemented an interest rate cut of 25 basis points. The question remains: Just how aggressive will they be the rest of the year and beyond? That may cause anxiety for fixed income investors who have long been accustomed to higher yields in an environment of persistent, sticky inflation.

With a few exceptions, the price of bitcoin has mostly stayed above the $100k marker throughout the summer. Better yet, the cryptocurrency’s price has continued to hit all-time highs as the summer has progressed.

What a year it’s been for gold investing! As we approach the end of the third quarter, gold prices are up nearly 40% year-to-date, triggering upward forecast revisions by big firms, and attracting investor dollars on its way up.

In a year that has seen foreign equities ETFs stand out so strongly, emerging markets may be somewhat underrated. Broad, global equities strategies — especially those that exclude U.S. firms — have done very well as investors have looked abroad to diversify.

For much of its nearly 17 years on the market, bitcoin has been viewed as a volatile asset. The largest cryptocurrency’s history is chock full of dramatic price swings in both directions and extended periods of turbulence.

Before you fully consider purchasing a new ETF, you need to understand what makes the fund different from what you own.

One of the standout developments in financial markets in August 2025 was the unprecedented surge in ETF inflows.

Private equities are a growing and increasingly significant part of the investing landscape.

DoubleLine CEO/CIO Jeffrey Gundlach, widely known in the capital markets as the "Bond King," spoke at a Total Return Webcast.

Market uncertainty continues to linger in the back of fixed income investors’ minds. But that can force much-needed recalibration of portfolios as tariffs and rate cuts loom. A compelling option to consider: corporate bonds.

Healthcare has been the worst-performing sector in the S&P 500 so far this year.

Bond investors may need to look elsewhere to supplant income lost from falling yields — they may want to try heading overseas. It's not just a weaker dollar that's been diverting attention to international bonds, but U.S. debt itself.