Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market value, is mired in a slump. The decision in the Greyscale case stoked optimism that the SEC will eventually, finally approve spot bitcoin ETFs. Still, the bitcoin slump has erased all of the upside generated by the court ruling.

Bearish China traders have had the upper hand for most of the year. Still, easing deflation could give bulls a glimmer of hope.

Some investment trends seem obvious — people are watching more streaming movies, consumers like shopping online, and more people are buying electric cars. So why don’t these ETFs always work?

Last week the World Gold Council reported that central banks continued to add to their global gold reserves during the month of July. The World Gold Council also highlighted that China, Poland and Turkey were among the countries that were the largest buyers of gold during the month.

Touchstone Investments now has six actively managed ETFs. It seeks to bring its “distinctively active” mutual fund approach to meet advisors where they are focused.

VettaFi’s Equity Symposium is just over a week away and will provide advisors with free access to some of the most important thought leaders in the investment space.

Recently, some clarity emerged on Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM) — two of the most important names in the semiconductor industry.

ETFs are the instrument of choice for millions of investors in the U.S. Through a single trade and for a relatively low price, an investor gains broad exposure to a market, sector or niche.

ESG has dominated advisors’ minds when it comes to looking at the current generation of young prospective clients. It remains a popular investment approach for millennial and Gen Z clients per surveys.

While there are lots of reasons to celebrate the growth stocks inside the NASDAQ 100 index, some advisors might be looking for alternatives to the market-cap weighted index ETFs that reduce their risk profile. Thankfully there are some choices to consider.

Growth stocks are getting the better of their value rivals this year. Still, that doesn’t mean exchange traded funds dedicated to value stocks are delivering losses. Rather, the opposite is true. It’s just that growth stocks are delivered better returns though the first eight months of the year.

In September, where volatility can strike at any time, investors will want the safety cushion of bonds for their portfolio. At the same time, short duration continues to be the default play as the U.S. Federal Reserve still attempts to cool down inflation further.

Innovative provider of custom indexes becomes a key part of a growing suite of VettaFi index solutions, which now power nearly $19 billion in ETFs and other vehicles.

High-yield bonds, often referred to as “junk” or “speculative grade,” are corporate bonds that command a higher interest rate than other bonds. This higher yield is essentially compensation for the increased risk of default that investors assume when purchasing these securities.

An efficient avenue for asset managers and fund issuers to avoid regulatory scrutiny of products with the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) label is to ensure that those funds live up their ESG ETF billing. That can be accomplished with data-intensive approaches.

Vanguard has forecasted that inflation will remain sticky, so the U.S. central bank will continue raising rates. But the investment giant also estimates that a recession still won’t hit the U.S. this year.

Conference season has come for Financial Services. Future Proof is coming up and Exchange is right around the corner. Many advisors have complex, busy schedules.

Many investors are starting to look for ways to diversify their portfolios and protect their wealth. One way investors have done so in the past is through investing in gold.

Most portfolios live or die based on their equity allocations. VettaFi is thrilled to announce that they will be hosting an Equity Symposium on September 21st.

Factory order numbers had previously been a source of positivity for the U.S. economy. The tough turn for the economy should remind investors of active ETFs’ ability to respond to a market downturn.

After a slow start to asset gathering, U.S.-listed equity ETFs were in vogue during the summer. At the end of August, the asset category had $165 billion of net inflows, more than $125 billion for fixed income.

Last week, the VettaFi AI Symposium was one of the more popular places to be in the days before Labor Day.

This week was packed with several key economic releases that helped provide insight into the overall state of the U.S. economy. Policymakers and advisors closely monitor economic indicators to understand recession risk and the direction of interest rates because the data can ultimately impact business decisions and financial markets.

There are differing opinions all around, but some reputable sources like Goldman Sachs are saying it’s increasingly unlikely. Yet the Fed is going to be raising rates further, from what it looks like because inflation is higher than they want.

Though it encountered some hiccups last month amid fears the Federal Reserve isn’t done raising interest rates, tech remains one of this year’s best-performing sectors. Some analysts believe there’s more upside to come for the S&P 500’s largest sector weight.

In an environment of pronounced volatility and less-than-certain equity and bond performance in the last few years, investors are leaning toward more complex strategies such as alternatives.

Active ETFs have had a really strong year so far in 2023, picking up advisor and investor interest. Even institutional investors have increasingly turned towards specialist, responsive management.

The S&P 500 closed August with a monthly loss of 1.71%, after a gain of 3.22% in July.

A slew of recent polls, studies, and surveys confirmed the importance and relevance of ESG investing to younger investors.

Given their overall credit risk versus safer government debt, corporate bonds may not get enough exposure in a retirement portfolio. However, they can serve a purpose as long as investors are aware of their nuances.

On Tuesday, Grayscale finally won its lawsuit against the SEC (see initial coverage here). For the past few years, Grayscale has been in an ongoing legal battle with the SEC over converting its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) product into a spot Bitcoin ETF.

On August 30, 2023, VettaFi hosted an Artificial Intelligence Symposium which had an extraordinary turnout, with over 1,200 advisors registered for the event.

Active ETF investing has had a big year so far, but it can still play a big role in closing out 2023. International equity ETFs can really benefit from active investing. With a strong case for international equities brewing, now may be the time to look closer.

Tuesday brought a decision felt throughout the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The United States Court of Appeals ruled that Grayscale can convert GBTC into a spot bitcoin exchange traded fund.

When it comes to AI, VettaFi’s financial futurist Dave Nadig said that thanks to ChatGPT, “we’re in this bit of a hype cycle.” But we’re also “in a bit of the reality-check cycle.”

Broadly speaking, equity-based strategies fueled the initial boom in environmental, social, and governance exchange traded fund proliferation. As a result, criticism lobbed at ESG investing has focused on equity-based ESG funds.

Some ETF issuers are not only investing in AI, but are instead investing with AI.

When discussing AI, the large companies like Microsoft, Tesla, or NVIDIA typically take up most of the oxygen. But Matthew Bartolini, managing director at State Street Global Advisors and head of SPDR Americas research, noted that “innovation happens down the cap spectrum.”

Artificial intelligence is one of the top investment themes this year and is the new megatrend likely to last for at least the next decade. BlackRock’s Jay Jacobs and Global X’s Pedro Palandrani joined VettaFi’s head of research, Todd Rosenbluth, to discuss AI investing and companies to look to in the coming years at the recent AI Symposium hosted by VettaFi.

Active ETFs have had a big year so far in 2023 by several metrics. From institutional investor interest to advisors planning to up allocations, active strategies have grown in popularity. With their ability to invest nimbly and lean on managerial expertise, that appeal makes some sense.

There is a plethora of AI-related investment opportunities, with the winners and losers yet to be determined.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to impact every corner of the economy. This technology is already changing the way data is used in investment decisions and is a burgeoning investment mega-trend. On August 30th, VettaFi will host an AI Symposium that will bring experts and thought leaders together to unpack the opportunities AI will create as it continues to rise in prominence.

VettaFi’s Artificial Intelligence Symposium is happening today. Investors and advisors seeking to better understand this complicated and exciting new technology will have the opportunity to hear from experts and thought leaders. Additionally, they can do so for free while earning CE credits. Now is the time to expand your understanding of this critical topic.

Several key economic indicators are released every week offering valuable insights into the overall health of the U.S. economy. Policymakers and advisors closely monitor economic indicators to understand recession risk and the direction of interest rates because the data can ultimately impact business decisions and financial markets.

The United States Court of Appeals announced this morning it’s ruling in favor of the Grayscale petition to convert its flagship fund, GBTC, to a bitcoin ETF. In the intricate game of chess the SEC plays with bitcoin funds, it’s a “check” for Grayscale’s white knight strategy.

A few weeks ago, VettaFi announced an AI symposium at the end of the month. Our hope was to bring some of the leading experts in asset management to discuss how the future is fast approaching.

Financial advisors have a unique job. To be competent, they must deeply understand some highly specialized topics centered around finance.

Is AI going to be a major part of our lives going forward? Is it worthy of being classified as a megatrend? What are the best ways to access it as an investment? What are investors overlooking about AI as an investment theme?

High interest rates begetting a recession was one reason many money managers were bullish on bonds after a bearish 2022. While the economy continues to run hot and a recession may not arrive, some suspect a bond bull market is still ahead.

Advisors and investors typically allocate to index funds and exchange traded funds linked to well-known benchmarks, such as the S&P 500, in the name of diversification. After all, these funds are homes to hundreds of stocks and those sizable rosters imply some level of diversity.