ETF Inflows & Outflows
Performance Leaders & Laggards
Source: ETF Action; flows and performance data as of 6/5/25; performance data excludes leveraged and inverse products
Weekly ETF Reads
Vanguard new ex-China ETF followed push from Missouri Republicans by Suzanne McGee and Ross Kerber
“Had Vanguard not filed for its ex-China ETF when it did, the firm risked losing its position as the main provider of investment products in the state’s 529 plan.”
Racing to Keep Up With Dual Share Class Applications by Emile Hallez
“One might say progress toward the much-anticipated dual share class structure has been a bit one-dimensional.”
Fund firms court ‘bored’ investors with flurry of exotic ETF launches by Steve Johnson and George Steer
“In the US, you have the right to walk into a casino and put your life savings on red or black, for better or worse.”
ETF Product Proliferation by Dave Nadig
“The current regulatory environment can best be described as I dare regulators to stop me.”
Newer ETFs Are Not Necessarily Gimmicks by Todd Rosenbluth
“I do not believe new ETFs are gimmicks, but investors need to determine which, if any, are adding value to their portfolios.”
Hierarchy in ’40 Act Space – Debunked by Tidal Financial Group
“There’s often an assumption that launching an ETF through a white-label platform means relinquishing control.”
Wall Street Has a Hot Way to Sell Private Assets to the Masses by Katie Greifeld
“Issuers are seemingly turning to interval funds at the expense of the ETF wrapper.”
What the SEC’s staking ETF objection means for other proposals by Ben Strack
“I believe the SEC is working more broadly toward a framework for staking in an ETF wrapper.”
Trump’s Truth Social takes step toward launching bitcoin ETF with NYSE Arca filing by MacKenzie Sigalos
“If approved, the ETF would represent one of the most politically connected entries into the booming market for bitcoin funds.”
ETF Post of the Week
Taxes – or more accurately, tax avoidance – are playing a significant role in driving ETF innovation today. Take the forthcoming Alpha Architect U.S. Equity ETF (AAUS), for example: it allows investors to use a Section 351 exchange to contribute appreciated individual stocks in return for ETF shares, without triggering capital gains. In addition, AAUS is structured to minimize taxable dividend distributions. It’s just one of many recent examples of how tax considerations are shaping the next wave of ETFs.
4 trends driving growth in taxable wealth…
— Brent Sullivan (@TaxAlphaInsider) June 4, 2025
(1)
Direct indexing and its expansion into householding.
(2)
ETF tax innovation.
(3)
Tax-aware long/short continues its barnstorming across the US (and maybe the world with rumors of international strategies).
(4)
Private… pic.twitter.com/hnx7MfM7p6
ETF Chart of the Week
The staggering success of the iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) has been dissected from every angle – but here’s a fresh stat. At just 1.4 years old, IBIT has already cracked the list of the 25 largest ETFs. That makes it the youngest by a factor of nine. As Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas put it:
“It’s like an infant hanging out with teenagers and twenty-somethings. Quite possibly the most insane IBIT stat yet (and there are many).”
I agree.
Source: Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas
ETF Prime Podcast
Last week’s ETF Prime featured Fidelity’s Eric Granat and Christine Thorpe spotlighting the Fidelity Hedged Equity ETF (FHEQ) and the Fidelity Total Bond ETF (FBND), while VettaFi’s Todd Rosenbluth explored the rise of active ETFs, the impending ETF share class structure, and standout success stories driving the category forward.
ETF Pulse
On last week’s episode of ETF Pulse, etf.com Editor-in-Chief Kristin Myers and I discussed a recent Vanguard filing for an Emerging Markets ex-China ETF, “boring” mid-cap stock ETFs, new filings for ETFs tracking the stock picks of famous investors, and the latest crypto ETF drama involving Rex-Osprey.
Crypto Prime Podcast
Matt Cole, CEO of Strive Asset Management, joined me on last week’s Crypto Prime to talk about the firm’s transition into a publicly-traded bitcoin treasury company and explain the strategic thinking behind the move.
CNBC ETF Edge
I recently had the pleasure of joining CNBC’s Dominic Chu and BlackRock’s Jay Jacobs to discuss momentum ETFs, investing in artificial intelligence, and spot crypto ETFs. Enjoy!
