Displaying items by tag: ETFs

Infrastructure is emerging as a core allocation for advisors, and BlackRock is seizing the moment with the launch of its first active infrastructure ETF, the iShares Infrastructure Active ETF (BILT). The fund builds on BlackRock’s $10 billion passive infrastructure ETF lineup and the firm’s $183 billion infrastructure footprint, bolstered by its 2023 acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners. 

Managed by Balfe Morrison, BILT takes an active approach that aims to capture alpha in sectors such as utilities, transportation, energy, and data infrastructure, all of which are seeing heightened demand from AI adoption, digital growth, and shifting supply chains. 

At inception, utilities make up the largest allocation, followed by transportation and oil and gas, with about two-thirds of exposure focused on North America and select opportunities in Europe and Asia. With yields around 3%, infrastructure provides the income and downside protection investors expect, but Morrison stresses that BILT also offers meaningful potential for capital appreciation. 

Finsum: For advisors, the ETF offers diversification, inflation hedging, and exposure to long-term global trends, making infrastructure more relevant than ever in retirement and income-focused portfolios.

Artificial intelligence has remained one of the most resilient sectors in U.S. equities, with companies like Nvidia and Microsoft benefiting from rising adoption even as other sectors faced volatility. 

With trade war and inflation concerns beginning to ease, analysts suggest AI growth could strengthen further, making direct exposure an appealing option for investors. ETFs provide one way to access this theme, but careful due diligence is essential in selecting strategies with the best long-term potential. 

The Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF (ALAI) differentiates itself by using bottom-up research and active management to uncover overlooked AI innovators. Its proprietary framework emphasizes companies showing high unit volume growth or positive lifecycle changes, positioning the fund to potentially outperform passive AI ETFs. 

Finsum: Investor interest is already growing—FactSet data shows ALAI attracted $40 million in net flows in July 2025, signaling strong confidence in its approach.

Global equity ETFs are gaining attention as investors seek cost-effective exposure to international stocks, even as 2025’s first half brought mixed results amid resilient earnings, easing inflation, and rising geopolitical risks. 

European-domiciled global large-cap blend ETFs pulled in €30 billion between January and May, reflecting a surge in popularity over the past year. Morningstar analysts screened 152 funds in this category, identifying 16 passively managed ETFs with Silver Medalist Ratings based on their high long-term performance potential. 

Among the largest are the iShares Core MSCI World UCITS ETF (EUNL), Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (VWRL), and Xtrackers MSCI World UCITS ETF (XDWL), all of which delivered solid one-year returns despite modest year-to-date declines. These ETFs track broad global benchmarks and, in some cases, outperformed them slightly over the past year. 

Finsum: For investors looking to diversify beyond U.S. markets, these highly rated global funds offer a straightforward, low-cost entry point.

Uranium ETFs have gained traction as investor interest in clean energy and nuclear power—especially in the context of artificial intelligence’s energy demands—has grown. Although the uranium ETF market is still in its early stages, net inflows have been rising steadily, with equity-based ETFs dominating due to the lack of SEC-approved physical uranium funds. 

Major offerings like the Global X Uranium ETF (URA) and the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM) provide access to mining stocks and limited exposure to the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust (SPUT), which holds physical uranium but is structured as a closed-end trust. 

Canada remains the geographic hub for investable uranium stocks, and companies like Cameco dominate ETF holdings, while new entrants like the Roundhill and ProShares filings reflect continued market enthusiasm. 

Finsum: Until a true physical uranium ETF is approved, access remains indirect, and investors must weigh sector volatility and geopolitical risks.

At the ETFs Summit hosted by S&P Dow Jones and the Mexican Stock Exchange, industry leaders predicted that active ETFs will continue growing rapidly, drawing market share not only from mutual funds but increasingly from structured notes. Structured notes—once prized for their customization—are losing ground as active ETFs replicate similar strategies with added liquidity, transparency, and without the counterparty risk inherent in notes. 

Retrocession fees no longer necessary, ETFs provide institutional-class access with real-time pricing, something structured notes cannot offer. While structured notes often come with hidden complexities and limited tradability, active ETFs deliver the same exposure with the ease of public market trading and daily liquidity. 

This shift is part of a larger industry trend: of 600 ETFs launched last year, 400 were actively managed, signaling innovation is now happening more through ETFs than through complex structured products. 

Finsum: As ETFs expand their reach across asset classes, including private credit and crypto, their dominance over less liquid, opaque vehicles like structured notes seems increasingly likely.