
Space ETFs vs. Aerospace & Defense ETFs: View From Above
2025-07-10While aerospace and defense ETFs have recently caught investor interest, space ETFs have been...

Platinum ETFs: Beyond Gold & Silver
2025-07-03While equities have rebounded from this year’s earlier pullback, investors are increasingly...

Thematic ETFs in 2025: What’s Next?
2025-06-26Thematic investing has experienced cycles of popularity over time. In less cautious market...

Solana ETFs: Summer of SOL
2025-06-20The SEC has initiated its typical review process with issuers over their spot solana ETFs...

Why Some ETF Investors May Like Closed-End Funds
2025-06-05Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and closed-end funds (CEFs) are wrappers that share basic...

Silver ETFs: Shining Through the Market Noise
2025-05-27In 2025, we have had to go back to the basics including diversification. One of the most...

Innovation In Indexing: Why Passive ETFs Matter
2025-05-22For many of us, ETFs have been synonymous with passive management. Since the early 1990s, ETFs...

Hidden Opportunities in International ETFs
2025-05-08Investors typically diversify global portfolios with broad international ETFs. But recent market...

Crypto ETF Launches Show Strength in 2025
2025-05-01While crypto adoption will likely always be price-driven to some extent, regulatory and political...

Embracing Market Volatility With Leveraged ETFs
2025-04-25Since Liberation Day, the market has made many moves in both directions. While many investors...

Are These ETFs Cheap Yet? Crypto, Cannabis, Chips
2025-04-17When markets move, we can learn a lot from the outperformers. But we can also learn a lot from...

Taking Apart the Tariff Impact With ETFs
2025-04-10A large consensus has been to stay the course with long-term portfolio goals despite recent...

2025 Puts European & Global Defense ETFs on the Map
2025-04-03Globally, consumers have propped up the economy for the past several years. Most of the exciting...

3 Investment Trends in ETFs for 2025
2025-03-20Not even a quarter into 2025 and we’ve been on a roller coaster of economic and market events. It...

Consumer Staples ETFs: Defensive Strength in Uncertain Times
2025-03-13Consumer spending has been a strong point in the economy, but recent headwinds are building. The...

Gold Mining ETFs Shine in Early 2025
2025-03-07Tariffs, geopolitical volatility, and overall economic uncertainty have taken over this year. So...

15 Years of PCEF: An ETF of CEFs
2025-02-27The Invesco CEF Income Composite ETF (PCEF ), the oldest and largest ETF of closed-end funds,...

Crypto ETFs: The Latest Wave of Filings
2025-02-20Some of the most interesting filings in the crypto ETF space are not necessarily new product...

Transportation ETFs: Tariffs Take the Wheel
2025-02-06Recent tariff news has caused a broad shock across the market, including international...

Under-the-Radar Opportunities in ETFs
2025-01-30Over recent years, investors have sought safety within mega-cap tech stocks while searching for...

Uranium ETFs: A Commodity to Watch in 2025
2025-01-16A few years ago, a relatively under-the-radar commodity — uranium — came into the spotlight....

1 Year of Bitcoin ETFs (& Why They Matter in 2025)
2025-01-09Spot bitcoin ETFs were approved by the SEC on January 10, 2024 — almost one year ago. As we...

Crypto ETFs: Tailwinds Build Toward 2025
2024-12-05For ETF investors, the onslaught of crypto ETF launches has created some short-sighted...

Real Asset ETFs: Really Underappreciated
2024-11-21Last week, I moderated two panels on real assets and infrastructure for completely different sets...

Retail ETFs: E-Commerce Delivering Results
2024-11-07When the Halloween decorations go away, holiday shopping begins. Each year consumers continue to...

A Look Back at Crypto ETFs
2024-10-31Bitcoin has had its highs and lows when it comes to investor interest (and its prices). But...

Semiconductor ETFs: Not-So-Shocking Growth
2024-10-17Nvidia (NVDA) has been one of the most interesting stocks of the year. The company isn’t new to...

3 Roadblocks to Crypto Adoption
2024-10-10Crypto ETF innovation hasn’t stopped. Since the launch of spot ether ETFs this summer, there have...

Future Mobility ETFs: Rerouting the Auto Industry
2024-10-03As an ex-future mobility research analyst, I spent a lot of time looking at financial statements...

Utilities ETFs: Plugged in for 2024
2024-09-26As an “old economy” sector, utilities are notable for their steady revenue streams. They also...

On the Radar With Aerospace and Defense ETFs
2024-09-19Like many analysts and investors, I’m always searching for the next big idea—whether it’s a new...

This or That: ETF Themes Edition
2024-09-12You have probably seen This or That games across social media. This is a just-for-fun version for...

Why You Shouldn’t Rebuff Buffer ETFs
2024-08-08Recent downturns from the Great Recession and the worldwide pandemic are still fresh on investors...

Spot Ether ETFs’ Big Day: Looking Beyond Bitcoin
2024-07-25It took a high-profile lawsuit and several years for spot bitcoin ETFs to finally be approved. It...

Travel ETFs: Riding the Wave of Consumer Demand
2024-07-18Summer is halfway over, and travel demand remains high. TSA data points to a 2024 summer season...

Solana ETFs: The SOL Filings
2024-07-11ETF issuers are still amending S-1s for spot ether ETFs and hoping for a July approval. But some...

A Shakeup for Technology ETFs
2024-06-27The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK ) rebalanced last week. It swapped a large position...

ETFs of Closed-End Funds: Unexpected Growth Opportunities
2024-06-20For income-seeking investors, closed-end funds (CEFs) offer relatively high distributions and the...

Crypto ETFs: Ether Not an Either/Or Story With Bitcoin
2024-06-13Some may love crypto and some may hate it, but cryptocurrencies have undeniably shaken up the...

Consumer Staples ETFs: Thinking Outside of the Big Box
2024-06-06Despite uncertainty in consumer strength, consumer discretionary stocks still pulled ahead of...

Spot Ether ETFs Riding Tailwinds of Bitcoin ETFs
2024-02-29This week bitcoin prices reached over $60,000 — the highest level since November 2021. Since the...

3 Retail Trends for 2024
2024-02-22Explaining consumer spending involves a lot of contradictions. Consumer spending is strong. But...

The Magnificent Seven (Plus or Minus a Few)
2024-02-15I hear about the Magnificent Seven several times a day — seven companies and eight stocks that...

Passive vs. Active ETFs of CEFs
2024-02-08Closed-end funds (CEFs) are relatively under the radar compared to peers like exchange-traded...

It’s OK to Hate Bitcoin
2024-01-25Bitcoin has fallen below $40,000 after rising to just under $50,000 before the spot bitcoin ETF...

How ETF Investors Can Take Advantage of Deal Activity
2024-01-18With lower interest rates now in sight and renewed confidence in the stock market, deal making...

4 Trends to Watch for in 2024
2024-01-05In 2024, inflation, interest rates, and the presidential election will likely be on top of ETF...

2023 in Charts: 5 ETF Sector Stories
2023-12-212023 was a year of surprises. These are five key sector themes illustrated in charts that...

Crypto ETFs Higher as Spot Bitcoin ETFs' Timeline Grows Closer
2023-12-07Bitcoin prices are near $44,000 and excitement is pouring into the space again. That’s...

Staples Counting on Discounts for the Remainder of 2023
2023-11-30Recent data point to a record shopping season for Shopify (SHOP), which saw Black Friday sales...

E-commerce Counting on Discounts for Remainder of 2023
2023-11-16As we approach the final months of 2023, consumer strength has been somewhat mixed but has...

Crypto ETFs: What’s Next?
2023-11-02It has been several weeks since ether futures ETFs have launched with little fanfare in early...

Consumer Discretionary vs. Staples: What ETFs Can Tell Us
2023-10-26Despite some signs of slowdown in the economy, the biggest stories in the market still revolve...

What Netflix Shows Us About the Streaming and Media Industry
2023-10-19The communications sector has been one of the best-performing sectors of the year, benefiting...

ETFs of CEFs: Diversification and Higher Distributions
2023-10-12Closed-end funds typically appeal to a niche group of income investors. But when you package...

Ether Future ETFs Still a Win Despite Limited Popularity
2023-10-05While investors await a spot bitcoin ETF, the SEC accelerated its rollout of ether futures ETFs....

Auto Strike Not a Large Strike Out for EV ETFs
2023-09-28Throughout the year, persistent inflation — including everyday costs like gasoline and groceries...

How Analysts Look at Trends to Invest in Stocks and ETFs
2023-09-14Some investment trends seem obvious — people are watching more streaming movies, consumers like...

Thematic Trends Post-Lockdown: What Worked and What Didn’t
2023-09-08After months of lockdown in 2020-2021, there has undoubtedly been a lasting effect on the...

Grayscale Win Leads to More Questions on Spot Bitcoin ETFs
2023-08-31On Tuesday, Grayscale finally won its lawsuit against the SEC (see initial coverage here). For...

Amazon Delivers on Retail Sales Figures
2023-08-24Last week, retail sales increased more than expected. It pointed to a resilient consumer despite...

Into the Ether… Futures ETF Filings
2023-08-10After a rush among issuers to file for spot bitcoin ETFs, followed shortly by a rush to file for...

Next Gen Media ETFs: Streaming Still the Big Picture
2023-07-27Current events in the past couple of weeks have shown us two things. Great marketing can bring...

Travel Demand Returns, What ETF to Land On?
2023-07-20Last week, I discussed the consumer discretionary sector making a big comeback in 2023 despite...

Consumer Spending Shifts for 2H23: Services Cruising Through
2023-07-13Consumer spending has softened over the past few months. And many companies that depend on...

Future Mobility ETFs: Pure-Play EVs Speeding Up the Race
2023-07-07While pure-play electric vehicle stocks have lost some of the interest seen in 2020-2021, demand...

Crypto ETFs Back in the Spotlight
2023-06-29BlackRock brought the crypto ETF industry back into the spotlight. And many investors and...

Future Mobility ETFs: Under the Hood
2023-06-15Over the past few months, I have written many research notes on future mobility (which includes...

Consumer Spending Trends: Inside E-Commerce, Luxury Goods, and More
2023-06-08Over the past few quarters, different narratives have emerged about consumer spending — it’s up,...

Video Gaming ETFs Aim for the Clouds
2023-05-18The video gaming, entertainment, and overall communications services sector is shifting away from...

The Differences In Crypto, Metaverse & Web3 ETFs
2023-05-12Last week, I discussed some of the different types of crypto and bitcoin ETFs. The distinction...

Industrial ETFs: From Ground to Space
2023-04-27While I’ve recently discussed what is driving outperformance in the consumer discretionary sector...

Earning Income Through CEF ETFs
2023-04-20Closed-end funds are known for their high distribution rate and potential to provide current...

Let’s Talk About Communication Services ETFs
2023-04-13While investors have renewed interest in the tech sector this year, this week, however, the...

Luxury Leisurely Takes Lead in Consumer ETFs
2023-04-06While consumer spending data has cooled, the retail consumer still remains relatively resilient —...

EV ETFs: Ford, Affordability, Looking Forward
2023-03-30Last week on March 23, Ford Motor Company (F) announced changes to its financial reporting and...

Semiconductor ETFs and the Tale of Two Tech Stories
2023-03-23With turmoil in the banking sector spreading to the broader market, many investors are seeking...

Regional Bank ETFs: What to Watch For Next?
2023-03-16This past weekend, banks saw their second and third largest collapse, respectively, as regulators...

Space Is Far, But Investing in Space Is Closer to Home
2023-03-09Last week’s VettaFi Voices On discussed small-cap stocks in ETFs. In this conversation, I...

Crypto Logs: 2022 Coinbase 10-K Takeaways
2023-03-02The first U.S. ETF with “crypto” in its name was the Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF...

The Goods, the Apps, the Hugely Ignored Service Sector
2023-02-23According to the latest U.S. e-commerce data release on February 17, 4Q e-commerce continues to...

What's First: Thematic Investing or the Egg?
2023-02-16Last week at Exchange: An ETF Experience, I hosted a panel called “Thematics—Separating Hype From...

5 Questions to “Think Thematically” on Before Exchange
2023-02-02Next week at Exchange, I will spend 30 minutes moderating a panel on thematic investing,...

Consumers Shopping Smarter (Not Harder) Online
2023-01-26In an earlier note, we discussed the likelihood of a strong online holiday shopping season in...

Crypto Miners Dig Themselves Out of 2022's Rut
2023-01-20Out of the entire ETF universe, the best performing ETFs YTD so far are crypto ETFs—more...

Thematic Times: Will Streaming Companies Streamline Costs in 2023?
2023-01-12With better access to internet and more connected devices, people are changing the way they...

Holiday Travel Recovers From Going South(west)
2023-01-05At first, the 2022 holiday travel season seemed to be a flashback to 2021—last minute flight...

Thematic Times: E-Commerce Trends to Unwrap This Holiday Season
2022-12-16After several quarters, e-commerce sales growth finally resumed growing at a faster pace than...

Crypto Logs: The Crypto “Crash Course” on Custody
2022-11-17FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday, November 11, after a series of revelations...

Thematic Times: Not Laboring Over News for Constituents
2022-11-10Thematic indexes are often synonymous with growth and many of these indexes like OGIGX, BCHAIN,...

Travel Heads Back to Business
2022-11-03The S-Network Global Travel Index (TRAVEL) is largely consumer-driven to the extent that...

Crypto Logs: Regulations Introduced, Few Materialized
2022-10-28Crypto regulation has been widely discussed as one of the necessary steps for the digital asset...

Netflix Proves Streaming Is Still Worth Watching
2022-10-24As the largest constituent in the S-Network Streaming & Gaming Index (STREAM), Netflix (NFLX,...

Thematic Times: SPACs in the Thematic Space
2022-10-13In 2020, over 50% of new publicly listed companies were SPACs, with a large portion being in...

Mitigating the Economic Impact of Natural Disasters
2022-10-06Hurricane Ian made landfall on the Florida coast on September 28, 2022, and became one of the...

Crypto Logs: ETH Merge's Minor Impact on BTC Equities
2022-09-29About two weeks after the completion of the Ethereum Merge, investors have likely heard about...

E-Commerce Delivers Results for Logistics Warehousing
2022-09-22In last week’s note, we discussed e-commerce sales data in detail relative to headline numbers...

Thematic Times: Looking Deeper Into E-Commerce Data
2022-09-16On the surface, quarterly e-commerce sales data show that e-commerce growth is still strong...

Is the FUTURE Autonomous, Electric, or Both?
2022-09-08Autonomous and electric vehicles are often used interchangeably when referring to future...

Below the Wing of the Airline Sector
2022-09-01In anearlier note, we briefly mentioned strong consumer demand in travel, which hasn’t yet...

Crypto Logs: Two Inquires on Correlation
2022-08-25While correlations are just one factor to consider when investing in Bitcoin and Bitcoin-related...

The Future Economy Driving Infrastructure Needs
2022-08-18Although it is a widely used term, “infrastructure” actually has a much broader definition than...

Thematic Times: Semiconductors Power Thematic Indexes
2022-08-11Many thematic indexes are driven by long-term growth in technology and innovation—for instance,...

Consumers Driving Travel Despite Costs
2022-08-08One segment of the S-Network Global Travel Index (TRAVEL) — ancillary beneficiaries — has not...

Income Opportunities: Rising Rates and CEFs
2022-08-04After the Fed hiked interest rates for a fourth time this year, closed-end fund (CEF) investors...

Crypto Logs: Say Hello to the Metaverse
2022-07-28The word “Metaverse” has been around for years, originating in the 1992 novelSnow Crash.(1) Since...

Crypto Logs: Meet the Metaverse
2022-07-27The word “Metaverse” has been around for years, originating in the 1992 novel Snow Crash.(1)...

4 Megatrends Underscoring Amazon: E-Commerce and More
2022-07-21This year Amazon Prime Day occurred on July 12 and 13 and according to Amazon was the “biggest...

Four Megatrends Underlying Amazon: E-Commerce and More
2022-07-20This year Amazon Prime Day occurred on July 12 and 13 and according to Amazon was the “biggest...

Thematic Times: Streaming Not Only a Stay-at-Home Play
2022-07-14The streaming and gaming sector has been rising in popularity as widespread internet access and...

Crypto Logs: Bitcoin ETFs vs. Index-Based Crypto ETFs
2022-07-13This month, U.S. digital asset investment products saw net inflows, suggesting that some U.S....

Thematic Times: Streaming Not Just a Stay-at-Home Play
2022-07-13The streaming and gaming sector has been rising in popularity as widespread internet access and...

Crypto Logs: Bitcoin ETFs and Index-Based Crypto ETFs
2022-06-30This month, U.S. digital asset investment products saw net inflows, suggesting that some U.S....

Prepare for Unfortunate, Inevitable Natural Disasters
2022-06-23Natural disasters have been increasing globally over the past few years—from 2001 to 2020, there...

Prepare for the Unfortunate but Inevitable Natural Disaster
2022-06-22Natural disasters have been increasing globally over the past few years—from 2001 to 2020, there...

Legacy Automakers Charge Ahead of Entrants in EV Push
2022-06-16It may be surprising to know that there are virtually no new entrant U.S. electric vehicle (EV)...

Legacy Automakers Charge Ahead of New Entrants in EV Push
2022-06-14It may be surprising to know that there are virtually no new entrant U.S. electric vehicle (EV)...

Thematic Times: Shift to Online Shopping Continues
2022-06-09E-commerce growth has been a multi-sector trend for several years—growing alongside...

Thematic Times: Secular Shift to Online Shopping Continues
2022-06-08E-commerce growth has been a multi-sector trend for several years—growing alongside...

Looking Beyond Bitcoin into Crypto Equities
2022-06-01As Bitcoin has become a widely discussed investment topic, investors are looking for more...

Crypto Logs: Looking Beyond Bitcoin into Crypto Equities
2022-05-30As Bitcoin has become a widely discussed investment topic, investors are looking for more...

Thematic Times: Travel Ramps Up This Summer
2022-05-12While January travel metrics were still impacted by the Omicron strain, 1Q22 earnings reports for...

Thematic Times: Travel Heats Up This Summer
2022-05-11While January travel metrics were still impacted by the Omicron strain, 1Q22 earnings reports...

Crypto Logs: Crypto Goes from Meme to Mainstream
2022-05-01Much like both the broader equity market and Bitcoin (BTC) prices, YTD performance for crypto...

LANDX Provides Solid Ground for Future of Disruptive Tech
2022-04-25High growth tech stocks aren’t the only beneficiaries of the digital transformation. While real...

IDOGX: An International Breed with High Yield
2022-04-20While international equities can often be overlooked by U.S. investors, an international dividend...

Gold Miners: A Free Cash Flow Rush
2022-04-19With U.S. inflation rising to record highs and geopolitical unrest causing volatility in the...

Gold Miners: The Free Cash Flow Rush
2022-04-13With U.S. inflation rising to record highs and geopolitical unrest causing volatility in the...

IDOGX: An International Breed with Higher Yield
2022-04-06While international equities can often be overlooked by U.S. investors, an international...

Crypto Logs: Digital Assets and Geopolitics
2022-03-25During the past few weeks, domestic and global events have brought further attention to...

Crypto Logs: Geopolitics and Digital Assets
2022-03-23During the past few weeks, domestic and global events have brought further attention to...

Investing in Space: Satellites Reveal the Big Picture
2022-03-11In early 2022, fear of higher interest rates contributed to a tech sell-off, and many investors...


SDOGX Fetches Higher Yields and Outperformance
2022-03-03A broad equity allocation may seem suitable for a one-size fits all approach, but income-oriented...


The Future of Search, Shop, & Ship
2022-02-25Within the thematic space, the e-commerce industry can serve as a multi-sector play on strong...

Investing in Electric Vehicles: What the FUTURE Brings
2022-02-24Not long ago, electric vehicles (EVs) seemed like a concept of the far future. But trends...

Investing in Electric Vehicles: What the FUTURE Could Bring
2022-02-21Not long ago, electric vehicles (EVs) seemed like a concept of the far future. But trends...





Holiday Travel Metrics Imply 2022 Won’t Be 2020, Too
2022-01-13After a busy air travel season this Thanksgiving, the Christmas travel season was expected to...

Holiday Travel Metrics Suggest 2022 Won’t Be 2020, Too
2022-01-12After a busy air travel season this Thanksgiving, the Christmas travel season was expected to...



A Healthy Dose of Good News for SMID-Cap Biotech Indexes
2021-12-04Summary
- The biotechnology sector largely underperformed the broader market this year,...

Crypto Mining for Digital Gold is Going Green
2021-11-16Originally published by Alerian on October 14, 2021 in the Thematic Times.



A Leverage Lesson in Municipal Bond Closed-End Funds
2021-11-02Summary
- Interest in municipal closed-end funds (CEFs) vs. municipal bonds often stems from...

Four Megatrends Elevating the Commercial Space Industry
2021-10-28Summary
- Megatrends like Internet of Things (IoT), the Amazon Effect, Uberization of the service...

Four Megatrends Elevating the Commercial Space Industry
2021-10-24Summary
- Megatrends like Internet of Things (IoT), the Amazon Effect, Uberization of the service...


A Lesson on Leverage in Municipal Bond Closed-End Funds
2021-10-11Summary
- Interest in municipal closed-end funds (CEFs) vs. municipal bonds often stems from...

Getting the Most Value Out of Value Indexes
2021-09-29Summary
- While preference for growth or value investing can depend on factors like the economic...

Choosing a Fixed Income Allocation with Portfolio Optimization
2021-09-28With inflation debated daily among investment professionals and media reporters, it is virtually...


Investing in the Digital Transformation: Accessing Blockchain and Crypto Through Equity Investments and More
2021-08-23Summary:
- Bitcoin—and the subsequent cryptocurrency and blockchain market—was fueled by a strong...



Insights at a Glance: July 2Q21 Quick Earnings Recap
2021-08-02Summary:
- With only about a quarter of the Midstream/MLP universe reporting 2Q21 earnings so...



