Roxanna

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Recent Content By Roxanna Islam, CFA, CAIA
ETF Education Channel

Why You Shouldn’t Rebuff Buffer ETFs

Recent downturns from the Great Recession and the worldwide pandemic are still fresh on investors...

Crypto Channel

Spot Ether ETFs’ Big Day: Looking Beyond Bitcoin

It took a high-profile lawsuit and several years for spot bitcoin ETFs to finally be approved. It...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

Travel ETFs: Riding the Wave of Consumer Demand

Summer is halfway over, and travel demand remains high. TSA data points to a 2024 summer season...

Crypto Channel

Solana ETFs: The SOL Filings

ETF issuers are still amending S-1s for spot ether ETFs and hoping for a July approval. But some...

Disruptive Technology Channel

A Shakeup for Technology ETFs

The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK A) rebalanced last week. It swapped a large position...

ETF Education Channel

ETFs of Closed-End Funds: Unexpected Growth Opportunities

For income-seeking investors, closed-end funds (CEFs) offer relatively high distributions and the...

Crypto Channel

Crypto ETFs: Ether Not an Either/Or Story With Bitcoin

Some may love crypto and some may hate it, but cryptocurrencies have undeniably shaken up the...

Disruptive Technology Channel

Consumer Staples ETFs: Thinking Outside of the Big Box

Despite uncertainty in consumer strength, consumer discretionary stocks still pulled ahead of...

Crypto Channel

Spot Ether ETFs Riding Tailwinds of Bitcoin ETFs

This week bitcoin prices reached over $60,000 — the highest level since November 2021. Since the...

Innovative ETFs Channel

3 Retail Trends for 2024

Explaining consumer spending involves a lot of contradictions. Consumer spending is strong. But...

News

The Magnificent Seven (Plus or Minus a Few)

I hear about the Magnificent Seven several times a day — seven companies and eight stocks that...

ETF Education Channel

Passive vs. Active ETFs of CEFs

Closed-end funds (CEFs) are relatively under the radar compared to peers like exchange-traded...

Crypto Channel

It’s OK to Hate Bitcoin

Bitcoin has fallen below $40,000 after rising to just under $50,000 before the spot bitcoin ETF...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

How ETF Investors Can Take Advantage of Deal Activity

With lower interest rates now in sight and renewed confidence in the stock market, deal making...

Crypto Channel

4 Trends to Watch for in 2024

In 2024, inflation, interest rates, and the presidential election will likely be on top of ETF...

Crypto Channel

2023 in Charts: 5 ETF Sector Stories

2023 was a year of surprises. These are five key sector themes illustrated in charts that...

Crypto Channel

Crypto ETFs Higher as Spot Bitcoin ETFs' Timeline Grows Closer

Bitcoin prices are near $44,000 and excitement is pouring into the space again. That’s...

Disruptive Technology Channel

Staples Counting on Discounts for the Remainder of 2023

Recent data point to a record shopping season for Shopify (SHOP), which saw Black Friday sales...

ETF Education Channel

E-commerce Counting on Discounts for Remainder of 2023

As we approach the final months of 2023, consumer strength has been somewhat mixed but has...

Crypto Channel

Crypto ETFs: What’s Next?

It has been several weeks since ether futures ETFs have launched with little fanfare in early...

Innovative ETFs Channel

Consumer Discretionary vs. Staples: What ETFs Can Tell Us

Despite some signs of slowdown in the economy, the biggest stories in the market still revolve...

Innovative ETFs Channel

What Netflix Shows Us About the Streaming and Media Industry

The communications sector has been one of the best-performing sectors of the year, benefiting...

Innovative ETFs Channel

ETFs of CEFs: Diversification and Higher Distributions

Closed-end funds typically appeal to a niche group of income investors. But when you package...

Crypto Channel

Ether Future ETFs Still a Win Despite Limited Popularity

While investors await a spot bitcoin ETF, the SEC accelerated its rollout of ether futures ETFs....

Climate Insights Channel

Auto Strike Not a Large Strike Out for EV ETFs

Throughout the year, persistent inflation — including everyday costs like gasoline and groceries...

Equity ETF Channel

How Analysts Look at Trends to Invest in Stocks and ETFs

Some investment trends seem obvious — people are watching more streaming movies, consumers like...

Leveraged & Inverse ETF Channel

Thematic Trends Post-Lockdown: What Worked and What Didn’t

After months of lockdown in 2020-2021, there has undoubtedly been a lasting effect on the...

Crypto Channel

Grayscale Win Leads to More Questions on Spot Bitcoin ETFs

On Tuesday, Grayscale finally won its lawsuit against the SEC (see initial coverage here). For...

Beyond Basic Beta Channel

Amazon Delivers on Retail Sales Figures

Last week, retail sales increased more than expected. It pointed to a resilient consumer despite...

Crypto Channel

Into the Ether… Futures ETF Filings

After a rush among issuers to file for spot bitcoin ETFs, followed shortly by a rush to file for...

Portfolio Strategies Channel

Next Gen Media ETFs: Streaming Still the Big Picture

Current events in the past couple of weeks have shown us two things. Great marketing can bring...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

Travel Demand Returns, What ETF to Land On?

Last week, I discussed the consumer discretionary sector making a big comeback in 2023 despite...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

Consumer Spending Shifts for 2H23: Services Cruising Through

Consumer spending has softened over the past few months. And many companies that depend on...

Climate Insights Channel

Future Mobility ETFs: Pure-Play EVs Speeding Up the Race

While pure-play electric vehicle stocks have lost some of the interest seen in 2020-2021, demand...

Crypto Channel

Crypto ETFs Back in the Spotlight

BlackRock brought the crypto ETF industry back into the spotlight. And many investors and...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

Future Mobility ETFs: Under the Hood

Over the past few months, I have written many research notes on future mobility (which includes...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

Consumer Spending Trends: Inside E-Commerce, Luxury Goods, and More

Over the past few quarters, different narratives have emerged about consumer spending — it’s up,...

Modern Alpha Channel

Video Gaming ETFs Aim for the Clouds

The video gaming, entertainment, and overall communications services sector is shifting away from...

Crypto Channel

The Differences In Crypto, Metaverse & Web3 ETFs

Last week, I discussed some of the different types of crypto and bitcoin ETFs. The distinction...

Disruptive Technology Channel

Industrial ETFs: From Ground to Space

While I’ve recently discussed what is driving outperformance in the consumer discretionary sector...

Innovative ETFs Channel

Earning Income Through CEF ETFs

Closed-end funds are known for their high distribution rate and potential to provide current...

Beyond Basic Beta Channel

Let’s Talk About Communication Services ETFs

While investors have renewed interest in the tech sector this year, this week, however, the...

Portfolio Strategies Channel

Luxury Leisurely Takes Lead in Consumer ETFs

While consumer spending data has cooled, the retail consumer still remains relatively resilient —...

Climate Insights Channel

EV ETFs: Ford, Affordability, Looking Forward

Last week on March 23, Ford Motor Company (F) announced changes to its financial reporting and...

News

Semiconductor ETFs and the Tale of Two Tech Stories

With turmoil in the banking sector spreading to the broader market, many investors are seeking...

News

Regional Bank ETFs: What to Watch For Next?

This past weekend, banks saw their second and third largest collapse, respectively, as regulators...

News

Space Is Far, But Investing in Space Is Closer to Home

Last week’s VettaFi Voices On discussed small-cap stocks in ETFs. In this conversation, I...

Crypto Channel

Crypto Logs: 2022 Coinbase 10-K Takeaways

The first U.S. ETF with “crypto” in its name was the Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF...

News

The Goods, the Apps, the Hugely Ignored Service Sector

According to the latest U.S. e-commerce data release on February 17, 4Q e-commerce continues to...

News

What's First: Thematic Investing or the Egg?

Last week at Exchange: An ETF Experience, I hosted a panel called “Thematics—Separating Hype From...

Leveraged & Inverse ETF Channel

5 Questions to “Think Thematically” on Before Exchange

Next week at Exchange, I will spend 30 minutes moderating a panel on thematic investing,...

Thematic Investing Channel

Consumers Shopping Smarter (Not Harder) Online

In an earlier note, we discussed the likelihood of a strong online holiday shopping season in...

Crypto Channel

Crypto Miners Dig Themselves Out of 2022's Rut

Out of the entire ETF universe, the best performing ETFs YTD so far are crypto ETFs—more...

Thematic Investing Channel

Thematic Times: Will Streaming Companies Streamline Costs in 2023?

With better access to internet and more connected devices, people are changing the way they...

Thematic Investing Channel

Holiday Travel Recovers From Going South(west)

At first, the 2022 holiday travel season seemed to be a flashback to 2021—last minute flight...

Thematic Investing Channel

Thematic Times: E-Commerce Trends to Unwrap This Holiday Season

After several quarters, e-commerce sales growth finally resumed growing at a faster pace than...

Crypto Channel

Crypto Logs: The Crypto “Crash Course” on Custody

FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday, November 11, after a series of revelations...

Thematic Investing Channel

Thematic Times: Not Laboring Over News for Constituents

Thematic indexes are often synonymous with growth and many of these indexes like OGIGX, BCHAIN,...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

Travel Heads Back to Business

The S-Network Global Travel Index (TRAVEL) is largely consumer-driven to the extent that...

Crypto Channel

Crypto Logs: Regulations Introduced, Few Materialized

Crypto regulation has been widely discussed as one of the necessary steps for the digital asset...

Thematic Investing Channel

Netflix Proves Streaming Is Still Worth Watching

As the largest constituent in the S-Network Streaming & Gaming Index (STREAM), Netflix (NFLX,...

Thematic Investing Channel

Thematic Times: SPACs in the Thematic Space

In 2020, over 50% of new publicly listed companies were SPACs, with a large portion being in...

News

Mitigating the Economic Impact of Natural Disasters

Hurricane Ian made landfall on the Florida coast on September 28, 2022, and became one of the...

Crypto Channel

Crypto Logs: ETH Merge's Minor Impact on BTC Equities

About two weeks after the completion of the Ethereum Merge, investors have likely heard about...

Thematic Investing Channel

E-Commerce Delivers Results for Logistics Warehousing

In last week’s note, we discussed e-commerce sales data in detail relative to headline numbers...

Thematic Investing Channel

Thematic Times: Looking Deeper Into E-Commerce Data

On the surface, quarterly e-commerce sales data show that e-commerce growth is still strong...

Energy Infrastructure Channel

Is the FUTURE Autonomous, Electric, or Both?

Autonomous and electric vehicles are often used interchangeably when referring to future...

Thematic Investing Channel

Below the Wing of the Airline Sector

In anearlier note, we briefly mentioned strong consumer demand in travel, which hasn’t yet...

Crypto Channel

Crypto Logs: Two Inquires on Correlation

While correlations are just one factor to consider when investing in Bitcoin and Bitcoin-related...

Thematic Investing Channel

The Future Economy Driving Infrastructure Needs

Although it is a widely used term, “infrastructure” actually has a much broader definition than...

Thematic Investing Channel

Thematic Times: Semiconductors Power Thematic Indexes

Many thematic indexes are driven by long-term growth in technology and innovation—for instance,...

Thematic Investing Channel

Consumers Driving Travel Despite Costs

One segment of the S-Network Global Travel Index (TRAVEL) — ancillary beneficiaries — has not...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

Income Opportunities: Rising Rates and CEFs

After the Fed hiked interest rates for a fourth time this year, closed-end fund (CEF) investors...

Crypto Channel

Crypto Logs: Say Hello to the Metaverse

The word “Metaverse” has been around for years, originating in the 1992 novelSnow Crash.(1) Since...

Index Insights

Crypto Logs: Meet the Metaverse

The word “Metaverse” has been around for years, originating in the 1992 novel Snow Crash.(1)...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

4 Megatrends Underscoring Amazon: E-Commerce and More

This year Amazon Prime Day occurred on July 12 and 13 and according to Amazon was the “biggest...

Index Insights

Four Megatrends Underlying Amazon: E-Commerce and More

This year Amazon Prime Day occurred on July 12 and 13 and according to Amazon was the “biggest...

News

Thematic Times: Streaming Not Only a Stay-at-Home Play

The streaming and gaming sector has been rising in popularity as widespread internet access and...

Index Insights

Crypto Logs: Bitcoin ETFs vs. Index-Based Crypto ETFs

This month, U.S. digital asset investment products saw net inflows, suggesting that some U.S....

Index Insights

Thematic Times: Streaming Not Just a Stay-at-Home Play

The streaming and gaming sector has been rising in popularity as widespread internet access and...

Crypto Channel

Crypto Logs: Bitcoin ETFs and Index-Based Crypto ETFs

This month, U.S. digital asset investment products saw net inflows, suggesting that some U.S....

Energy Infrastructure Channel

Prepare for Unfortunate, Inevitable Natural Disasters

Natural disasters have been increasing globally over the past few years—from 2001 to 2020, there...

Index Insights

Prepare for the Unfortunate but Inevitable Natural Disaster

Natural disasters have been increasing globally over the past few years—from 2001 to 2020, there...

The Responsible Investing Channel

Legacy Automakers Charge Ahead of Entrants in EV Push

It may be surprising to know that there are virtually no new entrant U.S. electric vehicle (EV)...

Index Insights

Legacy Automakers Charge Ahead of New Entrants in EV Push

It may be surprising to know that there are virtually no new entrant U.S. electric vehicle (EV)...

Thematic Investing Channel

Thematic Times: Shift to Online Shopping Continues

E-commerce growth has been a multi-sector trend for several years—growing alongside...

Index Insights

Thematic Times: Secular Shift to Online Shopping Continues

E-commerce growth has been a multi-sector trend for several years—growing alongside...

Crypto Channel

Looking Beyond Bitcoin into Crypto Equities

As Bitcoin has become a widely discussed investment topic, investors are looking for more...

Index Insights

Crypto Logs: Looking Beyond Bitcoin into Crypto Equities

As Bitcoin has become a widely discussed investment topic, investors are looking for more...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

Thematic Times: Travel Ramps Up This Summer

While January travel metrics were still impacted by the Omicron strain, 1Q22 earnings reports for...

Index Insights

Thematic Times: Travel Heats Up This Summer

While January travel metrics were still impacted by the Omicron strain, 1Q22 earnings reports...

Index Insights

Crypto Logs: Crypto Goes from Meme to Mainstream

Much like both the broader equity market and Bitcoin (BTC) prices, YTD performance for crypto...

Index Insights

LANDX Provides Solid Ground for Future of Disruptive Tech

High growth tech stocks aren’t the only beneficiaries of the digital transformation. While real...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

IDOGX: An International Breed with High Yield

While international equities can often be overlooked by U.S. investors, an international dividend...

Alternatives Channel

Gold Miners: A Free Cash Flow Rush

With U.S. inflation rising to record highs and geopolitical unrest causing volatility in the...

Index Insights

Gold Miners: The Free Cash Flow Rush

With U.S. inflation rising to record highs and geopolitical unrest causing volatility in the...

Index Insights

IDOGX: An International Breed with Higher Yield

While international equities can often be overlooked by U.S. investors, an international...

Crypto Channel

Crypto Logs: Digital Assets and Geopolitics

During the past few weeks, domestic and global events have brought further attention to...

Index Insights

Crypto Logs: Geopolitics and Digital Assets

During the past few weeks, domestic and global events have brought further attention to...

News

Investing in Space: Satellites Reveal the Big Picture

In early 2022, fear of higher interest rates contributed to a tech sell-off, and many investors...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

SDOGX Fetches Higher Yields and Outperformance

A broad equity allocation may seem suitable for a one-size fits all approach, but income-oriented...

News

The Future of Search, Shop, & Ship

Within the thematic space, the e-commerce industry can serve as a multi-sector play on strong...

The Responsible Investing Channel

Investing in Electric Vehicles: What the FUTURE Brings

Not long ago, electric vehicles (EVs) seemed like a concept of the far future. But trends...

Index Insights

Investing in Electric Vehicles: What the FUTURE Could Bring

Not long ago, electric vehicles (EVs) seemed like a concept of the far future. But trends...

ETF Building Blocks Channel

Holiday Travel Metrics Imply 2022 Won’t Be 2020, Too

After a busy air travel season this Thanksgiving, the Christmas travel season was expected to...

Index Insights

Holiday Travel Metrics Suggest 2022 Won’t Be 2020, Too

After a busy air travel season this Thanksgiving, the Christmas travel season was expected to...

Index Insights

A Healthy Dose of Good News for SMID-Cap Biotech Indexes

Summary

  • The biotechnology sector largely underperformed the broader market this year,...
Crypto Channel

Crypto Mining for Digital Gold is Going Green

Originally published by Alerian on October 14, 2021 in the Thematic Times.

Energy Infrastructure Channel

A Leverage Lesson in Municipal Bond Closed-End Funds

Summary

  • Interest in municipal closed-end funds (CEFs) vs. municipal bonds often stems from...
Energy Infrastructure Channel

Four Megatrends Elevating the Commercial Space Industry

Summary

  • Megatrends like Internet of Things (IoT), the Amazon Effect, Uberization of the service...
Index Insights

Four Megatrends Elevating the Commercial Space Industry

Summary

  • Megatrends like Internet of Things (IoT), the Amazon Effect, Uberization of the service...
Index Insights

A Lesson on Leverage in Municipal Bond Closed-End Funds

Summary

  • Interest in municipal closed-end funds (CEFs) vs. municipal bonds often stems from...
Index Insights

Getting the Most Value Out of Value Indexes

Summary

  • While preference for growth or value investing can depend on factors like the economic...
Index Insights

Choosing a Fixed Income Allocation with Portfolio Optimization

With inflation debated daily among investment professionals and media reporters, it is virtually...

Index Insights

Investing in the Digital Transformation: Accessing Blockchain and Crypto Through Equity Investments and More

Summary:

  • Bitcoin—and the subsequent cryptocurrency and blockchain market—was fueled by a strong...
Index Insights

Insights at a Glance: July 2Q21 Quick Earnings Recap

Summary:

  • With only about a quarter of the Midstream/MLP universe reporting 2Q21 earnings so...