Megaphone icon ETF Database is now VettaFi. Read More >
ETFdb Logo
ETFdb Logo
  • Channels
    • Active ETF
    • Alternatives
    • Beyond Basic Beta
    • China Insights
    • Climate Insights
    • Commodities
    • Core Strategies
    • Crypto
    • Disruptive Technology
    • Dividend
    • Dual Impact
    • Emerging Markets
    • Energy Infrastructure
    • Entrepreneur ETF
    • Equity ETF
    • ESG
    • ETF Building Blocks
    • ETF Education
    • ETF Strategist
    • Fixed Income
    • Future ETFs
    • Gold & Silver Investing
    • Innovative ETFs
    • Institutional Income Strategies
    • Leveraged & Inverse
    • Managed Futures
    • Modern Alpha
    • Multi-Asset
    • Multi-Factor
    • Nasdaq Investment Intelligence
    • Portfolio Strategies
    • Retirement Income
    • Smart Beta
    • Thematic Investing
    • Volatility Resource
  • Database
  • Tools
    • ETF Screener
    • ETF Country Exposure Tool
    • ETF Sector Tracker Tool
    • ETF Database Categories
    • Head-To-Head ETF Comparison Tool
    • ETF Stock Exposure Tool
    • ETF Issuer Fund Flows
    • Indexes
    • Mutual Fund To ETF Converter
    • ETF Data for Journalists
    • ETF Nerds
  • Research
    • First Bitcoin ETF
    • ETF Education
    • Equity Investing
    • Dividend ETFs
    • Leveraged ETFs
    • Inverse ETFs
    • Top ETF Sectors
    • Top ETF Issuers
    • Top ETF Industries
  • Webcasts
    • ETFs Future-Forward 2021: An iShares Investing Symposium
    • Three Themes for 2021: An iShares & MSCI Investing Symposium
  • Themes
    • AI ETFs
    • Blockchain ETFs
    • See all Thematic Investing ETF themes
    • ESG Investing
    • Marijuana ETFs
  • Videos & Podcasts
    • ETF 360 Video Series
    • ETF Trends on Videos
    • ETF Trends on Podcasts
    • ETF Prime Podcast
  • PRO
    • Pro Content
    • Pro Tools
    • Advanced
    • FAQ
    • Pricing
    • Free Sign Up
    • Login
  1. Todd Rosenbluth’s Exchange Reflections
News
Share

Todd Rosenbluth's Exchange Reflections

Evan HarpApr 27, 2022
2022-04-27

Exchange: An ETF Experience took place earlier in April. Evan Harp got the opportunity to sit down with Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at ETF Trends and ETF Database, to discuss the conference.

Evan Harp: What is one memory that stands out to you about Exchange?

Todd Rosenbluth: My memory is what happened outside of Exchange. One of the nights that we were at Exchange, we had a gathering of the #ETFinTwit group that I’m not officially a part of. What I remember is being able to meet all of the people who I’ve only known in the last couple of years through social media but have never directly had a conversation with or had a chance to talk to beyond 280 characters.

It was just a reminder of how big the connections within this ETF industry go beyond the asset managers and beyond people who I’ve known for years within the industry. Most of the meetings that I had at Exchange were with people who I’ve known for years, but haven’t seen in two years. This was a chance to unwind and have a drink with people who I only know of through their social media persona. It was great to just be able to connect that way with people like Nicole Casperson, or Jess Bost, or Phil Huber. I could name more of them, but I won’t. [Laughs] I’ll just drop a couple of names.

That stood out to me. What we collectively were able to bring together at this conference was people, and have them form bonds face-to-face.

Evan Harp: What’s one thing that surprised you about the experience?

Todd Rosenbluth: I’m just amazed at how well it went and ran! I’ve been attending ETF conferences for more than a decade when I was at a prior employer, and they were typically run by other companies. I joined ETF Trends and ETF Database three weeks ahead of Exchange and found myself behind the scenes. To use a different analogy, I had eaten in the restaurant for years, but now, all of a sudden, I walked into the kitchen and got to see how the meal came together. I got to see all the efforts that went into making the conference a success, and what everybody that’s spoken to me has said was a success. I had a front row seat to how the team kept the sessions running, made sure that every day all the things that attendees wanted were available, and that registration flowed and functioned.

I was surprised as well, once I got inside the kitchen, that it was working as the attendees were likely expecting it to work. I was just impressed by what was pulled off. To use another analogy, I showed up with 30 seconds to go before game time and just got to see how amazing the people that helped put this conference together were.

Evan Harp: What is something you learned at Exchange?

Todd Rosenbluth: It’s been two years since we’ve had conferences like this. There’s been a number of asset managers that came to market with new products, particularly with actively managed products. I was both impressed with their presence there but also that for sessions that were geared towards educating advisors about those products, how well-attended those were.

At the risk of doing a tutorial, 96% of the ETF assets are index-based or passively managed products. Active is a very small piece of the pie, and it’s easy to think that these new firms have come to market and no one is interested in their products. The rooms were quite full. I was attending some of those sessions, I was on stage interviewing some of those portfolio managers, so I learned that the demand is real. That was pretty cool to see in action. It’s not asking people in a survey, “would they buy an actively managed ETF?” They spent their time sitting in a room to hear from active managers because they want to consider buying them. That’s less of a survey, less theoretical, and more reality.

Evan Harp: Now that Exchange is over, what are some of the key themes, trends, or stories you think will be impactful in the ETF industry for the remainder of 2022?

Todd Rosenbluth: It’s been a really tough start of the year for fixed income ETFs. Core bond funds are down, and people expect them to offer stability. I thought some of the interesting sessions were about what you do with your traditional 60/40 portfolio when both the 60 and the 40 are down in core U.S. equity and core fixed income.

I think there’ll be more talk about how you get income through different ways — high dividend-paying stocks, or senior loans, or alternatives? In the conference, it was a hot topic as advisors are trying to figure out how to position their portfolio in a rising rate environment and still be rewarding for their clients. I believe that’ll set the stage for what’s ahead in the second half of the year.

Evan Harp: What are you looking forward to in Exchange 2023?

Todd Rosenbluth: Well, I guess it’s coming up soon! Ten months from now. I’m looking forward to what will be more normal.

Because it had been two years and because I had just joined ETF Trends and Database, which was co-running the conference, I didn’t afford myself as much time to have the conversations with advisors and folks within the industry. Most of those conversations were congratulations on the new job. So I’m looking forward to just having what is a “normal” conference attendance. Hopefully COVID stays as mild as it was heading into the conference and hopefully everybody is so safe and healthy — of course we still have to say that, but I imagine next year will be more normal. It won’t be done on fast-forward. I feel like many of the conversations that we all had were catching up and less the next level of that conversation. I’m eager to read that next chapter.

For more news, information, and strategy, visit ETF Trends.


Content continues below advertisement

» Popular Pages

  • Tickers
  • Articles

May 27

Bearish Traders Target Bitcoin ETF During Crypto's Fall

May 27

"In Gold We Trust" Sees Gold at $2,000 by Year's End

May 27

Exposure to Rebounding Consumer Discretionary With RCD

May 27

Fed Ready to Slow Economy: Investing for Stagflation

May 27

JPMorgan Sees Another Upside for Bitcoin

May 27

In Case of Emergency, Induce Vomiting

May 27

Lockdown Not Preventing Chinese Consumers From Spending

May 27

Quant Hedge Funds Having a HeyDay: This ETF Captures

May 27

Tailwinds for This Global Dividend ETF

May 27

Tencent Making Moves That May Benefit This ETF

QQQ

Invesco QQQ Trust

SPY

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

VOO

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

DBA

Invesco DB Agriculture Fund

XLE

Energy Select Sector SPDR...

WEAT

Teucrium Wheat Fund

VTI

Vanguard Total Stock Market...

ARKK

ARK Innovation ETF

SCHD

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF...

VGT

Vanguard Information...


Content continues below advertisement

Loading Articles...
Help & Info
  • Contact Us
  • Mission Statement
  • Press
Tools
  • ETF Screener
  • ETF Analyzer
  • Mutual Fund to ETF Converter
  • Head-To-Head ETF Comparison
  • ETF Country Exposure Tool
  • ETF Stock Exposure Tool
  • ETF Performance Visualizer
  • ETF Database Model Portfolios
  • ETF Database Realtime Ratings
  • ETF Database Pro
More Tools
  • ETF Launch Center
  • Financial Advisor & RIA Center
  • ETF Database RSS Feed
Explore ETFs
  • ETF News
  • ETF Picks of the Month
  • ETF Category Reports
  • Premium Articles
  • Alphabetical Listing of ETFs
  • Best ETFs
  • Browse ETFs by ETF Database Category
  • Browse ETFs by Index
  • Browse ETFs by Issuer
  • Compare ETFs
Legal
  • Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
  • © ETF Flows LLC
Follow ETF Database
Follow ETF Database

Advertisement

Is Your Portfolio Positioned With Enough Global Exposure?

Equity ETF Channel

Retirement Portfolio Redux: Is the 60%-40% Portfolio Dead?

Debbie CarlsonOct 22, 2020
2020-10-22

With the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield hovering below 1% and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell...

Equity ETF Channel

Portfolio Diversification Isn't Dead, It Was Just Sleeping

Debbie CarlsonOct 15, 2020
2020-10-15

Investors could be forgiven to think there was no reason to invest outside of the U.S. for the...

}
X