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(1:10) – Breaking Down The Most Recent ETF Flows
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(5:40) – Is The ETF Industry Beginning To Have Too Many Strategies Available?
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(10:30) – What Were The Best New ETFs of 2025?
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(14:00) – Has There Been More Foreign Investor Interest In U.S. Asset ETFs?
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(19:05) – How Diversified Should Investors Really Be Outside The Magnificent 7?
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(25:50) – Should Investors Consider Buying Private Asset ETFs?
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(29:45) – ETF Outlook For 2026: ETFs To Consider For Your Watchlist
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(36:20) – Episode Roundup: BINC, OTGL, BUFB, VOO, XOVR
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Podcast@Zacks.com
In this episode of ETF Spotlight, I speak with Eric Balchunas, Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, about the top ETF stories of 2025 and the outlook for 2026.
The year 2025 was marked by numerous milestones and record-breaking achievements for the ETF industry, with inflows close to $1.4 trillion, nearly 1,100 new launches, and record trading volumes. Bloomberg called it the “Triple Crown.”
The cheapest, plain-vanilla, broad market ETFs once again took the lion’s share of inflows, with the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO alone pulling in more than $145 billion, as the broad market index remains on track to post its third consecutive year of double-digit gains.
The iShares Bitcoin Trust IBIT added more than $25 billion in assets despite being down about 10% for the year. Meanwhile, the SPDR Gold Shares GLD, which is up more than 68%, added about $21 billion in assets.
About 85% of new launches this year are active ETFs. Many use leverage or other derivatives. We have also seen a surge in single-stock ETF launches, while many crypto ETFs made their debut.
As mega-cap tech stocks have surged over the past few years, some experts have raised concerns about the market becoming too top-heavy. NVIDIA NVDA alone accounts for about 7.6% of the S&P 500 Index.
Eric believes the “Mag 7” are really more like the “Mag 70.” He views them as conglomerates that not only operate across multiple industries and themes but have also collectively acquired about 850 companies, with Google GOOG and Microsoft MSFT leading the acquisitions race.
We also discuss why Buffett favors S&P 500 index funds, ETF share classes, private assets, and the ETFs Eric is watching for 2026.
Tune in to the podcast to learn more.
Make sure to be on the lookout for the next edition of the ETF Spotlight and remember to subscribe! If you have any comments or questions, please email podcast@zacks.com.
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