With 2025 in the books, it will be a difficult year to top for fixed income exchange-traded funds (ETFs), but Morningstar is predicting more excitement to come. That should keep fixed income investors fixated on what new developments the space brings this year.
2025 will go down as another year of record-breaking achievements for exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Among the past year’s highlights was a record number of mutual funds converting to ETFs, as noted by Ben Johnson, Morningstar Head of Client Solutions, via a LinkedIn post.
With large cap growth companies showing signs of frothy valuations, investors could be looking elsewhere to add that extra shot of growth. Thematic ETFs can do just, focusing on niche sectors that may not get the fanfare on financial news sites.
DoubleLine CEO/CIO Jeffrey Gundlach looked back at 2025 and ahead in 2026 for opportunities, with charts to support his assertions.
2025 capped off another strong year for fixed income ETFs, as ongoing market uncertainty pushed more investors into the safe confines of bonds. When it came to inflows, it was Vanguard that was well-represented with four funds cracking the top 10.
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As the dollar weakens and the migration to international equities continues, investors might still be on the fence when it comes to getting exposure.
Cannabis stocks soared on Friday following news that U.S. president Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order as soon as Monday that would ultimately ease federal restrictions on marijuana.
In their latest SPIVA report, S&P discussed the underperformance of active funds relative to index blends across various assets.
Growth, growth, and more growth — that’s been the common refrain in the current market environment. However, peeking from behind the curtains is the quality factor. While it has yet to receive the full spotlight in 2025 relative to growth, it’s due for a breakout performance (potentially in 2026).
When developing research strategies to achieve positive alpha, there are typically two methodologies: quantitative and fundamental. Discerning investors who have a predilection for one or the other no longer have to choose with the MFS Blended Research Core Equity ETF (BRCE) and the MFS Blended Research International Equity ETF (BRIE).
For fixed-income investors seeking diversification, Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS), specifically the VMBS ETF, are presented as a high-quality alternative to potentially overvalued corporate bonds, particularly those fueling the AI boom.
Investor appetites for international equities could continue after the Fed implemented a second rate cut. Investors looking to get international equities exposure would be wise to consider using an actively managed fund like the MFS Active International ETF (MFSI) .
Indexed ETFs can provide an easy, cost-effective alternative for fixed income exposure that draws from myriad sources. However, investors could be missing out on the advantages associated with active management. Given the current macro environment, it’s almost a necessity.
State Street Investment Management (SSIM) has been the investment advisor for the Select Sector SPDR ETFs since 1998. It will now take over the distribution and marketing for these funds. The move brings 11 ETFs in-house under the SSIM umbrella to unify its product offerings and enhance the investor experience.
Following a rocky start to the year, the municipal bond market has shown strong performance in Q3 2025, outperforming broader bond indexes due to factors like easing oversupply and growing demand.
This impressive performance, fueled largely by the prominent allocation to the "Magnificent Seven" tech stocks, highlights the strong adoption of ETFs and VOO's role as the premier choice for U.S. equity exposure amidst a challenging macro environment. This success helped the entire ETF industry surpass its previous trillion-dollar record.
The SEC has granted Dimensional exemptive relief to offer dual share class funds, a move that allows certain mutual funds to offer an ETF share class under the same structure. This monumental decision, following the expiration of Vanguard's patent, is expected to open the floodgates for other asset managers seeking to offer their existing mutual fund clients the tax efficiency and structural benefits of ETFs.
Vanguard continues its push into the active ETF market with the introduction of three news funds focused on equities. These are the Vanguard Wellington U.S. Value Active ETF (VUSV), Vanguard Wellington U.S. Growth Active ETF (VUSG), and Vanguard Wellington Dividend Growth Active ETF (VDIG). This bolsters the current active equity roster to now eight funds for the issuer.
Corporate bonds typically appeal to those seeking higher yield potential relative to safer government debt, but current market uncertainty may keep fixed income investors from making the move. However, strong fundamentals are also underpinning corporate bonds, which only add to their appeal despite ongoing risks.
According to a survey conducted by BlackRock and YouGov, ETF adoption continues to expand while also seeing a shift demographically.
The equity arena is certainly booming with cheers following the Fed’s second rate cut. But the reaction from the fixed income crowd might be more mixed.
When it comes to inflows, it seems like ETFs are content with beating themselves. After a record 2024 that saw inflows amass just under $1.14 trillion, ETFs did it again by edging past that level today. And they’re not done. State Street Investment Management is projecting total inflows could end the year at $1.4 trillion.
After implementing the first interest rate cut of the year, the prospect of further easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve could make fixed income investors nervous.
After the first rate cut of 2025 and the prospect of more rate cuts to come, the capital markets are now wondering at what pace the U.S. Federal Reserve will institute them. For fixed income investors looking for options that balance credit quality and yield, municipal bonds should be considered.
U.S. tech equities driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) theme have been a prime catalyst for market gains this year. Have valuations exceeded their underlying fundamentals? If so, one potential avenue to diversify tech exposure is the Invesco China Technology ETF (CQQQ).
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Advisors may sometimes feel like they’re venturing out to solve the world’s personal financial problems alone. They don’t have to feel that way when they’re recommending active funds with the requisite expertise and experience behind them. Vanguard active ETFs can offer that.
Rather than toil over the construction of an ideal fixed income portfolio for a client, advisors can simply apply a template primed for success using Vanguard’s model portfolios. On that note, Vanguard just introduced two new dynamic asset allocation fixed income model portfolios that can suit various investor profiles.
As widely expected, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points for a second time this year. This gives fixed income investors an opportunity to reposition their portfolios with intermediate bonds or reconsider active exposure if they don’t have it already.
Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be a prime catalyst for large-cap ETFs tilted toward growth. Companies integral to meeting the hardware demands of AI infrastructure buildout may be Broadcom, Palantir, and Nvidia. All three are core holdings currently in the VictoryShares Free Cash Flow Growth ETF (GFLW).
A weakening greenback is being compounded by global de-dollarization and lower interest rates, creating an environment for emerging markets (EM) ETFs to prosper. In turn, more investors are flocking into EM equities, but for more targeted exposure, South Korea could present an intriguing alternative.
As noted by TMX VettaFi Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth, fixed income ETFs are having a banner year amid record inflows. The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) and Vanguard Total International Bond ETF (BNDX) were two of the top funds responsible for the $325 billion in net inflows (as of October 15).
Northern Trust Asset Management provided justification for the mounting interest in munis in the fixed income space.
They may have never encountered unidentified flying objects, but something savvy investors can identify with is outperformance. And the Procure Space ETF (UFO) has been doing just that this year: outperforming the S&P 500 with an over 60% gain.
As investor adoption of crypto, retail and institutional, continues to grow exponentially, discussions are typically centered around bitcoin and ethereum. The former is lauded for its store of value while the latter carries more functional utility when taking into account its role in the blockchain network.
Pictet Asset Management just added three funds to a 2025 that’s seen a record number of actively managed ETF launches: the Pictet AI Enhanced International Equity ETF (PQNT), Pictet Cleaner Planet ETF (PCLN), and Pictet AI & Automation ETF (PBOT).
As the bond market expects more rate cuts to come after September’s drop of 25 basis points, investors may want to consider intermediate bonds as a way to maximize income.
There's a base layer that underpins technological buildouts for disruptive technology — the need for natural resources.
Often pitted against each other, gold and Bitcoin are both benefiting from the effects of the current “debasement trade.” In turn, this creates investment opportunities to capture upside in ETFs that offer exposure to cryptocurrencies.
The U.S. Federal Reserve instituted its first interest rate cut of the year, which could force investors to reassess their fixed income portfolios to plan for further monetary policy changes. Given this, it’s an opportune time to consider using more flexible active funds in order to mute any rate cut noise.
Vanguard announced the debut of a new low-cost, emerging markets (EM) exchange-traded fund (ETF) — the Vanguard Emerging Markets ex-China ETF (VEXC). EM assets have been garnering increased investor attention this year and could see additional interest with the prospect of more interest rate cuts to come.
Given the current market environment, should investors include China, the top economy in emerging markets (EM), or simply avoid it?
Even as rate cuts occupy center stage in the 24-hour financial news cycle, surprise inflation could strike anytime. In the current macro environment, inflation could stem from the constant wildcard of tariff policy.
The healthcare sector has certainly been fraught with a myriad of challenges this year, but weakness in the sector could have investors looking for value-oriented plays. That, in turn, could positively affect value-focused funds like the VictoryShares Free Cash Flow ETF (VFLO).
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Figma, Circle, and CoreWeave are just a few names to remind investors that the initial public offering (IPO) market is alive and kicking despite the market challenges in 2025. This opens the door into a room with IPO-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that can provide niche exposure to these up and comers.
The VettaFi Q3 Fixed Income Symposium came just less than 24 hours after the Federal Reserve instituted its first rate cut of the year. While this was widely expected by the capital markets, investors may not be well-positioned to maximize their fixed income exposure. It’s an ideal opportunity to take advantage of active management.
The Federal Reserve’s recent rate cut of 25 basis points didn’t come as a surprise to the majority of the capital markets.
Investors must know how to navigate the current fixed-income environment in which the Fed is easing monetary policy, and how best to maximize cash as opposed to letting it sit idly by on the sidelines.
