Morningstar Research Services' Bryan Armour, Ryan Jackson, and Daniel Sotiroff discuss the growth of active ETFs, successful strategies, challenges, and misconceptions. They highlight top-rated active ETFs, who should invest in them, and what's next for the market.
Active ETFs offer tax efficiency and lower costs compared to traditional mutual funds.
Successful active ETFs focus on income generation and low-cost, broadly diversified strategies.
Deep dives
Explanation of Active ETFs and Differences from Passive Ones
Active ETFs are mutual funds that trade on a stock exchange, offering tax efficiency and lower costs compared to traditional mutual funds. Passive ETFs track an index, while active managers have discretion over their portfolio decisions.
Drivers Behind the Growth of Active ETFs
The growth of active ETFs has been fueled by factors such as the ETF rule passing in 2019, enabling tax efficiency for active managers. Investor demand for transparency, tax efficiency, and cost advantages has also contributed to the rapid expansion of active ETF products.
Success Factors and Challenges for Active ETFs
Successful active ETFs often focus on income generation and low-cost, broadly diversified strategies. Challenges for less popular active ETFs include high fees, capacity risks, and complexity in mixed-asset allocation ETFs. Individual investor suitability depends on belief in active management and consideration of the specific strategy's features.
Morningstar Research Services’ Bryan Armour, director of passive strategies research for North America; Ryan Jackson, senior manager research analyst; and Daniel Sotiroff, senior manager research analyst discuss what’s driving the rapid of growth active ETFs and how their tax efficiency and lower costs make them an easy win for investors. The team joins host Sarah Hansen, Morningstar Inc. markets reporter, at the 2024 Morningstar Investment Conference.
Active vs Passive ETFs
What’s Driving the Growth of Active ETFs?
Why Some Active ETFs Are More Successful Than Others