The appetite for alternative ETFs are making a comeback, says Simplify's Paisley Nardini

Group 1: Gold as an Alternative Asset - Gold is currently underallocated in investor portfolios, with a majority of fund managers holding less than 5% in gold [2] - The performance of gold has been strong this year due to market uncertainties, positioning it as a potential new ballast in investment portfolios [3] - There is a growing trend of investors considering gold as a significant part of their portfolios, especially in relation to bonds [3] Group 2: Diversification Strategies - Investors are increasingly looking for alternative assets to diversify away from bond risk, particularly as bond volatility has been low recently [4] - With expectations of increased bond volatility in the latter half of the year, alternative strategies such as trend following, long-short strategies, and currency investments are gaining traction [5] - Commodity trading advisor (CTA) strategies are also being explored as a means to hedge equity risk and diversify portfolios [5]