Welcome to ETF Edge, your go-to place for all things exchange traded funds. I'm your host, Dominic Chu. Now, there's a growing divide, dichotomy, if you will, between retail and institutional investors.Now, it's all about who is embracing complexity to a greater degree and trying to gain an edge and who might not be. So joining me now for this conversation is Mike Akens, the founding partner of ETF Action alongside Agakinska, the senior vice president of product development over at Tidal Financial Group, a ...

Core Viewpoint - The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) is highlighted as a strong investment option for those seeking exposure to a diversified portfolio of growth stocks, with solid historical performance metrics [2][4]. Performance Summary - Over the past 5 years, the Vanguard Growth ETF has returned 12.81%, while the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has returned 13.82% [4]. - In the past 10 years, the Vanguard Growth ETF has achieved an 18.55% return compared to 16.09% for the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF [4]. - For the past 15 years, the Vanguard Growth ETF has delivered a 15.40% return, outpacing the S&P 500's 13.77% [4]. Key Features - The Vanguard Growth ETF has a low expense ratio of 0.04%, meaning an investor pays only $0.40 annually for every $1,000 invested [6]. - The ETF includes large, established companies, notably the "Magnificent Seven," which are key players in the growth stock sector [6]. Holdings Overview - The top 10 holdings of the Vanguard Growth ETF include: - Nvidia: 12.73% - Apple: 11.88% - Microsoft: 10.63% - Alphabet Class A: 5.39% - Amazon: 4.58% - Alphabet Class C: 4.27% - Meta Platforms: 4.26% - Broadcom: 4.04% - Tesla: 3.77% - Eli Lilly: 2.72% [7]. Considerations for Investment - The ETF may not be suitable for investors concerned about market volatility, as growth stocks typically experience sharper declines during market downturns [9]. - The fund is relatively concentrated, with approximately 64% of its assets in the top 10 holdings and about 35% in the top three holdings [9]. - The ETF offers a low yield of 0.42%, which may not appeal to investors seeking dividend income compared to the S&P 500's yield of 1.1% [9].

Group 1 - The total traded volume on the Tradeweb European-listed ETF marketplace amounted to EUR 86.3 billion [3] - The trading activity reflects a significant engagement in the European ETF market, indicating a robust interest from institutional investors [3] Group 2 - The data is derived from trading activity on the Tradeweb Markets institutional platforms for both European and U.S.-listed ETFs [2]

Core Insights - The iShares MSCI Small-Cap ETF (SMIN) focuses on approximately 500 small-cap stocks from India, which is recognized as the fastest-growing G20 economy [1] - SMIN has a total size of $700 million and has been in existence for 14 years [1] Company and Industry Summary - SMIN targets small-cap stocks, indicating a focus on companies that may have higher growth potential compared to larger firms [1] - The ETF's emphasis on the Indian market highlights the investment opportunities within emerging economies, particularly in sectors that are expected to grow rapidly [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM), a $71 billion product, has outperformed the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) this year [1] Group 1: ETF Performance - VYM has shown strong performance relative to SPY, indicating its effectiveness as a high dividend yield investment option [1] Group 2: Analyst Background - The Sunday Investor, who covers U.S. Equity ETFs, has a strong analytical background and holds a Certificate of Advanced Investment Advice from the Canadian Securities Institute [1] - The Sunday Investor has developed a proprietary ETF Rankings system that evaluates nearly 1,000 ETFs based on various factors [1] Group 3: ETF Rankings System - The ETF Rankings system assigns individual factor scores covering costs, liquidity, risk, size, value, dividends, growth, quality, momentum, and sentiment, resulting in a composite score from 1-10 [1]

Core Insights - VanEck Bitcoin ETF (HODL) provides direct exposure to Bitcoin, while CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF (WGMI) targets the broader Bitcoin mining ecosystem, highlighting differences in cost, risk profile, and diversification [2][3] Fund Comparison - HODL is a single-asset fund backed by Bitcoin, aiming to mirror its price, whereas WGMI holds a diversified portfolio of companies involved in Bitcoin mining and related services [3][6] - HODL has an expense ratio of 0.20% and $1.4 billion in assets under management (AUM), while WGMI has a higher expense ratio of 0.75% and $355.7 million in AUM [4][5] Performance Metrics - As of January 9, 2026, HODL has a 1-year return of -15.1%, while WGMI has significantly outperformed with a return of 84.0% [4][8] - WGMI has a beta of 6.01, indicating higher volatility compared to HODL, which does not have a beta value reported [4] Portfolio Composition - WGMI's portfolio consists of 81% in financials, 18% in technology, and 1% in utilities, with key holdings including IREN, Cipher Mining, and Hut 8 [6] - HODL exclusively holds Bitcoin, making it highly sensitive to Bitcoin's price movements, with no sector diversification [7] Investment Implications - Cryptocurrency ETFs like HODL and WGMI are relatively new and come with extreme volatility, necessitating careful consideration by investors [8] - WGMI's diversified portfolio may appeal to those seeking exposure to the Bitcoin mining sector, while HODL is suited for investors looking for direct Bitcoin investment [8]

Core Viewpoint - Brompton Funds has announced an increase in the monthly distribution of the Brompton Split Corp. Enhanced Equity Income ETF to $0.18 per unit, reflecting a 38.5% annualized increase from previous distributions [1] Distribution Details - The new distribution amount of $0.18 per unit will be applicable for record dates from January to March 2026 [1] - The record and payment dates for the distributions are as follows: - January 30, 2026, with payment on February 13, 2026 - February 27, 2026, with payment on March 13, 2026 - March 31, 2026, with payment on April 15, 2026 [3] Fund Performance - The ETF was launched on March 20, 2025, with initial cash distributions expected to be approximately 12% per annum, equating to $1.20 annually or $0.10 monthly based on an initial net asset value (NAV) of $10.00 per unit [2] - As of January 22, 2026, the most recent NAV per unit was $14.42, and the ETF has paid a total of $1.14 per unit in cash distributions [2] - Brompton anticipates cash distributions to increase to approximately 15% per annum based on the latest NAV [2] Company Background - Brompton Funds, established in 2000, is an experienced investment fund manager offering income and growth-focused investment solutions, including ETFs and other investment funds traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange [4]

Core Insights - Investing is accessible at any age and time, emphasizing the importance of compounding and suggesting exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as a viable option for building a resilient portfolio in 2026 [1][2] ETF Overview - ETFs have low risk, provide diversification, and were dominant in 2025, with expectations to continue this trend in 2026 [2] - Recommended ETFs for 2026 include Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG), and Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM) [2] Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) - VOO attracted a record inflow of $143 billion in 2025 and achieved an impressive 85.94% return over three years [3][5] - The ETF consists of approximately 500 stocks, with a 0.03% expense ratio, and has a significant allocation to technology (34%), followed by financials (13%) and communication services (11%) [4][6] - Major holdings include Nvidia and Apple Inc., which together account for 14% of the portfolio, alongside other top companies like Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon [5][6] Performance Metrics - VOO has delivered a cumulative 3-year return of 85.94% and a 5-year return of 95.80%, with a compound annual return of 17% since its inception in 2010 [6] - The ETF has rebalanced quarterly to maintain high-quality company inclusion and has gained 19.5% over the past year, currently trading at $638.31 [6][7]

Group 1 - The ETF market has seen significant growth, with over $1.4 trillion flowing into ETFs last year, leading to the introduction of innovative products, including those that utilize leverage and seek high yields [2] - Tuttle Capital Management proposed a unique ETF, the Government Grift ETF (GRFT), which aims to invest in companies benefiting from political influence, but it has faced challenges in getting listed on major exchanges [2][3] - Major US exchanges, including NYSE and Nasdaq, have declined to list GRFT, despite a generally permissive regulatory environment for ETFs, particularly for leveraged and crypto-linked funds [3][4] Group 2 - Tuttle Capital's GRFT is not the only ETF focused on congressional trading; Tidal Financial manages two ETFs that track securities bought by Democratic and Republican members of Congress [5] - Tidal Financial's ETFs aim to reveal investment patterns among lawmakers, highlighting a discrepancy between their investments in large-cap stocks and the small businesses of their constituents [6]

Industry Overview - The exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry reached a record $1.25 trillion in assets by November, marking the fastest growth in history [1] - Full-year ETF inflows are projected to reach $1.4 trillion, revised up from an earlier estimate of $1.3 trillion, driven by strong bond performance [5] Asset Performance - Across various asset classes, including stocks, bonds, and commodities, there has been a positive return environment, with assets outperforming cash [2] - Gold prices have surged over 70% this year, while silver has increased by more than 140%, both reaching record highs [15] Bond and Gold ETFs - Bond ETFs attracted $42 billion in inflows last month and are on track to achieve a record $400 billion in inflows for the year [7] - The SPDR Gold Trust ETF, the largest gold-backed ETF, has seen record inflows and has gained over 68% [8] Market Dynamics - The popularity of fixed income ETFs continues to grow, with their use cases expanding beyond basic strategies to include more active management [6] - Factors contributing to the bullish outlook for gold include persistent inflation, global instability, and continued central bank purchases [10][18]