The Invesco Global ex-US High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (PGHY) was launched on 06/20/2013, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs category of the market.What Are Smart Beta ETFs?Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes ...

Group 1: Industry Consolidation - The industry is expected to see consolidation, highlighted by Goldman Sachs' acquisition of Innovator ETFs, with over 400 unique ETF brands and 4,000 products in the market [1] - Raymond James' acquisition of Clark Capital Management Group indicates a trend, with expectations of three to five meaningful deals in the current year [2] Group 2: Smart Beta ETFs - Predictions suggest inflows for smart beta ETFs will double from $37 billion to $75 billion, with the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) being the fourth-largest fund by flows this year [3] - The record for smart beta inflows was set at $103 billion in 2022 [3] Group 3: Crypto Index ETFs - Skepticism exists regarding the prediction that crypto index ETFs will triple assets from $1.7 billion to $5 billion, as year-to-date flows have primarily gone to bitcoin and ethereum funds [4] - A survey indicated that 42% of advisors prefer crypto index ETFs over individual tokens [4] Group 4: International Equity and Fixed Income ETFs - Predictions on international equity and fixed income ETFs breaking records are endorsed, with bond ETFs capturing 32% of total flows this year, up from 29% last year [5] - Flows are shifting from short duration to the belly of the curve, approximately six years duration [5] Group 5: Active ETFs - Active ETFs experienced record inflows of $580 billion in 2025, contrasting with active mutual funds that had $640 billion in outflows [6]

Core Insights - Emerging markets (EMs) were the best-performing major regional indices in 2025, with the MSCI Emerging Markets index rallying over 30% in U.S. dollar terms, surpassing the S&P 500 and other developed market benchmarks [1] - The positive outlook for EMs is expected to continue into 2026, driven by macro developments, attractive valuations, and exposure to artificial intelligence (AI) [1] Investment Trends - Broad EM ETFs reported strong returns, with many achieving approximately 30%+ for 2025; notable funds include iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) with $18 billion in new inflows and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) with $8.5 billion [2] - The Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF (AVEM) also performed well, bringing in $6 billion in net inflows last year [2] Active Management Strategies - Enhanced strategies like the ALPS Emerging Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (EDOG) have gained traction, returning roughly 29% last year by focusing on high-yielding stocks [3] - The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta Emerging Markets Equity ETF (GEM) has crossed $1 billion in assets, utilizing a multifactor approach across over 700 holdings to provide a systematic factor overlay [4] Growth Drivers - Key contributors to EM returns include China, South Korea, and Taiwan, with Taiwan stocks rising 26% in local currency and 40% in U.S. dollars, while South Korea saw gains of 75% in local currency and nearly 100% in U.S. dollars [5] - Indian equities underperformed with a 9% return, contrasting with previous years of strong gains, but are expected to rebound as earnings stabilize [5] Market Dynamics - Emerging markets are trading at approximately 15 times forward earnings, making them relatively inexpensive compared to the S&P 500, which trades at around 22 to 23 times forward earnings [5] - Declining interest rates and a weakening dollar are favorable conditions for EMs, potentially enhancing global risk appetite [5] Future Outlook - The case for EMs in 2026 is supported by faster growth, cheaper valuations, and significant exposure to global AI supply chains, positioning EM ETFs as a core allocation opportunity rather than a tactical trade [6]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the significant growth and evolution of ETFs in China, with two major records achieved in early 2026, indicating a robust and competitive market landscape. The focus is on the "Matthew Effect," where leading players like Huaxia and E Fund continue to dominate, while smaller firms carve out niches through differentiated strategies [1][2]. Group 1: ETF Market Overview - As of January 16, the total size of all listed ETFs reached 6.07 trillion yuan, managed by 58 fund companies. Huaxia Fund's ETF surpassed 1 trillion yuan on January 12, later adjusting to 964.82 billion yuan due to market fluctuations [2]. - The top five fund companies account for 53.21% of the total ETF market size, with E Fund and Huatai-PB following Huaxia in scale [2][3]. Group 2: Competitive Dynamics - The article discusses the "liquidity moat" and "institutional allocation preference" as key factors contributing to the scale disparity among ETF managers. Larger ETFs tend to attract more institutional investments due to better liquidity, reinforcing the dominance of leading firms [3][5]. - The analysis indicates that the competition among ETF managers is shifting from simple scale to a more complex ecosystem approach, focusing on product differentiation and comprehensive solutions for investors [8][9]. Group 3: Product Differentiation and Strategy - Smaller fund companies are encouraged to focus on niche markets and innovative strategies to compete effectively against larger firms. The article emphasizes the importance of creating unique products that meet specific investor needs [6][10]. - The future of ETFs is seen as moving towards "solution-oriented competition," where the emphasis is on providing complete investment solutions rather than just tracking indices [8][9]. Group 4: Future Trends and Innovations - The article notes that the global market for actively managed ETFs is expected to grow significantly, with a projected size of 1.84 trillion USD by the end of 2025, indicating a shift in investor preferences towards active management strategies [10]. - Companies like Pengyang Fund are exploring new product categories, such as long-term bond ETFs, to enhance their offerings and meet evolving market demands [6][10].

Core Viewpoint - The Invesco KBW Bank ETF (KBWB) achieved a 33% return in 2025, largely unnoticed amidst the focus on AI stocks, due to its equal-weight methodology that diversified investments across 24 major U.S. banks [1] Group 1: Investment Strategy - KBWB's equal-weight approach allowed for balanced exposure across 24 banks, preventing any single institution from dominating the portfolio, which contributed to its outperformance compared to market-cap weighted ETFs like KBE and SPY [2][5] - The equal-weight structure smoothed volatility and provided consistent returns by capturing gains from both megabanks and regional banks during the banking sector's rally [5] Group 2: Market Conditions - The steepening yield curve that began in late 2025 significantly enhanced bank profitability, with the spread widening from near-zero to over 70 basis points, leading to expanded profit margins for banks [3] - Analysts predict that the favorable environment for margin expansion will continue into 2026, with a focus on monitoring the 2-10 Treasury spread for potential signals regarding bank profitability [4] Group 3: Monitoring and Rebalancing - Investors are advised to check Invesco's monthly fact sheet for changes in holdings or weightings after quarterly rebalances, as the equal-weight structure can create buying opportunities in undervalued banks [6] - The quarterly rebalancing of KBWB is crucial for understanding which banks are being adjusted in the portfolio, providing insights into market dynamics [8] Group 4: Alternative Strategies - The First Trust Nasdaq Bank ETF (FTXO) employs a smart beta methodology that ranks banks based on liquidity and fundamental metrics, offering a different selection approach compared to KBWB [7]

Core Insights - The First Trust NASDAQ-100 Select Equal Weight ETF (QQEW) debuted on April 19, 2006, and provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth category of the market [1] Fund Overview - QQEW is sponsored by First Trust Advisors and has accumulated assets over $1.87 billion, positioning it as an average-sized ETF in its category [5] - The ETF aims to match the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index, which tracks the 50 companies from the Nasdaq-100 Index with the highest combined Blended Quality and Growth scores [5] Cost Structure - QQEW has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.55%, which is competitive within its peer group [6] - The ETF offers a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.41% [6] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation in the Information Technology sector, comprising approximately 40.3% of the portfolio [7] - Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) represents about 1.4% of the fund's total assets, with its top 10 holdings accounting for roughly 12.97% of QQEW's total assets under management [8] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, QQEW has experienced a loss of about -0.8%, while it has gained approximately 12.92% over the last 12 months as of January 15, 2026 [10] - The ETF has traded between $106.81 and $146.24 in the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 1.06 and a standard deviation of 17.50% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the large-cap growth space include Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) and Invesco QQQ (QQQ), with VUG having $202.35 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.04%, while QQQ has $407.22 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.20% [11]

Group 1 - The report highlights the rapid growth of the US ETF market, with total assets surpassing $13 trillion by October 2025, reflecting a year-on-year increase of over 30% [5][12][14] - The net inflow of funds into ETFs reached a historical high of $1.2 trillion in 2025, nearly doubling from the previous year [18][19] - The regulatory environment has improved significantly, particularly with the implementation of the "ETF Rule" in 2019, which has facilitated the growth of actively managed ETFs [13][25] Group 2 - The US ETF product matrix is comprehensive, covering various asset classes and investment strategies, including innovative products like leveraged, inverse, and cryptocurrency ETFs [5][34] - As of December 2025, there are 3,294 equity ETFs in the US, accounting for nearly 70% of the total ETF market, with a combined asset size of approximately $10.52 trillion [35][36] - Large-cap equity ETFs dominate the market, with 1,603 funds and a total asset size of about $7.44 trillion, indicating a strong preference for large-cap investments [36][38] Group 3 - The report identifies a significant increase in the number of US households holding ETFs, rising from 1 million in 2005 to 16.9 million by 2024, highlighting the growing acceptance of ETFs among retail investors [27][32] - The average expense ratio for equity ETFs has decreased significantly, from 0.28% in 2005 to 0.16% in 2024, driven by increased competition and economies of scale [30][31] - The materials sector has shown exceptional performance, with year-to-date returns reaching +76.68%, driven by rising prices of commodities like gold and silver [44][48]

Core Insights - The FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond ETF (SKOR) offers broad exposure to the Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETFs category and debuted on 11/12/2014 [1] - SKOR has amassed assets over $643.67 million, positioning it as an average-sized ETF in its category [5] - The fund seeks to match the performance of the Northern Trust Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index, which focuses on investment-grade bonds with favorable valuations [6] Fund Management and Costs - Managed by Flexshares, SKOR has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.15%, which is competitive within its peer group [7] - The fund's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 4.69% [7] Holdings and Sector Exposure - SKOR's top 10 holdings account for approximately 4.29% of its total assets, with cash making up about 1.01% of the fund [8][9] - The fund is transparent about its holdings, disclosing them daily [8] Performance Metrics - As of 01/09/2026, SKOR has added roughly 0.03% year-to-date and is up approximately 8.08% over the past year [10] - The fund has traded between $47.30 and $49.50 in the last 52 weeks [10] - SKOR has a beta of 0.23 and a standard deviation of 3.98% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a high-risk profile [11] Alternatives and Market Position - SKOR is positioned as a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETFs segment [12] - Other alternatives include the State Street SPDR Portfolio Intermediate Term Corporate Bond ETF (SPIB) and the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT), which have significantly larger asset bases [13] - SPIB has an expense ratio of 0.04% and VCIT charges 0.03%, making them cheaper options [13]

Group 1: ETF Issuer M&A Activity - Goldman Sachs announced the acquisition of Innovator Capital Management for $2 billion, expected to close in Q2 2026, enhancing its ETF offerings in defined outcome ETFs, which have grown to over $80 billion industrywide [2][4] - The acquisition aims to address Goldman's stagnant ETF business by integrating a specialized product suite from Innovator, which has a proven track record [3][4] - Predictions indicate multiple transactions in 2026, with larger asset managers acquiring smaller ETF issuers, highlighting a trend towards consolidation in the ETF industry [5][6] Group 2: Smart Beta ETFs Resurgence - Smart beta ETFs, which combine elements of passive and active management, have seen a resurgence with several asset managers launching new products that align with smart beta principles [7][8] - The smart beta ETF category currently holds approximately $1.1 trillion in assets, with predictions of inflows doubling to $75 billion in 2026, driven by investor interest in systematic, factor-targeted portfolios [11][12] Group 3: Growth of Crypto Index ETFs - Spot crypto ETFs attracted around $35 billion in inflows in 2025, following a favorable regulatory shift in the U.S. under new SEC leadership [13][14] - The crypto index ETF category is expected to triple in assets to over $5 billion in 2026, as more investors seek diversified exposure to cryptocurrencies through index-based products [19] Group 4: International Equity ETFs - International equity ETFs experienced record inflows of approximately $250 billion in 2025, surpassing the previous record of $198 billion in 2021, with expectations for further growth in 2026 [24][26] - Factors such as last year's international outperformance and stretched U.S. equity valuations may drive reallocations towards international equity ETFs [26][27] Group 5: Fixed Income ETFs - Fixed income ETFs saw inflows of roughly $450 billion in 2025, significantly exceeding the previous record, with predictions for continued growth in 2026 [29][31] - Key drivers for this growth include capital migrating from money market funds and expectations of lower interest rates, which may prompt advisors to reallocate portfolios towards fixed income ETFs [32][35]

1. Report's Industry Investment Rating No industry investment rating information is provided in the report. 2. Core Viewpoints of the Report - The improvement of A-share market efficiency provides a solid foundation for the development of passive investment, with the scale of passive equity funds in the domestic public fund market exceeding 50% in 2025 [5]. - The effectiveness of the A-share market is lower than that of Hong Kong and US stocks, and the effectiveness of small-cap and technology stock indices is weaker than that of large-cap stock indices. The effectiveness of the A-share market shows an overall upward trend [5]. - There is a significant negative correlation between the excess return of active funds and index effectiveness. As the difficulty of obtaining Alpha increases, the demand for diversified Beta and Smart Beta on the equity side increases, highlighting the importance of asset allocation [5]. - There is a balance point between the scale ratios of active and passive funds. In the choice of funds, it is recommended to allocate ETFs in the large-cap style market, select active equity funds in the mid-cap style market, and choose quantitative funds for small-cap style allocation [5]. 3. Summary by Relevant Catalogs 3.1 A-share Equity Fund Market: Passive Investment Proportion Exceeds 50% - In 2025, the scale of domestic passive equity funds exceeded that of active equity funds for the first time, and this trend continues. The reasons include the difficulty of obtaining sustainable excess returns from active funds, the improvement of A-share market efficiency, and the development of domestic investment advisory services [9]. 3.2 Rise in Passive Investment Proportion Due to Market Efficiency Improvement - As market efficiency improves, it becomes more difficult to obtain Alpha, leading to the rise of Beta investment. Passive investment includes pure passive investment and factor-based passive investment (Smart Beta) [14]. - There is a balance point between active and passive funds, and the scale ratio of passive investment will not increase indefinitely. Ideal asset allocation should be an organic combination based on the market cycle, asset categories, and strategy capacity [15]. 3.3 Market Efficiency and Testing Methods 3.3.1 Origin and Connotation of the Efficient Market Theory - The study of market efficiency can be traced back to 1889, and Eugene Fama formally defined and improved the efficient market theory, dividing market efficiency into three levels: weak, semi-strong, and strong [18][19][20]. 3.3.2 Testing Methods for the Efficient Market Theory - **Weak Form Tests**: By testing whether the price sequence residual is white noise, it can be determined whether the stock price is likely to follow a random walk, which is used to judge market efficiency. The Ljung - Box test is commonly used for white noise testing [21][25][27]. - **Semi - Strong Form Tests**: Economists generally use the event study method to test the reaction speed of stock prices to public information [29]. - **Strong Form Tests**: This tests whether investors can obtain excess returns using insider information. It studies the returns of professional investors or insiders [30][31]. 3.4 Exploration of Market Efficiency in A-share, Hong Kong, and US Stocks - Since 2013, the efficiency of A-share has been slightly lower than that of Hong Kong and US stocks, and the efficiency of small-cap and technology stock indices is weaker than that of large-cap stock indices. After 2018, the efficiency of the A-share market has increased rapidly [34][38][40]. - There is a significant negative correlation between the excess return of active funds and index efficiency. As market efficiency improves, the difficulty of obtaining Alpha in A-shares increases [43]. 3.5 Fund Investment Choices under the Background of Improved Market Efficiency 3.5.1 ETF: Emphasizing Multi-Asset ETFs and Equity Smart Beta - As the demand for diversified Beta increases, the importance of asset allocation becomes prominent. ETFs are becoming increasingly important in the strategic position of asset allocation, and the proportion of ETFs in the holdings of public FOFs continues to rise, with diversified demand [47][50]. - Strategy ETFs (Smart Beta factor ETFs) show relatively independent trends, providing a source of differentiated Beta in the equity market and playing an important role in asset allocation [52]. - Industry ETFs are mostly market - capitalization weighted, with large-cap stocks contributing more to returns. Since it is difficult to obtain excess returns from large-cap stocks, investment is recommended to be based on long - term allocation [55][56]. 3.5.2 Active Equity and Quantitative Investment: Obtaining Alpha Returns from Small and Mid - Cap Stocks - Active equity funds are more exposed to mid - cap stocks. The trading environment of mid - cap stocks is more friendly to actively managed funds, with lower pricing efficiency and lower difficulty in obtaining excess returns compared to large - cap stocks, and relatively sufficient liquidity [61][62]. - Quantitative funds may be a better choice for investing in small - cap stocks. Quantitative strategies can improve the objectivity and winning rate of decision - making, and have advantages in terms of stock coverage and trading execution [69][70][71].