Together, that has helped the gaming ETF return 45.5% YTD, per ETF Database data. That outperformed its ETF Database Category and FactSet Segment averages in that time. Are thematics on the rise? At least in the gaming category, ESPO appears to be delivering with its laser focus on its theme. For those wanting exposure to an important and exciting technology space, the gaming ETF could be one to watch. For more news, information, and analysis, visit the Beyond Basic Beta Content Hub. Thematic ETFs have lo ...

ETF Market Trends - The ETF market is showing a stronger division between institutional and individual investors, raising concerns [1] - Approximately 64% of the entire ETF market can be traced back to 13F filings, indicating institutional ownership [2] - Single stock ETFs have over $30 billion, almost $40 billion in assets, with sub 10% institutional ownership [3] - Niche thematic ETFs, like those popular during 2020-2021, often have low institutional ownership, driven by retail investors [4][5] - Flows into niche strategies, especially in thematic and innovative spaces, are showing signs of approaching 2020-2021 levels [5] Single Stock ETFs and Thematic ETFs - Single stock ETFs now amount to $40 billion, including leveraged products and covered call/synthetic income strategies [6] - Synthetic calls on single stocks are almost entirely (99%) owned by retail investors, with no institutional allocation [7] - While thematic ETFs can be great portfolio allocation tools, significant inflows into these products can be a contrarian signal of market overheating [8][9] Gold ETFs - Traditionally, institutional and retail flows into gold ETFs have been about a 50/50 split [10] - Institutions are increasingly looking at strategically allocating 3% to 5% of portfolios to gold as a cost-effective hedge against drawdowns [11][12] - Gold ETFs have seen approximately $40 billion flow in worldwide through the first half of the year, with an additional $4 billion for July and August [12] - Central banks have shown record or near-record flows into gold over the last three years, continuing to drive gold performance [14][15]

Industry Overview - The telecom industry has experienced a positive year, with a rise of approximately 13% and 30% on a yearly basis, although this performance remains below that of the broader S&P 500 [1] Performance Analysis - Over a 5-year period, the telecom industry's returns have been analyzed, indicating a need for further evaluation against historical performance metrics [1]

Todd, I'll go to you for this one first. Some argue that the AI trade really falls into more of that thematic bucket. There's a wide array of thematic ETFs out there for just about anything.If you can think it, there's probably an ETF for it. But how much of one's portfolio should be allocated to themes. You mentioned just how much in the beginning some advisers are allocating to the thematic trade, but is there any kind of a consensus building that you can see about whether that consensus is either underpl ...