Jeremy Grantham's GMO has periodically warned of an AI bubble for years now, even while most market onlookers remained bullish. Now, as fears of overexuberance begin to grip the broader market, the famed asset management firm is reiterating its bearish call. "AI looks like a classic investment bubble to us, with very high valuations and signs of rampant speculation," Ben Inker, the co-head of asset allocation at GMO, said in the firm's quarterly letter on November 21."Investors are so desperate to get in e ...

Core Insights - The article focuses on the Avantis International Small Cap Value ETF (AVDV), highlighting its performance and strategy in the small-cap value segment within developed markets [1]. Group 1: ETF Performance - AVDV has experienced decent traction in 2025, indicating a positive reception in the market [1]. Group 2: Analyst Background - The analysis is conducted by a stock analyst with over 20 years of experience in quantitative research, financial modeling, and risk management, emphasizing expertise in equity valuation and market trends [1]. - The analyst has a background as a former Vice President at Barclays, leading teams in model validation and stress testing, which adds credibility to the analysis [1]. Group 3: Research Approach - The research approach combines rigorous risk management with a long-term perspective on value creation, focusing on macroeconomic trends, corporate earnings, and financial statement analysis [1]. - The collaboration with a research partner enhances the quality of insights provided, leveraging complementary strengths [1].

Core Insights - The article focuses on the Avantis International Small Cap Value ETF (AVDV), which is an active small cap value ETF targeting developed markets. It has gained traction in 2025, indicating positive investor interest and performance [1]. Group 1: ETF Overview - AVDV is designed to invest in small-cap value stocks within developed markets, aiming to capitalize on potential growth opportunities in this segment [1]. Group 2: Investment Strategy - The ETF employs an active management strategy, which differentiates it from passive ETFs, allowing for more responsive investment decisions based on market conditions [1]. Group 3: Market Performance - The article notes that AVDV has seen decent traction in 2025, suggesting that it has performed well relative to its peers or the broader market during this period [1].

Group 1: Market Overview - International equities have gained significant importance in investor portfolios in 2025, with a shift from underweight positions in ex-U.S. equities driven by tariff changes and a declining dollar [1] - A notable increase in assets under management (AUM) has been observed in international equities ETFs, with one ETF adding over $500 million in AUM within a week [1] Group 2: Fund Specifics - The Avantis International Small Cap Value ETF (AVDV) focuses on small-cap and value opportunities, leveraging Avantis Investors' fundamental research [2] - AVDV has attracted $550 million in net inflows over the last five days, bringing its total AUM to approximately $13.5 billion [3] Group 3: Performance Metrics - AVDV has delivered a strong year-to-date return of 40%, outperforming its ETF Database Category average [4] - The fund's active management strategy allows it to adapt to market changes, potentially benefiting from a further weakening of the U.S. dollar and enhancing its ability to identify strong opportunities in low information environments [4]

Core Insights - The strong performance of international equities and foreign firms has been a significant trend in 2025, with many investors initially underweight in ex-U.S. stocks, but tariff concerns and attractive valuations have led to increased interest in foreign equities ETFs [1] - International small-caps are particularly appealing due to their relative affordability compared to other international equities, providing a lower cost entry point for investors [2] - The interest rate environment abroad, especially in markets like Japan, is favorable for international small-caps, as they often rely on borrowing for growth, benefiting from lower debt costs [2] Fund Performance - The Avantis International Small Cap Value ETF (AVDV) has shown robust performance, returning 39% year-to-date, outperforming its ETF Database Category and FactSet Segment averages [3] - AVDV focuses on firms with strong fundamental criteria, including cash flow, price-to-book value, revenue, and expenses, and charges a fee of 36 basis points [3] - The fund's strategy and performance make it a valuable addition to an equities portfolio, especially amid ongoing U.S. economic uncertainty [4]

Core Insights - The US ETF market is experiencing unprecedented growth in 2024, with record inflows and new issuances, surpassing $10 trillion in assets under management [1][3][5] - The surge is driven by various factors, including the popularity of cryptocurrency-related ETFs and actively managed ETFs, which have attracted significant capital [1][2][3] Market Growth - In 2024, investors contributed $1.12 trillion to the US ETF market, marking the first time inflows reached the trillion-dollar level, resulting in a total asset management size of $10.4 trillion [3][5] - The growth of the ETF market is attributed to both market performance and capital inflows, with a notable increase in the number of ETFs, totaling 3,934 after 757 new ETFs were launched [5][7] Asset Class Performance - Equity and fixed income ETFs reached record inflows in 2024, with money market ETFs also gaining traction, attracting over $38 billion, a significant increase from previous years [8][10] - Fixed income ETFs accounted for 26% of total inflows, despite a strong stock market that limited their market share growth [10][11] Investment Strategies - The competition among ETFs spans various asset classes and strategies, with a growing interest in actively managed products, which saw inflows significantly exceeding initial market share expectations [11][12] - In 2024, actively managed equity ETFs attracted $145 billion, far surpassing initial market share predictions by $114 billion, while actively managed bond ETFs saw inflows of $110 billion, exceeding expectations by $16 billion [14][18] Cost Trends - The average cost of ETFs in the US has seen a slight increase of 0.003%, reversing a long-term trend of declining fees, primarily due to the rising costs of actively managed ETFs [23][25] - The average cost of bond ETFs rose by 0.005%, driven by the increased market share of actively managed bond ETFs, which have higher fees compared to vanilla bond funds [28][30] Popular ETFs - The top ten equity ETFs by inflow in 2024 included low-cost vanilla ETFs like VOO and IVV, alongside higher-cost strategy ETFs such as QQQ and RSP [45][47] - In the fixed income category, the top inflows were dominated by core vanilla holdings like AGG and BND, with notable entries from actively managed funds like JAAA and FBND [52][54] Emerging Trends - The approval of spot cryptocurrency ETFs has revitalized the money market ETF segment, with significant inflows into products like the Invesco Bitcoin Trust ETF [55][56] - Leveraged ETFs, particularly those focused on single stocks and cryptocurrencies, have gained popularity, with products like the GraniteShares 2x Long Nvidia Daily ETF (NVDL) seeing substantial interest [56][60]