Group 1 - Franklin Templeton announced the liquidation and dissolution of ClearBridge Sustainable Infrastructure ETF (INFR), expected to occur on or about January 29, 2026, following approval from the Fund's board of trustees on December 4, 2025 [1] - After December 31, 2025, the Funds will stop accepting creation orders, and trading on NASDAQ will be halted before market open on January 23, 2026 [2] - The liquidation process will begin prior to January 22, 2026, during which the Fund will hold cash and securities that may not align with its investment goals and strategies [3] Group 2 - Shareholders can sell their shares on NASDAQ until market close on January 22, 2026, after which the shares will be delisted [4] - Upon completion of the liquidation, shareholders who do not sell their shares will receive cash equivalent to the net asset value of their shares, including any capital gains and dividends, around January 29, 2026 [5] - Shareholders in taxable accounts may recognize a taxable gain or loss from the liquidation proceeds and may also receive taxable distributions of income and/or capital gains [6] Group 3 - Franklin Resources, Inc. operates as Franklin Templeton, serving clients in over 150 countries with a mission to enhance client outcomes through investment management expertise [7] - The company has over 1,600 investment professionals and manages $1.67 trillion in assets under management (AUM) as of November 30, 2025 [7]

Core Insights - Thematic ETFs are designed to capture long-term investment themes that are not fully represented by traditional market or sector approaches, utilizing quantifiable measures like revenue and market share to identify key players [1] - Thematic investing remains popular as investors seek exposure to emerging trends, with global flows into thematic ETFs exceeding $21 billion year-to-date, marking the strongest inflows since 2021 [2] Thematic Categories Defense - The Select STOXX Europe Aerospace & Defense ETF (EUAD) leads the U.S. defense category with a year-to-date return of 84.8%, followed closely by the Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD) at 82.5% [4] - Notable ETFs in the defense sector include: - EUAD: Total Assets $1.24 billion, YTD Return 84.82%, Expense Ratio 0.50% [5] - SHLD: Total Assets $5.33 billion, YTD Return 82.46%, Expense Ratio 0.50% [5] - NATO: Total Assets $62.78 million, YTD Return 51.59%, Expense Ratio 0.35% [5] Artificial Intelligence - The Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF (CHAT) is the top performer in the AI-themed ETFs with a YTD return of 53.6%, nearing $1 billion in assets [6] - Other significant AI ETFs include: - CHAT: Total Assets $959.31 million, YTD Return 53.61%, Expense Ratio 0.75% [7] - AIS: Total Assets $74.82 million, YTD Return 52.29%, Expense Ratio 0.75% [7] Infrastructure - The iShares Emerging Markets Infrastructure ETF (EMIF) leads the infrastructure category with a YTD return of 23.6% [8] - Key infrastructure ETFs include: - EMIF: Total Assets $7.61 million, YTD Return 23.63%, Expense Ratio 0.60% [8] - INFR: Total Assets $10.75 million, YTD Return 21.36%, Expense Ratio 0.59% [8] Fund Flows and Investment Sentiment - Positive fund flows indicate favorable sentiment towards specific investment categories, with defense, AI, and infrastructure ETFs benefiting from significant inflows this year [9] - A study suggests that real-time flow data can enhance investment returns, emphasizing the importance of due diligence in ETF selection [10]