AI has been the big story for markets in 2025. From the hyperscalers to the countless ways AI can boost productivity across market segments, AI technology has helped drive performance for investors and the stock market more broadly. The AI ETF landscape has responded in kind. And one fund, THNQ, is on track to end 2025 on a positive note. See more: Robotics Expert Illah Nourbakhsh on AI & the Future of Work For more news, information, and analysis, visit the Artificial Intelligence Content Hub. Looking for ...

Core Insights - The AI industry is projected to grow from $279.2 billion in 2024 to $3.5 trillion by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate of 31.5% [1] AI ETFs - AI-themed ETFs focus on companies directly involved in AI development or usage, with the ROBO Global Artificial Intelligence ETF (THNQ) being a notable example [4][5] - The THNQ ETF includes 52 stocks, with top holdings such as Nebius Group, Advanced Micro Devices, and Alibaba Group, each with a maximum weighting of 3.3% [7] - The THNQ ETF has an expense ratio of 0.75% and has outperformed the market with a 44% increase over the past year [8] Broad Tech ETFs - The Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) offers broader tech exposure while still having significant AI investments, making it suitable for investors cautious about potential AI stock bubbles [9] - The VGT ETF holds 314 stocks, with a 31% weighting in semiconductor stocks and top holdings including Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft, which collectively account for 43.6% of the fund [12] - The VGT ETF has a low expense ratio of 0.09% and has increased by 29% in the last year [12] AI-Run ETFs - The AI Powered Equity ETF (AIEQ) utilizes IBM Watson to select stocks, providing a unique approach to AI investment [13] - The AIEQ fund has 38.5% of its holdings in information technology, with top stocks including Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple, which together represent 32.7% of the fund [14] - The AIEQ ETF has an expense ratio of 0.75% and has gained 20.6% over the past year, which is the lowest performance among the ETFs discussed [15] Investment Strategy - AI ETFs present an accessible way for investors to capitalize on AI growth without the need to select individual stocks, offering various options from AI-themed to broader tech ETFs [16]

Group 1 - TMX VettaFi participates in a weekly podcast discussing new and trending ETFs, emphasizing the importance of understanding how a new ETF fits into a broader portfolio [1] - The three largest U.S. listed ETFs tracking the S&P 500 collectively manage $2 trillion in assets, while the Invesco QQQ Trust and Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF manage over $400 billion [2] - The Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF are among the largest internationally focused ETFs, managing more than $325 billion [3] Group 2 - The MFS Active International ETF, launched in late 2024, has gained popularity and now manages $430 million, with 22% of its assets in emerging markets [5] - AI thematic ETFs have gained traction, with major U.S. companies investing heavily in AI, and stocks like Apple and Microsoft being heavily owned by QQQ and QQQM [6] - The ROBO Global Artificial Intelligence ETF has a limited 21% overlap with Nasdaq 100 ETFs, indicating diverse holdings in the AI sector [7]

Core Insights - AI investing has significantly driven portfolio performance, particularly benefiting major tech firms, but true AI investment requires more than just investing in these firms [1] - The emergence of physical AI applications, particularly in robotics, presents a larger investment opportunity beyond traditional data center investments [2] Group 1: AI and Robotics - NVIDIA's recent earnings call highlighted the growth of its robotics platform, indicating that robotics will be a long-term demand driver for its data center business due to higher computational needs [3] - CEO Jensen Huang emphasized that AI and robotics represent multitrillion-dollar growth opportunities for NVIDIA [4] Group 2: Supporting Ecosystem - A broader ecosystem of tech enablers, including companies like Taiwan Semiconductor, AMD, and Qualcomm, is capitalizing on AI opportunities across various sectors [4] - THNQ ETF includes companies such as Cloudflare, Snowflake, MongoDB, and Elastic, which operate in Network & Security, Big Data Analytics, and Cloud Providers segments [4] Group 3: THNQ ETF Performance - THNQ ETF has returned 18.9% year-to-date, outperforming both its category and segment averages of 14% and 14.8% respectively [8] - THNQ charges a 68 basis point fee and tracks an index that includes firms generating significant revenue from AI, categorized into infrastructure and application sectors [7] Group 4: Notable Acquisitions - Palo Alto Networks has proposed acquiring Cyberark for $25 billion, enhancing its security offerings across network, cloud, and endpoint security [5] - This acquisition positions Palo Alto Networks to provide a comprehensive security platform for a future with billions of connected devices [6]