Advisors are generally very familiar with the largest ETF providers, which is certainly consistent with what one would expect given the high usage rate of ETFs within client portfolios. The providers most closely associated with ETFs are Blackrock at 74%, Vanguard at 55%, ProShares at 47%, and Select SPDR (State Street) at 45%. All of these results are broadly consistent with prior surveys. Interestingly, Fidelity and PIMCO, known better for mutual funds and relative newcomers to the ETF structure, are already at 18% and 14%, respectively, which confirms the power of both brand awareness and broad distribution. Up and comers that register measurable response rates to this question for the first time include First Trust and Wisdom Tree, both of which offer ETFs that pursue some very creative and targeted exposures.
Download RIA Trend Report 2016: ETFs
