Early Grades on 2026 ETF Predictions & Key Market Themes to Watch

Matt Markiewicz, Head of Product and Capital Markets at Tradr ETFs, highlights the company’s leveraged single-stock ETF lineup and innovative monthly and quarterly reset products, while offering insight into the growing sophistication of retail investors navigating leveraged and inverse ETFs. Christian Magoon, Founder and CEO of Amplify ETFs, discusses Amplify’s rapid ascent past $20 billion in assets, driven by strong demand for its YieldSmart ETFs and thematic offerings.

Craig Ebeling, Head of ETF Strategists at Fidelity Investments, delivers an ETF “State of the Union,” outlining the key trends and themes shaping the industry today. Roxanna Islam, Head of Sector & Industry Research at VettaFi, examines the record surge in international equity ETF inflows, analyzes the drivers behind the category’s performance, and highlights standout funds beyond the ETF leaderboard’s biggest names.

Chris Tessin, Founder and Portfolio Manager at Acuitas Investments, discusses the firm’s multi-manager approach to global small- and micro-cap investing, as well as the launch of its first ETF, the Acuitas Small Cap Active ETF (AIMS). Bill Mann, Chief Investment Strategist at Motley Fool Asset Management, breaks down three recently launched factor-based ETFs and how they bring The Motley Fool’s “Foolish” investment philosophy to life through systematic stock selection.

Todd Rosenbluth, Head of Research at VettaFi, and host Nate Geraci walk through five of the most noteworthy ETF flow stories so far this year. Chris Getter, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Simplify Asset Management, unpacks private credit and the Simplify VettaFi Private Credit Strategy ETF (PCR).

Matt Bucklin, Founder of ExchangiFi, goes in depth on 351 exchanges and explains how his firm helps facilitate this increasingly popular, tax-efficient strategy. Paul Marino, Chief Revenue Officer at Themes ETFs, discusses the firm’s expanding lineup of thematic and leveraged ETFs, including the Transatlantic Defense ETF (NATO) and a broad suite of leveraged single-stock offerings.

Cinthia Murphy, Investment Strategist at VettaFi, delivers early grades on host Nate Geraci’s five ETF predictions for 2026.  Matt Bartolini, Global Head of Research Strategists at State Street Investment Management, shares three key ETF and market themes on his radar.

John Davi, Founder & Chief Investment Officer at Astoria Portfolio Advisors, highlights the firm’s 10 ETFs for 2026. Ryan Barksdale, Head of Active Equity Product at Vanguard, and Kim Gailun, Head of Equity Boutiques at Wellington Management, discuss their collaboration in bringing Vanguard’s first active equity ETFs to market.

Cullen Roche, Founder & Chief Investment Officer of Discipline Funds, discusses his new book, Your Perfect Portfolio: The ultimate guide to using the world’s most powerful investing strategies.  He also breaks down the firm’s recently launched suite of Defined Duration ETFs.  Todd Rosenbluth, Head of Research at VettaFi, shares the five ETF stories he’s watching most closely as 2026 gets underway.

Cinthia Murphy, Investment Strategist at VettaFi, breaks down new survey data on how financial advisors are thinking about equities, fixed income, and crypto heading into 2026. Brittany Christensen, Head of Business Development at Tidal Financial Group, highlights her top ETF stories to watch in the year ahead.

Ben Johnson, Head of Client Solutions at Morningstar, recaps the year in ETFs, sharing his picks for ETF Story of the Year, ETF of the Year, ETF Issuer of the Year, and more.  He also looks ahead to 2026, highlighting the key industry trends and developments he’s watching.