ACTIVE ETFs

OVERVIEW

A burgeoning segment of the industry, combining active management and the ETF wrapper, has been frowned upon by some who see it at odds with the passive, rules-based approach on which ETFs built their reputation. Despite consecutive S&P Dow Jones Indices SPIVA scorecards illustrating active strategies have struggled to outperform their benchmarks in many exposures, more than half of professional, half of the European ETF buyers interviewed by Brown Brothers Harriman in 2021 said they plan to increase their allocation to these products. The active-passive debate on performance and fees continues without sign of abating.