Trillions

Remember the good old days? An unloved, decade-long bull market that never seemed to end? When investments went only up? Well, the coronavirus crash of 2020 has turned those fun times into distant memories. At its worst point during the recent sell-off, more than $10 trillion of equity value was erased, wiping out three years of gains. So how have ETFs been faring amid all the carnage? Katherine Griefeld, a reporter with Bloomberg News, joins Eric and Joel to discuss liquidity, flows, fixed income, exotics, leveraged ETFs, and more. All three recorded from their closets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While much of the stock market has suffered over the past few weeks thanks to fear of the new coronavirus and its global economic fallout, there are a handful of stocks and exchange traded-funds that have managed to avoid damage, and even flourish.On this coronavirus-themed episode of Trillions, Bloomberg Intelligence Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas and Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Joel Weber dive into the world of niche biotech ETFs.Joining them are Paul Yook and Ryan Cinalli of LifeSci Index Partners, who have launched Virtus LifeSci Biotech Product ETF and Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF, and are currently working on a third.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If exchange traded funds are ingredients and the portfolio is the meal, then ETF strategists are the master chefs.One of the best chefs out there is Gary Stringer, president of Stringer Asset Management, an active manager that uses ETFs instead of individual securities to try and generate outperformance.On this episode we go through Stringer’s ETF portfolio full of non-obvious picks, and ask him why he uses them—both the macro case and the product case. ETFs discussed include the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO), the Invesco Taxable Municipal Bond ETF (BAB), the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) and many, many more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are active non-transparent ETFs going to be a hit or flop? How can ESG succeed when everyone’s definition is different? What can little issuers do to succeed in an industry dominated by giants? But how can giant asset managers make money if investors want everything for free? These were some of the big questions debated at this year’s Inside ETFs, a conference and networking extravaganza featuring issuers, advisors, service providers, the media and even a few celebrities.We discuss these big themes featuring audio clips recorded on the ground at the event from key attendees as well as in studio commentary from first time attendees, Claire Ballentine and Katherine Greifeld of Bloomberg News. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his annual letter to CEOs earlier this month, BlackRock's Larry Fink pushed business leaders to prioritize climate change as a "defining factor in companies’ long-term prospects." For its part, BlackRock will double the number of sustainable ETFs it offers and pressure index providers to create more environmental, social and governance-related benchmarks. How much will these moves ultimately matter, given that ESG ETFs currently have just 0.5% of the overall ETF pie? And what's the more powerful force, pressure from activist consumers or activist investors? Eric and Joel return to the topic of ESG investing to explore its promises and limitations, with guests Annie Massa, a finance reporter with Bloomberg News; Shaheen Contractor, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence; and Graham Sinclair, an ESG strategy consultant, joining to offer their perspectives and insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans are paying more and getting less for their health care than ever before. On the new season of Prognosis, reporter John Tozzi explores what went wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ETFs have democratized investing -- everything under the sun is available with the click of a button, and for cheap. Yet this really only applies to the half of the country with the ways, means and desire to invest. What about the other half? How do we get more of them benefiting from the markets?Joel and Eric speak with financial consultant Tyrone Ross, who's passionate about getting the "unbanked" more involved. Smartphones and services such as Cash App make his mission easier, he says, but it's still an ongoing challenge that requires what Ross calls the three Es: exposure, education and empowerment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s rarely a dull moment covering ETFs. And this year, as well as the past decade, was no exception. The industry has solidified itself as the hottest destination for new cash, new firms and new ideas. On this last episode of the year for Trillions, Joel and Eric talk to Rachel Evans of Bloomberg News and Todd Rosenbluth of CFRA in a round table format getting their expert takes and outlooks on everything from flows, returns, issuers, launches, fees, active, ESG, themes, marketing and regulation. Eric and Todd also make a new bet!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was nothing short of a spectacular year for the U.S. stock market. Oh, and fixed income. And emerging markets. And gold. Basically everything went up — even if it didn’t necessarily feel that way. But why exactly? And what might next year hold for investors? How crucial is the Fed? The election? So many questions...On this episode of Trillions we talk all things markets with Michael Regan and Sarah Ponczek from one of our favorite fellow Bloomberg podcasts called “What Goes Up?” in what may be the greatest crossover event since the Harlem Globetrotters landed on Gilligan’s Island. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just as a maker of organic salad dressing wants to get into Whole Foods, every ETF issuer is trying to get its products distributed by the fund superstores. Known as wirehouses by the industry, these mega-platforms from the likes of Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley service advisors with trillions in assets -- and can transform an ETF from zero to hero overnight. But only a minority of funds make it to their shelves. So how does an ETF get on these crucial platforms? By getting through the all-important gatekeeper. On this week's Trillions, we chat with Mariana Bush of Wells Fargo and Jon Maier of Global X about their extensive experience in this world of gatekeepers and keymasters. Rachel Evans of Bloomberg News co-hosts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ETFs compete with just about everything, including mutual funds, options, derivatives, and even single security investing. Another competitor is direct indexing, which means investing in a customized portfolio directly -- bypassing the fund's "wrapper" altogether. On this week’s Trillions, Joel and Eric sit down with Brian Langstraat, the CEO of Parametric, the largest direct indexing provider. He explains what direct indexing is, who it's best for, what the benefits and drawbacks are, and why it isn’t really an “ETF killer,” as some have claimed. Morgan Barna of Bloomberg Intelligence joins the discussion as well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite -99% returns, burning through billions, and the occasional controversy, exchange-traded products (ETPs) that track a volatility index called the VIX are flirting with record flows and volume this year thanks to a loyal audience of traders who love their jackpot potential. On this episode of Trillions, Greg King, who was behind some of the most popular products before founding Rex Shares, and Luke Kawa of Bloomberg News, who often writes about volatility, join Joel and Eric for the ultimate power-tool discussion. The group gives an overview of what investors need to know about the products, how they gained some infamy with the 2018 termination of XIV, and some developments to look out for.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg's Travel Genius podcast is back! After clocking another hundred-thousand miles in the sky, hosts Nikki Ekstein and Mark Ellwood have a whole new series of flight hacking, restaurant sleuthing, and hotel booking tips to inspire your own getaways—along with a who's who roster of itinerant pros ready to spill their own travel secrets. From a special episode on Disney to a master class on packing, we'll go high, low, east, west, and everywhere in between. The new season starts Nov. 6.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you give up some stock market upside for some downside protection? That's the value proposition for a fast growing new category of annuity-like ETFs that do just that. They are the creation of ETF veteran Bruce Bond, who is known to many as the founder of PowerShares. On this week's Trillions we speak with Bruce as well as Carolina Wilson from Bloomberg News about what sparked the idea for the products, how they work and what the drawbacks are. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years active mutual funds have been looking for a way to utilize the benefits of the ETF structure without having to show their holdings every day. They may have finally found a solution, but will it be enough?Joel and Eric are joined by Dan McCabe of Precidian Investments and Rachel Evans of Bloomberg News, who wrote about McCabe's non-transparent active ETF structure in the latest issue of Bloomberg Markets magazine. McCabe, who's licensing his structure to the likes of BlackRock, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, discusses how this decade-in-the-making development came to pass and the benefit it might provide investors while addressing industry headwinds and competition. Eric, Joel, and Rachel begin the episode with a brief discussion of Schwab's move to eliminate commissions -- the latest flare-up in the ETF trading war -- as well the new ETF Rule the SEC finalized last week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the main drivers behind the rise of ETFs and index funds is the fast-changing world of wealth management. RIAs have always been the early adopters of ETFs and remain big users today. On this episode of Trillions, we explore their world via a new conference by advisors for advisors called WealthStack. These are not your father's stock brokers but rather a younger, more casual, fiduciary-minded, tech driven group of wealth managers looking to stay ahead of the curve. We interviewed about a dozen attendees on topics such as the future of advice, ETFs, social media, concerns over passive, technology and direct indexing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Multi-factor ETFs are one of the fastest growing ETF categories. But what exactly do they do? Is the sum more than all the parts? Are they active or passive? These are the questions Bloomberg News' Annie Massa sought to answer at the recent Inside Smart-Beta conference. In this special field report for Trillions, Annie interviews analysts, advisors and issuers to get to the bottom of the multi-factor trend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this new season of Prognosis, we look at the spread of infections that are resistant to antimicrobial medicines. You're probably more likely to have heard of these as superbugs. Their rise has been described as a silent tsunami of catastrophic proportions. We travel to countries on the frontline of the crisis, and explore how hospitals and doctors around the world are fighting back. Prognosis’ new season launches Sept. 5. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's the Spy Kids and then there's the SPY Kids, aka the 11 millennials that unwittingly control the fate of the world's largest and most traded ETF.The $250 billion SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust is pinned to their longevity, thanks to a quirk in the archane legal structure used by some early ETFs. Like other unit investment trusts, SPY has a set termination date and will expire in 2118, or 20 years after the last of these twenty-somethings die.On this episode of Trillions, Joel, Eric and Bloomberg News reporter Rachel Evans track down three of the SPY kids to discuss their connection to the birth of ETFs, their newfound fame -- and why they wish there was some money in it for them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know ETFs have gone mainstream when there are multiple TV shows about them, including Bloomberg’s own ETF IQ. Nearing its 100th episode, the show is co-hosted by veteran Bloomberg TV anchor Scarlet Fu and Eric. On this episode of Trillions, Scarlet and Eric take Joel behind-the-scenes of the fast-paced show, pick some of their favorite moments with noteworthy guests, and also deconstruct a few lessons from the ever-evolving ETF industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.