Some new actively managed bond ETFs look promising as well, including the SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF (NYSEArca: TOTL). With the combined marketing heft and brand recognition of State Street and Jeff Gundlach’s DoubleLine Capital, TOTL has the potential to be an actively managed ETF success story. The ETF debuted in late February and already has nearly $180 million in assets. [Active Bond ETF Competition on the Rise]
Other areas of the ETF space where active management has found success include currencies and master limited partnerships. Buoyed by the U.S. dollar’s ascent, the WisdomTree Bloomberg U.S. Dollar Bullish Fund (NYSEArca: USDU) has become a $324 million ETF in just 15 months of trading.
The First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSEArca: EMLP) has needed just 33 months of trading to amass over $1.1 billion in assets. Importantly, EMLP is not just one of the fastest-growing MLP ETFs, but the fund has been significantly bad than some of its rivals during the low oil-induced pullback in MLPs. [Getting it Wrong With MLP ETFs]
“There is nothing novel about the index versus active debate. It has been a contentious subject for decades, and there are few strong believers on both sides, with the vast majority of investors falling somewhere in between,” said S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Table Courtesy: S&P Dow Jones Indices
Tom Lydon’s clients own shares of TTFS.