10 Biggest ETF Issuers of 2018 by Market Capitalization

In the world of the exchange-traded fund (ETF) ecosystem, the market seemingly begins and ends with the ETF issuer. Summarily, the issuer is responsible for the creation and administration of the ETF.

Looking more closely at its functions, the ETF issuer designs or obtains assistance with designing the index that will serve as the basis for the actual ETF. Once the shares of the ETF are distributed to the marketplace, the ETF issuer will also maintain the index and handle the general marketing of the fund.

There are currently 136 ETF issuers putting out over 2,000 exchange-traded products (ETPs) to the capital markets. In 2018, the number of ETFs has increased by almost 6 percent with more on the horizon for 2019 to add to an already impressive over $3 trillion in ETF assets.

Here is a list of the top 10 ETF issuers for 2018 based on market capitalization, as well as three of their biggest funds (if available), as of Dec. 20, 2018.

1. BlackRock, Inc. — $1.33 Trillion

2. Vanguard — $857.66 Billion

3. SSGA Funds Management, Inc. — $523.69 Billion

4. Invesco Capital Management LLC — $170.85 Billion

5. Charles Schwab Investment Management — $113.86 Billion

6. First Trust Advisors LP — $62.14 Billion

7. WisdomTree Investments — $36.26 Billion

8. Van Eck Associates Corp — $33.53 Billion

9. World Gold Trust Services, LLC — $30.81 Billion

SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEArca: GLD)

10. ProShares Advisors, LLC — $27.59 Billion

For more market trends, visit ETF Trends.