On Thursday, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, a registered investment advisor (RIA) and a leading independent financial advisory firm, announced that the AdvisorShares Gerber Kawasaki ETF (GK) will begin trading July 2 and be listed on the New York Stock Exchange Arca, Inc.
In contrast to many broad index ETFs, the actively managed fund will seek to limit positions to the firm’s top investment ideas, allowing investors to capitalize on Gerber Kawasaki’s focused, proprietary and multi-thematic approach to capture growth in evolving segments of the market that are ripe for disruption. Though most ETFs are passively managed, the firm believes it makes sense to trade within these vehicles more frequently because of the tax rules associated with them.
Gerber Kawasaki co-founder, President and CEO Ross Gerber will be the fund’s portfolio manager. He will lean on his nearly three decades of investment management experience and use a mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to determine positions. Mr. Gerber, a frequent television guest on a host of financial news networks and a go-to source for many print and digital media outlets, has emerged as one of the country’s leading investment voices in recent years.
“We are delighted by the launch of the AdvisorShares Gerber Kawasaki ETF,” Mr. Gerber said. “Even as a large percentage of investors crave exposure to individual companies delivering transformational products and services across the globe, many of the current ETFs have a mindset rooted in the past, demonstrating what we believe is a limited understanding of how to capture the growth opportunities of tomorrow. Thanks to our approach and collective vision, this ETF will be much different.”
To make the portfolio management process more participatory, Mr. Gerber will welcome investor and analyst feedback via monthly Zoom meetings, inviting attendees to suggest positions and present new themes for his consideration. The launch of the fund is consistent with Gerber Kawasaki’s commitment to democratizing financial advice. The firm believes that few, if any, of its peers have put as much effort into allowing people of all ages and income types to invest, plan and build wealth for the future.
Meanwhile, the announcement comes as demand for Gerber Kawasaki’s services has intensified in recent years. The firm now manages $2 billion in assets, up from approximately $175 million when Mr. Gerber and co-founder Danilo Kawasaki founded the firm fewer than nine years ago.
Gerber concluded, “Our firm has always sought to make investing as easy as possible. This fund is consistent with that effort, seeking to give the retail investor of today who is doing a lot of their own trading exactly what they want – affordable and professionally managed access to companies shaping tomorrow’s biggest business and consumer trends.”
For more information, visit advisorshares.com/.