On Thursday, Raymond James Investment Management made its foray into the ETF space with the launch of three new funds. All three funds are actively managed and offer different takes on generating portfolio income.
“We are excited to introduce our initial, focused set of products to investors and financial advisors who are keen to access Eagle’s flagship income-focused investment capabilities through an ETF vehicle,” noted Matt Johnson, head of product and marketing for Raymond James Investment Management.
“In keeping with our central advisor-first approach, we carefully considered advisors’ key priorities to build products closely aligned with their needs. These listings represent the foundation for a growing, tailored ETF platform that will complement Raymond James Investment Management’s existing family of mutual funds, separately managed accounts, CITs, UCITS, and institutional mandates,” he added.
Exploring the ETF Lineup
First up is the RJ Eagle GCM Dividend Select Income ETF (RJDI). The fund looks to provide dividend yield that outpaces the S&P 500 and rate of inflation while mitigating volatility. RJDI has a net expense ratio of 55 basis points.
To do so, RJDI starts by investing in dividend-paying companies with a focus on high quality. These high-quality companies are then paired with higher-yielding securities to bolster the fund’s income. This creates a two-pronged strategy, where the high-quality securities keep volatility down, while the higher-yielding companies amplify the fund’s income potential.
For those seeking income exempt from federal income tax, the RJ Eagle Municipal Income ETF (RJMI) may be able to help. This fund’s net expense ratio sits at 0.45%.
As the fund’s title suggests, RJMI focuses its investments toward municipal securities that offer interest exempt from federal income tax. Primarily, the fund will focus its exposure on investment-grade munis. However, RJMI’s portfolio team may choose to allocate a smaller amount of assets into high yield securities instead.
RJVI Uses a Multi-Asset Strategy
Last but certainly not least is the RJ Eagle Vertical Income ETF (RJVI). Like RJDI, this fund possesses a net expense ratio of 55 basis points.
RJVI offers a more holistic approach to income and capital appreciation. The fund still invests in investment-grade corporate bonds. However, RJVI can also invest a portion of its net assets into a company’s common stock or preferred securities. This helps the fund offer income and long-term returns through different parts of a company’s capital structure.
“Actively managed ETFs have been extremely popular in 2025 as advisors look to the experts to navigate a volatile market,” said Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi.” “It’s great to see Raymond James Investment Management bring its security selection efforts to the ETF market.”
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