Financial adviser intelligence platform, AdvizorPro, has released its Annual 2025 RIA ETF Trends Report, providing a detailed assessment of how registered investment advisers (RIAs) in the US allocated to ETFs in 2024.
The firm writes that, leveraging public filings and utilising AdvizorPro’s proprietary analysis, the report delivers first of its kind market insight and analysis of RIA ETF positions.
The 2025 RIA ETF Trends Report examines fund adoption, issuer growth, and portfolio shifts to uncover key trends in adviser allocations and emerging investment strategies. Drawing from the 13F filings of over 4,700 RIAs, the report provides a detailed analysis of where advisers are increasing allocations, rebalancing portfolios, or exiting positions. These insights help ETF issuers refine their distribution strategies and adapt to evolving market conditions, the firm says.
This year’s findings highlight the high level of engagements advisers are having with ETFs in their investment portfolios with over half of positions changing year over year. Moreover, the report delivers a more comprehensive look at major industry shifts including the continued transition away from mutual funds, growing demand for risk-managed strategies, and the increasing adoption of thematic and alternative investments.
Key takeaways from the report include:
High ETF turnover signals active portfolio management – Over half of ETF positions changed in 2024, indicating that RIAs are tactically reallocating portfolios to adapt to market conditions.
Thematic & alternative ETFs gain traction – Digital asset ETFs experienced explosive growth, with crypto-related funds up over 1,500 per cent, while structured income and options-based ETFs also gained significant adviser interest.
Fixed Income ETFs are a core focus – In a volatile rate environment, multi-sector and ultrashort bond ETFs saw strong inflows, reinforcing ETFs’ role in yield generation and risk mitigation.
RIAs are expanding their ETF Use – The average number of ETFs per firm rose 14 per cent, with two-thirds of RIAs increasing allocations, highlighting a preference for diversification.
Market share is shifting among issuers – While iShares, Vanguard, and SPDR maintain dominance, firms like JPMorgan, Dimensional, and First Trust are growing, reflecting increased adviser demand for active and factor-based strategies.
“The rapid expansion of ETF adoption among RIAs reflects the increasing importance of product innovation, liquidity, and risk management in today’s market,” says Michael Magnan, co-founder and CEO of AdvizorPro. “The 2025 RIA ETF Trends Report underscores how advisers are diversifying their portfolios, leveraging thematic and alternative investments, and actively managing allocations in response to changing market conditions. ETF issuers that focus on education and differentiated strategies will be best positioned to capture this growing demand.”
