US enjoys standout year for ETFs in asset raising and innovative strategies

An extraordinary year for ETFs in the US has seen global ETF assets get to over USD18 trillion, while State Street Investment Management reported that US-listed ETFs saw a record USD171 billion in inflows in October, bringing YTD totals to USD1.1 trillion and putting them on track to reach a record USD1.4 trillion by year-end.

In this report, Christian Magoon of Amplify ETFs reports that the US ETF industry has grown by some 24 per cent so far this year and there are now more ETFs than single stocks in the US.

And it’s not just the asset growth that’s exciting – it’s the range of products represented by our winners in this year’s ETF Express US awards report.

The big winners are undoubtedly active ETFs with options-based strategies taking the lead, as demonstrated by our winners’ NEOS Investments who report that income is no longer just ‘boomer candy’ but desired by all ages who may be saving for that holiday, health care plan or new car. Read our interview with Garrett Paolella, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at NEOS Investments, in this report.

Cryptocurrency products have also seen extraordinary growth this year, not just in terms of asset raising in the spot ETF products but in their being used in active ETFs, again to produce income and offer diversification.

US ETF service providers have also had to bring their best game supporting all of the launches and our ETF service providers interviewed in this report cite the extraordinary growth in varieties and numbers of ETFs, something we witness weekly in our ETF launches columns, sponsored by STOXX.

“We are always working with different types of products,” Brett Eichenberger, Partner and market leader, Asset Management at winning auditor Cohen & Co says, “whether options-based, crypto, fixed income, international or derivative-based products. The size and scale of our business enables us to be a significant resource for the ETF ecosystem, which we very much value.”

Amira Abdulkadir, Head of ETFs, S&P Global Market Intelligence, says: “With continued innovation, we expect to see more novel funds launched across the board. These funds will need bespoke solutions that we provide in enrichment, aggregation and distribution.”

Tidal Financial Group swept the board with wins this year, with Guillermo Trias writing that one of the more notable trends his firm has observed in the Tidal business, is the steady flow of large asset managers entering the ETF space, which, he believes, signals the long-term viability and growth potential of the ETF market which is now recognised by large institutions.

Many congratulations to all our winners in this year’s US ETF awards. 

Beverly Chandler, managing editor, ETF Express

No information contained in this report is designed to act as investment advice.

ETF Express US Awards’ Full Report 2025

Featuring Avantis Investors by American Century Investments | Nasdaq | NEOS Investments | The New York Stock Exchange | Tidal Financial Group | ACA Foreside | ACA Group | Amplify ETFs | Cohen & Co | S&P Global Market Intelligence