This month, we sit down with Beverly Chandler, a journalist who’s been chronicling the ETF industry for well over a decade. As Managing Editor of ETF Express, she has a front-row seat to the stories shaping the sector, from innovative product launches to shifting investor behaviours. We asked Beverly about what makes ETF news stand out, how issuers can better tell their stories, and the trends she’s watching most closely in the months ahead.
You’ve been covering the ETF industry for years through ETF Express. What’s the most interesting shift you’ve seen in the ETF landscape recently – from either an innovation or investor behaviour perspective?
The rise in appetite for active investment in an ETF format is really interesting. I started writing about ETFs in 2010 but before that I covered and worked in the hedge fund industry so seeing hedge fund strategies appearing in ETFs is fascinating.
From your vantage point as a journalist, what makes an ETF story stand out to you? What makes a launch or issuer newsworthy enough for coverage?
We try to cover all ETF launches that we can find. Launches that might then get a follow-up interview are ones that are doing something new, or reflect a change in trends or a rising story driven by external events such as defence or gold.
ETF issuers are competing not just on products but also on storytelling. In your experience, what separates the issuers who cut through the noise from those who don’t?
Issuers with strong stories to tell will always make better stories in their own right – or in podcast conversations which we also offer. The launch of bitcoin ETFs in the US earlier this year was a good case in point as the story grew on the back of investor interest.
Looking ahead, are there any trends or themes you think ETF marketers and issuers should be preparing for?
I think active investing within ETFs is going to continue to grow and the ageing population, hunting for income in retirement, is going to continue to drive the growth of defined outcome products. I also think we will see a rise in products based on private markets as issuers try to find new ways to create alpha, even within an ETF format.