ETF Zoo

ETF.com
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Investing
  • Updated Semimonthly

Welcome to ETF Zoo, the podcast where we check into recent happenings in the wild world of ETFs. Hosts Dave Nadig, President and Director of Research at ETF.com, alongside Sumit Roy, Senior ETF Analyst at ETF.com, are joined each episode by a rotating cast of ETF industry experts. Together they delve into the latest ETF news and hottest trends to break down what it all actually means for advisors and investors.

  1. 5d ago

    Leveraged Lunacy Surpasses $65 Billion in Gains

    This week, Dave Nadig and Sumit Roy are joined by Eric Balchunas (Bloomberg) and Tony Dong (ETF Central) for a wide-ranging look at where money is actually moving in the ETF market, and where it isn't. Despite a flat-to-down market swallowing this month's inflows, plain-vanilla giants like VOO, SPY, and VTI keep pulling in hundreds of billions, even as commodities, crypto, and factor strategies get largely ignored as diversifiers. From there, the group discusses the Roundhill DRAM memory-chip ETF, which broke the inflow record previously held by iShares' spot Bitcoin ETF, took a 40% price hit, and somehow kept nearly all its assets anyway in a case study in how sticky hot money has become. Things get more pointed as the Zoo crew debates the recent wave of leveraged single-stock ETFs tied to the SpaceX IPO, with Tony Dong questioning the wisdom of the products and Eric Balchunas offering a spirited defense of leveraged funds broadly, pointing to $65 billion in real investor gains from products like TQQQ. The back half of the episode covers the new Trump accounts for kids and their potential to reshape generational wealth transfer, why crypto ETF flows have gone quiet as Bitcoin sits well off its highs, and whether the recent strength in South Korea, Taiwan, and emerging markets finally signals a real rotation or just another short-lived narrative. Watch this conversation over at https://www.etf.com/sections/podcasts/etf-zoo-leveraged-lunacy-surpasses-65b-gains New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to stay on top of the flows, fads, and fundamentals moving the ETF market.

  2. Jul 2

    Mid-Year Check-In & the AI Trade That Won't Quit

    Dave Nadig and Sumit Roy of ETF.com, sit down this week with Cinthia Murphy (TMX VettaFi), Jeff Ptak (Morningstar), and Todd Sohn (Baird Strategas) to unpack a wild first half of 2026 for ETFs. On the table: a trillion dollars in inflows and counting, Jeff's fresh-off-the-Hill testimony before Congress, and a new SEC comment request that could reshape how novel products get approved. Plus, the crew breaks down the AI-fueled ETF leaderboard, the messy SpaceX access-fund saga ahead of its Nasdaq 100 buy-in, Micron's bizarre life as a value stock,"and why leveraged ETF trading volume (and a scrappy new low-cost issuer) has everyone talking. You can watch the video version of this conversation here: https://www.etf.com/sections/podcasts/etf-zoo-mid-year-check-ai-trade-wont-quit

  3. Jun 22

    The Leveraged ETF Frenzy Picks Up Momentum

    The ETF landscape continues to expand at an impressive rate, with over 5,400 ETFs trading and $1 trillion in flows notched at nearly the halfway point of 2026. Find out what this week's ETF Zoo crew thinks of leveraged ETF demand, thematics, and more in this episode of ETF Zoo. Host Dave Nadig, President & Director of Research at ETF.com is joined this week by freelancer Lara Crigger; Mike Akins, founding partner of ETF Action; and Todd Sohn, Senior ETF & Technical Strategist at Strategas Securities.  Follow along with the conversation at https://www.etf.com/sections/podcasts/etf-zoo-leveraged-etf-frenzy-picks-momentum

  4. Jun 5

    ETF Zoo: What Happens When Tech Eats the Entire Market?

    Tech is dominating everything, and this week's ETF Zoo panel has thoughts. Dave Nadig, Sumit Roy of ETF.com, Cinthia Murphy of TMX VettaFi, and Todd Sohn of Strategas dig into the staggering $27 billion that has poured into tech ETFs since March, why semiconductors now dwarf the entire defensive sector, and whether this rally has any ceiling. Plus: Vanguard's VOO just crossed $1 trillion to dethrone SPY as the largest S&P 500 ETF. Find out what that milestone really tells us about where investing is headed. Bitcoin is losing the attention war to AI, the SpaceX IPO is raising serious red flags, and there's a quiet tax strategy called the 351 transfer that more advisors should probably know about. Watch the video version of this episode at https://www.etf.com/sections/podcasts/etf-zoo-what-happens-when-tech-eats-entire-market

  5. May 22

    Why Rebalancing Killed the ARK Star

    In this episode of the ETF Zoo, Dave Nadig, President & Director of Research at ETF.com, talks with Eric Balchunas, Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence and Todd Sohn, Senior ETF & Technical Strategist, Strategas Securities. The crew talks current ETF flows, including blockbuster flows into the Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM), offers their perspectives on ARK Invest and Cathie Wood’s active management style, movement in Treasury yields, and more.  You can also find the video version of this conversation on our site as well as over on YouTube. As always, the episode opens with a discussion about the ongoing, staggering pace of recent ETF flows. Setting aside a brief period of restraint in March, equity inflows have consistently hit over $5 billion to $7 billion per day. The Zoo crew this week noted that the massive influx is being heavily driven by legacy asset managers and mutual funds slowly converting their business models into ETFs. Interestingly, despite major drawdowns, total cumulative flows into Bitcoin ETFs remain incredibly sticky at around $57 to $58 billion, showcasing strong long-term holder conviction. Beneath the broader market surface, capital is overwhelmingly being vacuumed into technology and artificial intelligence still. The crew highlighted the continued flows into the Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM), which shattered non-crypto records by reaching $10 billion in assets in just over six weeks. This specific interest underscores an investor appetite for thematic pick and shovel plays, with a specific focus on capacity-constrained memory and hardware infrastructure necessary to power generative AI. While safer alternatives like Vanguard’s new target bond maturity ETFs are quietly growing in the background, high-beta tech innovation remains the dominant market force. A significant portion of the conversation focused on a recent critique of Cathie Wood and ARK Invest. Balchunas offered a nuanced defense, arguing that while Wood boasts an exceptional eye for early-stage disruption (e.g., Nvidia, Tesla, Bitcoin), her performance suffers due to its rebalancing strategy. By consistently trimming her skyrocketing winners to fund underperforming laggards, she severely capped her long-term returns.Roy countered by emphasizing the fund's massive drawdowns and overall underperformance relative to the S&P 500. However, the group agreed that ARK's assets remain remarkably sticky because traders utilize her high-beta funds as a tactical vehicle to express extreme growth sentiment. The episode concluded with a look at eccentric market updates and product filings. Looking forward to the highly anticipated SpaceX IPO, the crew expressed general skepticism about navigating the ultra-volatile 15-day window before its eventual index inclusion. In fixed income, Roy discussed the 30-year yield hitting its highest point since 2007, pointing out how the massive AI narrative has largely caused equities to shrug off bond market pressures. Discussion wrapped with a look at South Korean funeral homes investing in leveraged U.S. ETFs, as well as Truth Social pulling out of bitcoin. Find out more about this episode’s guests:  Eric Balchunas and Bloomberg Intelligence: Bloomberg Intelligence, Eric on Twitter Todd Sohn and Strategas: strategasasset.com, Todd on LinkedIn

  6. May 8

    From SpaceX to the Corgi Cannon, Anything Goes

    In this episode of the ETF Zoo, Dave Nadig, President & Director of Research at ETF.com, talks with Mike Akins, Founding Partner of ETF Action; Tony Dong, MSc, CETF, Founder and Owner of ETF Portfolio Blueprint; and Todd Sohn, Senior ETF & Technical Strategist, Strategas Securities.  Together the group dives into the blistering pace of the ETF market in 2026, the impending SpaceX IPO and it’s rippling effect on markets and benchmark indices, the Corgi cannon of new funds and potential implications for the industry, and more.  Prefer to watch the episode instead? You can find it over on our site at or on our YouTube channel. There’s been a staggering $651 billion in new flows year-to-date, generating an implied $1.5 billion in fee revenue for the ETF industry. Akins argues that this momentum is sustainable, not necessarily because new money is flooding the market, but because of the ongoing migration from mutual funds to ETFs, particularly within active management and alternative spaces. The conversation moves into active management, including discussions of fixed income and more.  The impending SpaceX IPO remains top of mind for everyone. The discussion lingers on the fact that the S&P 500 and Nasdaq are considering changing financial viability rules to fast-track these hyper IPO companies into indexes, a move that forces passive investors to buy into potentially unprofitable, volatile assets. With companies like NVIDIA and Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) driving the lion's share of returns in popular funds like the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH), investors should beware of stretched valuations and the recent crop of consensus plays, according to Sohn.  The Corgi cannon of fund launches also took center stage in this week’s episode. Corgi recently filed for over 300 funds and launched 34 in a single day earlier this week. While the firm currently undercuts competitors on fees, the mood was dubious on how well an approach like this will fare. Akins is quick to point out that retail investors rarely chase small fee differences in themes that can swing significantly in either direction, suggesting that without a major distribution force for advisors, many of these niche ETFs face a tough uphill battle. The conversation closes on a shift to defensive strategies and the rise of prediction market ETFs. If you’ve never heard of the Cockroach Portfolio, prepare to be enlightened. Dong shares his version, a minimalist strategy consisting of five ETFs with low fees, rebalanced quarterly, that generates historical outperformance compared to benchmarks. Despite the allure of high-octane tech and speculative betting markets, the truth remains that the best long-term strategies are these types of straightforward, tried and true strategies even as the industry continues to churn out increasingly exotic and risky products.

  7. Apr 17

    DRAMatic Launches and Wall Street's Crypto Takeover

    Welcome to ETF Zoo, where we check in on the latest happenings in the wild world of ETFs. The crew this week covers the liquidity crunch happening in private credit, the broadening industry embrace of bitcoin and crypto, how diversification is actually (finally!) working this year, and niche ETFs to launch recently, including the already wildly popular Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM). ETF.com hosts Dave Nadig, President & Director of Research, and Sumit Roy, Senior ETF Analyst, are joined this week by Nate Geraci, President, NovaDius Wealth Management; Brian Moriarty, Principal, Manager Research at Morningstar; and James Seyffart, CFA, CAIA, Senior Research Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence.  Hot Topics Covered Include:   Private Credit Liquidity Concerns: The recent friction in private credit, despite redemption mechanisms working as intended to protect portfolios, are a cause for concern. By opening up to the retail market, asset managers now find themselves exposed to the reality of investors wanting their money back during downturns.  The "Wall Street-fication" of Crypto: With major institutions like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs launching crypto-linked products, the Zoo crew discusses bitcoin’s evolution into a standard tool for advisors with the industry focusing more on distribution and management fees. The Rise of Targeted, Niche ETFs: The success of the Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) — that focuses on memory chips — demonstrates a growing demand for highly concentrated thematic plays combined with the ability to quickly launch timely, niche strategies.  The ETF Spaghetti Cannon Is Fully Operational: At the same time, lower regulatory hurdles and the rise of white-label providers have led to declining costs to launch an ETF. This is turn has given rise to a trend where issuers launch numerous tactical products and demonstrate a ready willingness to close funds that don’t gain immediate traction. Diversification’s Return to Form: For the first time in years, diversification is actually helping portfolios. With small-caps, value stocks, international markets, and gold outperforming the S&P 500 at various points this year, megacap tech dominance is finally giving way to a broader market rotation. Follow along with the conversation at https://www.etf.com/sections/podcasts

  8. Mar 30

    Gold, the Oil Trade, and Taxes

    Welcome to ETF Zoo, where we check in on the latest happenings in the wild world of ETFs. The crew this week explores the surge in international flows and if $2 trillion is still on the table, the merits and myths of gold as a hedge, action in oil ETFs—including tanker shipping—and the growing dominance of active ETFs as well as regulatory action on ETF taxation.  ETF.com hosts Dave Nadig, President & Director of Research, and Sumit Roy, Senior ETF Analyst, are joined this week by Eric Balchunas, Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, and Kirsten Chang, Senior Industry Analyst at TMX VettaFi.  Topics Covered Include: Checking in on Flows and Predictions: The group discusses the massive influx of capital into ETFs, noting that nearly half a trillion dollars has already moved into the market this year. There is significant debate over whether the industry will hit a record $2 trillion in annual flows, driven largely by a class of legacy asset managers finally embracing the ETF structure. If you want more Q1 analysis, don't miss Dave Nadig's breakdown here. International vs. U.S. Equity: The rotation towards international equity continues, entering its 11th straight month of inflows and is currently pulling in twice the capital of U.S. equity ETFs. Is this a move by investors trying to tackle U.S. concentrations? Eric Balchunas discusses individual country investing and the larger implications. Gold as a Non-Correlated Asset: Recent market activity has been a sharp reminder for investors that gold doesn't function as a traditional hedge but instead remains a zero-correlated asset to stocks. As more investors embrace this reality, will it change how they use gold in their portfolios? Shipping and Oil Volatility: Sumit Roy discusses the top performing ETF, the Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF (BWET), this year that's riding high on skyrocketing tanker freight futures caused by conflict in the Middle East. However, this is a complex, high-risk trade, and traditional investors should stick to more straightforward energy plays. Active Management and Industry Consolidation: A significant portion of new ETF launches and flows are now actively managed rather than passive. This shift is driving industry consolidation, though Kirsten Chang notes that modern mergers are becoming more methodical—focused on acquiring specific tech or specialized narratives—rather than just seeking scale through legacy mutual fund businesses. Follow along with the conversation over at ETF.com.

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Ratings & Reviews

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About

Welcome to ETF Zoo, the podcast where we check into recent happenings in the wild world of ETFs. Hosts Dave Nadig, President and Director of Research at ETF.com, alongside Sumit Roy, Senior ETF Analyst at ETF.com, are joined each episode by a rotating cast of ETF industry experts. Together they delve into the latest ETF news and hottest trends to break down what it all actually means for advisors and investors.

Information

  • Creator
    ETF.com
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Show Website
    ETF Zoo