Cullen Rogers, Wedbush Funds Advisers discusses the evolution in the use of Thematic ETFs on ETF TV
ETF TV, the premier source for insights into the world of exchange traded funds (ETFs), issuers, and investments, is pleased to share its latest episode featuring Cullen Rogers, CIO of Wedbush Fund Advisers, who joins Margareta Hricova and Deborah Fuhr on ETF TV to provide a sharp look at how ETF usage and product innovation are evolving across advisor and institutional portfolios.
He highlights a meaningful shift in thematic ETFs, which have matured from short‑term tactical tools used by active managers into more structurally differentiated building blocks within modern portfolios. Rogers notes that the days of “ticker-first, strategy-later” thematic launches are fading; today’s investors expect credible, targeted exposures that capture long-term secular themes such as AI, compute power, and other emerging technological pillars.
Rogers emphasizes that Wedbush’s ETF approach differs from many newer entrants due to the firm’s 70-year heritage, deep research resources, and disciplined product design philosophy. Rather than flooding the market with undifferentiated offerings, Wedbush focuses on structural innovation, identifying gaps where existing ETFs are incomplete, outdated, or too generic. Their upcoming launches—including strategies centered on return on leadership and power and infrastructure—aim to blend thematic relevance with core portfolio utility.
Looking ahead, Rogers sees significant opportunity in the next phase of ETF evolution:
- More precise thematic exposures supported by advances in technology and data.
- A rapid expansion in structured ETF products, offering institutional-style payoff profiles in liquid vehicles.
- Continued growth in defined‑outcome, autocallable, and more complex income-oriented structures.
- A major push into liquid alternatives as investors demand tools that hedge, diversify, and perform across varied market regimes.
He underscores that after years of bull‑market conditions, the industry must now focus on strategies engineered to behave consistently through volatility and shifting macro environments. As investor needs become more specialized, the ETF wrapper’s flexibility and tax efficiency position it as the preferred vehicle for delivering next‑generation strategies.
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Thank you to Wedbush Funds Advisers for sponsoring this episode. For further information on Wedbush Funds Advisers visit https://wedbushfunds.com/
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