ETF News You Missed This Week - Aug. 25-29, 2025

New Launches Dominate the Headlines

The Franklin Multisector Income ETF (MULT) debuted as an actively managed bond fund seeking diversified income and long-term growth through a flexible, risk-managed approach.

Alongside it, the Franklin Dividend Growth ETF (FRIZ) entered the market, targeting U.S. companies with strong dividend growth potential to deliver stability and appreciation in volatile markets.

SEI Investments Management expanded the alternatives space with the SEI DBi Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF (QALT), a hedge-fund replication strategy offering exposure to the performance of the 50 largest hedge funds and leading managed futures managers through derivatives.

Pacer ETFs broadened its Free Cash Flow lineup with MCOW and SCOW, providing mid- and small-cap exposure to companies with robust cash flow.

ProShares introduced ProShares Ultra S&P 500 Equal Weight (URSP), a 2x leveraged take on the equal-weighted S&P 500 index.

Scharf Investments made a significant move by converting two of its long-standing mutual funds into ETFs—KAT and GKAT—bringing a combined $900 million into the ETF structure.

Meanwhile, Leverage Shares added to the universe of leveraged single-stock products with BAIG and GLGG, offering 2x daily exposure to BigBear.ai and Galaxy Digital.

Existing Products See Major Updates

VolatilityShares announced significant changes to the Volatility Premium Plus ETF (ZVOL), shifting it from an inverse VIX mid-term futures strategy to a total return approach with monthly income distributions starting in late October.

Options trading began for Tradr’s new AI-linked leveraged ETFs—LABX, DOGD, MDBX, and LRCU—giving traders additional ways to express high-conviction, short-term views on AI-related stocks tied to the data center boom.

ETF Closures Reflect Product Life Cycles

Innovator Capital Management revealed plans to close four Defined Outcome ETFs—XDOC, HOCT, OCTD, and OCTQ—after their outcome periods conclude in early October. The closures, representing just 0.09% of the firm’s assets, highlight the natural lifecycle of structured outcome products.

Filings Signal Expanding Horizons

Filings were abundant, showing the industry’s push into new themes and strategies. VanEck submitted plans for an active India-focused equity ETF, while Russell Investments filed for a Core Plus Bond ETF (BD) and a Global Real Estate ETF (CRIB).

Harris Associates’ Oakmark brand prepared three value-focused offerings spanning U.S., global, and international large-cap equities. Innovator expanded its buffer suite with filings for multiple products offering downside protection across U.S., international, emerging, and small-cap equities.

YieldMax continued its rapid expansion with filings for 12 new single-stock option income ETFs, while Tuttle Capital proposed a broad range of “Income Blast” ETFs blending thematic growth areas like AI, robotics, and nuclear power with structured options overlays.

Other notable filings included iShares planning a 0–1 Year TIPS Bond ETF and a Nasdaq-100 Premium Income & Futures ETF, DoubleLine entering the space with a Securitized Credit ETF, and Manzil proposing a faith-based ETF with strict Shariah and human rights screens.

The crypto and digital assets segment also surged ahead. Bitwise filed for the first U.S. Chainlink ETF, Grayscale advanced its efforts to convert its Avalanche Trust into an ETF and filed for Cardano (ADA) and Polkadot (DOT) ETFs, and 21Shares filed for a SEI ETF that could include staking yields.

Amplify proposed an XRP-linked income ETF, while Canary Capital filed for an ETF tied to the $TRUMP meme coin, showing how far the market has expanded beyond traditional exposures.

Leadership Moves Shape the Industry

Raymond James Investment Management appointed Johan Grahn as head of ETFs, signaling its intent to build a platform anchored by income-focused products. Meanwhile, ETF.com named Dave Nadig as President and Director of Research under new ownership, marking a strategic pivot toward education, media, and community-building within the ETF ecosystem.

In case we missed any, our partners Trackinsight got it covered with this full expanded Western ETF markets recap.

Please note this article is for information purposes only and does not in any way constitute investment advice. It is essential that you seek advice from a registered financial professional prior to making any investment decision.