Top U.S. ETF News You Missed Last Week - Jul 28-August 1, 2025

This week saw a flood of new ETFs hitting the market, with several major players expanding their offerings in key areas:

• State Street's Premium Income Push: State Street has launched a suite of 11 Select Sector SPDR® Premium Income ETFs. These funds combine the firm's well-known sector exposure with a covered call strategy to generate enhanced income. This move signals a strong market appetite for options-based ETFs that provide both targeted sector exposure and consistent yield.
• BlackRock's Active Infrastructure ETF: BlackRock introduced the iShares Infrastructure Active ETF (BILT), an actively managed fund that provides global exposure to listed infrastructure companies. Targeting a rapidly growing market, BILT invests in sectors like energy, transportation, and utilities, further solidifying BlackRock's presence in the infrastructure space.
• Fixed Income Expansion by PGIM: PGIM has expanded its fixed income lineup with three new actively managed corporate bond ETFs: the PGIM Corporate Bond 0–5 Year ETF (PCS), the PGIM Corporate Bond 5–10 Year ETF (PCI), and the PGIM Corporate Bond 10+ Year ETF (PCL). These funds offer investors a range of duration-specific options for exposure to investment-grade corporate bonds.
• Thematic Investing Gets Granular: Thematic investing continues to be a hot area. First Trust launched the First Trust Bloomberg Nuclear Power ETF (RCTR), targeting companies involved in the nuclear energy supply chain, from uranium to power generation. This fund aims to capitalize on the increasing global demand for zero-carbon energy.
• Leveraged and Options-Based ETFs Proliferate: The trend of highly specialized, high-yield funds continues. YieldMax launched the RBLY ETF, which uses an options-based strategy to generate income from Roblox (RBLX) equity derivatives. Similarly, GraniteShares debuted the YieldBOOST COIN ETF (COYY), which sells put options on the 2x Long COIN Daily ETF to create income. REX Shares also introduced its first 2x daily leveraged ETFs for Webull and DraftKings, catering to traders seeking amplified exposure to specific single stocks.

Fund Updates and Ecosystem Developments

• Fee Cuts and Policy Changes: Pacer announced fee reductions on four of its thematic ETFs (TRFK, FOWF, ODDS, and BULD) from 0.60% to 0.49% to attract more cost-conscious investors. Global X updated the investment policy for its S&P 500® Covered Call ETF (XYLD), allowing it to use representative sampling with underlying ETFs, a change that may impact tracking error.
• Institutional Backing: Janus Henderson's new asset-backed securities ETF, JABS, received a significant institutional endorsement with $100 million in seed capital from Guardian Life Insurance, highlighting the strong interest from major financial players in this area.
• Fund Conversions and Closures: AllianceBernstein is planning to convert three of its fixed-income mutual funds into actively managed ETFs, a growing trend in the industry. On the other hand, American Century Investments is closing two of its ETFs, QPFF and QCON, despite a solid track record, demonstrating the competitive nature of the market.

The Crypto ETF Revolution Continues

The digital asset space saw several major breakthroughs and filings this week:

• SEC Approves "In-Kind" Creation: The SEC's approval of "in-kind" creation and redemption for spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs is a landmark decision. This change allows authorized participants to directly exchange cryptocurrency for ETF shares, which is expected to boost liquidity and efficiency for these products.
• Staking ETFs Gain Momentum: Cboe has filed to list a staked Injective ETF from Canary Capital, following similar filings for Solana and Ether. The potential approval of these products would allow investors to earn staking rewards within a regulated ETF wrapper.
• Streamlined Approval Process: Both the Cboe and NYSE have filed for a streamlined approval process for crypto ETFs, proposing a unified framework that could significantly reduce the time and effort required to bring new digital asset products to market.
• Innovations in Trading: eToro announced plans to launch 24/5 trading for U.S. stocks and ETFs by tokenizing them on the Ethereum blockchain, marking a significant step toward integrating traditional equities with decentralized finance (DeFi) technology.

Active and Thematic ETF Filings

The week saw numerous filings for new ETFs, many of them actively managed and targeting specific market segments.

• Brookmont has filed for the Brookmont Dividend Growth ETF, an actively managed fund that will invest in U.S. large- and mid-cap dividend-growing companies. It will use a bottom-up approach and aim to align its sector weights with the Russell 1000 Value Index.
• Advisors Asset Management plans to launch the AAM Crescent CLO ETF (CLOC), an active fund focused on investing in Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs) to provide higher yields and lower default risk compared to traditional fixed income.
• T. Rowe Price filed for the T. Rowe Price Active Core International Equity ETF, which will use a mix of fundamental and quantitative models to invest in developed markets outside the U.S., with the goal of outperforming the MSCI EAFE Index.
• VanEck is looking to capitalize on the clean energy trend with the Nuclear Innovators ETF, an active fund targeting global firms in advanced nuclear reactor technology and uranium enrichment.
• First Trust also filed for a thematic ETF, the First Trust Indxx Critical Metals ETF, which will track companies mining metals crucial for clean energy and technology, excluding those with operations in China or Russia.
• Global X filed for an ETF that will track the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index, providing exposure to global gold and silver mining companies.

Innovative Strategies and Conversions

Several filings highlight the industry's continued push into sophisticated strategies and fund structure conversions.

• F/m Investments filed for the F/m Callable Tax-Free Municipal ETF (ZMUN), a passive fund that will track an index of investment-grade municipal bonds nearing their call dates to offer higher coupons and tax-exempt income.
• iShares is planning to launch the iShares Systematic Alternatives Active ETF, a multi-strategy fund that will use long/short positions and derivatives to provide diversified exposure and target returns in various market conditions.
• Teucrium and AlphaDroid filed for two new fund-of-funds ETFs, the AlphaDroid® Broad Markets Momentum ETF (EZMO) and the AlphaDroid® Defensive Sector Rotation ETF (EZRO). Both passive funds will use momentum strategies to tactically rotate between broad market or defensive ETFs based on market signals.
• AllianceBernstein announced plans to convert three of its fixed-income mutual funds into actively managed ETFs, a move that provides shareholders with the structural advantages of the ETF format, such as increased liquidity and potential tax efficiency.
• WisdomTree filed for a blockchain-enabled PutWrite ETF, which will use a cash-secured put writing strategy and tokenize its shares on blockchains like Stellar and Ethereum to enhance digital record-keeping and transfer flexibility.

Leveraged ETFs on the Rise

The filings also show a strong demand for leveraged, single-stock ETFs, particularly for newly public or trending companies.

• Leverage Shares (Themes ETF) filed for the 2X Long FIG Daily ETF, offering 2x daily leveraged exposure to Figma (FIG).
• ProShares filed for a similar product, the ProShares Ultra FIG, which also provides 2x daily leveraged exposure to Figma.
• REX Shares filed for two new 2x leveraged ETFs, targeting both Figma (FIG) and SharpLink Gaming Inc. (SBET). This highlights the focus on providing traders with amplified exposure to specific, high-conviction stocks.

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.