Trackinsight Global ETF Survey 2026: The $22 Trillion ETF Boom Shifts the Spotlight From Access to Selection

Key Findings

• ETF Selection Is Becoming More Demanding. Portfolio fit is the leading selection criterion, and nearly 7 in 10 professional respondents are reassessing existing ETF holdings. Meanwhile, 46% of ETF share classes with reported assets hold less than $50 million.
• Active ETFs Are Gaining Ground. 43.6% of respondents are using or expanding active ETF strategies, while active funds accounted for 48.3% of launches and 31.7% of global ETF net inflows through July 2026.
• Fixed Income Investors Are Taking a More Targeted Approach. Survey responses indicate a preference for higher-quality credit and shorter maturities. Fixed income ETFs attracted $460.1 billion in net inflows, with active strategies capturing more than a third.
• Innovative ETF Strategies Are Expanding the Investment Toolkit. Downside management, diversification and income rank among investors' leading priorities for emerging strategies. Planned autocallable ETF adoption is more than double current use, while options-based ETF assets reached $384 billion.
• Thematic Investing Is Entering a New Cycle. 75.5% of respondents report stronger demand for thematic ETFs. The segment attracted $68 billion in net inflows through July, with interest concentrating in infrastructure, electrification, defense and artificial intelligence.
• Investor Research and Education Remain Critical. Professional investors want better insight into strategy behavior and more reliable, comparable data. Nearly half of surveyed self-directed investors acknowledge investing in an ETF before fully reviewing the available information.

Beyond these findings, the report explores developments across active management, fixed income, options-based and outcome-oriented strategies, thematic and ESG investing, digital assets and tokenization, alongside regional market trends and insights into how self-directed investors approach ETF selection.

Jean-Pierre Ané, Deputy CEO of Kepler Cheuvreux, said, "The continued growth of ETFs is transforming how institutional investors approach portfolio construction. With more strategies available, the challenge lies in selecting the right exposures, understanding their interactions and implementing them efficiently. Selection, portfolio construction, liquidity and execution are increasingly interconnected. This evolution highlights the importance of combining high-quality data and research with market expertise and execution capabilities, particularly as ETFs become more specialised and sophisticated."

“Innovation continues to expand the appeal of ETFs, with active management, options-based strategies and outcome-oriented solutions opening up new possibilities for investors. But greater choice also brings greater complexity,” said Philippe Malaise, CEO of Trackinsight.

“Our survey highlights the growing importance of understanding what sits beneath each strategy, how it behaves across market conditions and what role it can play in a portfolio. Reliable, independent and comparable data is becoming essential to informed ETF selection.”

“Today is a golden age for ETF investors globally. Yet the record pace of launches and sheer amount of active and options-based strategies available raises the bar higher than ever for sponsors seeking to earn a long-term position in investor portfolios. Careful construction, education on product merits and the availability of tools to help investors understand ETFs before they allocate are all crucial,” said Matt Kaufman, Global Head of ETFs, Calamos Investments.

Report Availability

The full Trackinsight Global ETF Survey 2026: ETFs' Next Act: From Access to Selection is available here.

About Trackinsight

Trackinsight, a subsidiary of Kepler Cheuvreux, is a global platform for professional ETF investors, delivering data, analytical tools, research and expertise to support fund selection and portfolio optimization.

Media Contacts

Rony Abboud
Chief Marketing Officer, Trackinsight
rony.abboud@trackinsight.com