Welcome to the inaugural issue of ETF Advisor magazine! In each quarterly edition, we’ll bring readers actionable stories that take a deep dive into some of the people, issues, trends and products shaping the fast-growing and evolving exchange-traded products industry. We’ll talk to financial advisors to hear how and why they’re employing exchange-traded funds in their client portfolios. We’ll look under the hood of leading ETF strategists to see how they’re constructing portfolios used by advisors. And we’ll get insights from well-known voices within the ETF/ETP space. 

We’re very excited about the story lineup in the maiden edition of ETF Advisor. Our cover story examines the O’Shares ETFs launched by media personality and investor Kevin O’Leary. Perhaps best-known as the star of the Shark Tank television show, O’Leary’s company last year rolled out a suite of multi-factor funds that reflect his investment philosophy. They recently hit their one-year mark, and O’Shares has more funds in registration with the SEC. O’Leary is confident that his funds will be a smash hit in the marketplace. We look at the pros and cons of his funds, and whether his optimism is justified.

Two of our feature stories provide a fresh perspective by uncovering different corners of the ETF world that, at least for now, aren’t heavily trodden by the investing herd. One of the articles explores several countries in a region not on many investors’ radar—South America, ex-Brazil. These countries are laying foundations aimed at creating sustained long-term growth. The other article looks at the small but growing number of ETFs focused on sustainable, responsible and impact investing (SRI) strategies.

Finally, we’re pleased to offer the perspective of ETF industry pioneer Gary Gastineau, who discusses the hidden costs of ETFs. 

We hope you’ll find the information within these pages to be informative, useful and, dare we say, maybe even a little entertaining.
 

Jeff Schlegel, Editor

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