The crew in this episode of ETF Zoo includes Dave Nadig, President & Director of Research at ETF.com, talks with Mike Akins, Founding Partner of ETF Action; Tony Dong, MSc, CETF, Founder and Owner of ETF Portfolio Blueprint; and Todd Sohn, Senior ETF & Technical Strategist, Strategas Securities. They cover a wide range of recent happenings in ETFs, including more record-breaking flows for the industry, what SpaceX’s IPO could mean for traditional portfolios, the Corgi cannon of new ETF launches, and more.
Prefer to watch the conversation? You can find that here or over on our YouTube channel, as well as listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Topics Covered
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Record-Breaking Flows and Revenue: There’s been a stunning $651 billion in new flows so far in 2026 into the ETF industry, generating an estimated $1.5 billion in fee revenue. The crew attributes this growth to a massive, ongoing structural shift as investors abandon traditional mutual fund wrappers in favor of the tax-efficient ETF wrapper.
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SpaceX and Index Manipulation: The group collectively raised alarms this week over major index providers like Nasdaq and S&P potentially relaxing financial viability rules to fast-track the SpaceX IPO into their benchmarks. Such a move would force passive investors to buy into a high-volatility, potentially unprofitable asset regardless of its underlying fundamentals. And will SpaceX be able to maintain valuations long-term or will it turn into just another Figma IPO, leaving investors with nothing?
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The Corgi Cannon: Newcomer Corgi has filed for hundreds of funds and launched 34 ETFs in a single day with aggressive pricing as low as 35 basis points. While the crew praised their catchy ticker selections, they remained skeptical that low fees alone could unseat established giants without a massive advisor distribution network.
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The Rise of Active Fixed Income: Active management is gaining significant ground in the fixed-income space, with active flows now keeping pace with or exceeding passive strategies in core categories. Fixed income is inherently difficult to index, making it the perfect playground of opportunity for active managers as interest rate volatility continues.
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The Cockroach Portfolio Defense: Tony Dong proposed a minimalist defensive strategy consisting of five core ETFs—Health Care, Staples, Utilities, Treasuries, and Gold—to weather any macroeconomic storm. Despite the excitement surrounding AI and prediction markets, there’s general agreement that this subdued approach offers superior risk-adjusted returns for long-term survival.
