Ready, Fire, Aim: The ETF Industry Blasts Its Spaghetti Cannon
Though there are now over 1,900 exchange-traded products to choose from, most of us could build a perfectly suitable, low-cost portfolio selecting a small handful of the 100 largest.
Though there are now over 1,900 exchange-traded products to choose from, most of us could build a perfectly suitable, low-cost portfolio selecting a small handful of the 100 largest.
A version of this article was published in the May 2016 issue of Morningstar ETFInvestor. Download a complimentary copy of ETFInvestor here.
As of June 15, there were 1,926 exchange-traded products, or ETPs (the term includes both exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes), listed on U.S. exchanges. This number has increased without interruption since the first U.S.-listed ETF, SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), was launched in 1993. The expansion of the ETP menu during the intervening 20-plus years has featured many truly useful new innovations, including international-equity ETFs and bond ETFs.
Ben Johnson does not own (actual or beneficial) shares in any of the securities mentioned above. Find out about Morningstar’s editorial policies.