Vanguard is responding to the enthusiasm by expanding its suite of investment options. Last year, the firm launched six actively managed factor-based ETFs to accommodate investors looking for more targeted exposure, particularly to things like value, momentum, quality, liquidity and minimum volatility.
The challenge? "Active [management] requires a track record," Powers said. "We're about 18 months into their life cycle. It's a different concept, and so there's lots of education we're doing in terms of teaching investors how to invest with factors. It's not appropriate for all investors, but for some investors, they want to have very specific exposures."
Exposure is becoming an increasingly hot topic in the ETF market with some large-cap technology companies including accounting for huge portions of certain funds and the broader market, and Powers had an answer for that, too.and the top 10 is really no different than it was 10, ... 15, 20 years ago. The constituents are a little bit different, " Powers said. "If you were concerned about that, then you would go to a much broader fund and buy a total-world ETF, where you're holding the entire world market cap, and that reduces your exposure to the top 10.
VOO was less than 1% higher on Friday after touching a new 52-week high. VT and BND were also up by less than 1%.
ETFEdgeCNBC Is that french for 'they are getting ready to short the market?'