DJ Shaw
2 min read
The global exchange-traded fund industry launched 847 new products in the first four months of 2025, setting a new record that surpassed the previous high of 563 launches recorded in the same period in 2022, according to research and consultancy firm ETFGI.
The launch pace shows fund companies are racing to meet investor demand for new strategies, while active ETFs pull in billions as investors seek professional management over index-tracking.
The 847 new ETF launches were distributed across regions, with the United States leading at 319 products, followed by Asia Pacific excluding Japan at 270 and Europe at 116, according to the ETFGI report. After accounting for 179 closures, the industry recorded a net increase of 668 products.
A total of 266 providers contributed to these new listings across 35 exchanges globally, according to ETFGI. Meanwhile, 179 closures were reported from 71 providers across 20 exchanges during the same period.
Among the newly launched products, 415 were active ETFs, while 286 were index equity ETFs and 52 were index fixed-income ETFs, according to ETFGI data. iShares led with 31 new listings, followed by Global X with 24 launches.
Active ETFs continued their growth trajectory, with assets reaching a record $1.3 trillion at the end of April, according to ETFGI's Active ETF Industry Landscape Insights Report. These funds attracted $32.2 billion in net inflows during April alone.
The JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ) recorded the largest individual net inflow of $1.7 billion in April, according to ETFGI. Other top performers included the Dimensional International Value ETF (DFIV) with $970.3 million, the Capital Group Dividend Value ETF (CGDV) with $845.1 million and the Avantis US Large Cap Value ETF (AVLV) with $799.2 million in monthly inflows.
Year-to-date net inflows through April into actively managed ETFs reached $176.8 billion, according to the report. This marks 61 consecutive months of net inflows into active strategies, reflecting the sustained investor demand.
Equity-focused actively managed ETFs led inflows with $22.5 billion during April, bringing year-to-date equity inflows to $96.2 billion, according to ETFGI. Fixed-income active ETFs also saw strong demand with $7.3 billion in April inflows.
