Ark Invest, DFA, Invesco Score Big in ETF.com Awards
Cathie Wood's Ark Investment Management was declared the ETF issuer of the year and its ARKK the ETF of the year.
Ark Investment Management won two awards, as did Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) and Global X, and Invesco’s QQQJ Nasdaq Next Generation 100 ETF won three awards in the eighth-annual ETF.com awards.
Ark Invest was declared the ETF issuer of the year — which isn’t surprising, since all five of its active ETFs were stellar performers in 2020. The ETFs more than doubled in price in 2020, creating tremendous market buzz about the firm and its very public founder, CEO and chief investment officer, Cathie Wood.
The Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK), the firm’s largest with currently over $22 billion in assets that gained 150% in 2020, won the top prize for ETF of the year. Like all Ark actively managed ETFs, it invests in a limited number of companies that are involved in disruptive technologies as developers or beneficiaries.
In a virtual interview during the awards presentation, Wood talked about the conviction and discipline of the firm’s investment process, which it sticks to “no matter what the market is going through.” She added that the ETFs don’t necessarily do well in volatile times “but usually turn up before a bear market ends, because we focus on new leadership.”
DFA, Global X, Invesco and More ETF Winners
Dimensional Fund Advisors, which launched its first ETFs last year and plans to convert several mutual funds to ETFs this year, won for best new ETF issuer. Its Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF (DFAI), one of three ETFs DFA launched last year, which now has nearly $300 million in assets, won for best new international/global ETF.
Global X won for the Global X Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMBD) as best new global fixed income ETF, and Global X Telemedicine & Digital Health ETF (EDOC) won for best thematic ETF, beating out Ark’s Genomic Revolution and Innovation ETFs.
The Invesco Nasdaq Next Gen 100 ETF (QQQJ), which invests in the next largest companies listed on the Nasdaq after the first 100 largest, won for best new ETF and best new equity ETF for the year. In addition, the ETF’s underlying index won for best index of the year.
Other winners in the annual ETF.com awards were:
- Vanguard ESG U.S. Corporate Bond ETF (VCEB) for best new U.S. fixed income ETF.
- TrueShares ESG Active Opportunities ETF (ECOZ) for best new ESG ETF, the first actively managed ESG ETF to win an ETF.com award.
- iShares U.S. Small Cap Value Factor ETF (SVAL), for best new smart beta or factor ETF.
- American Century Focused Dynamic Growth ETF (FDG), one of two American Century ETFs that were the first nontransparent ETFs to come to market, won for best new active ETF.
- SoFi Weekly Income ETF (TGIF) for best new ticker.
- MSCI for best index provider.
Pictured: Ark Investment Management CEO Cathie Wood