UBS is leading a niche pack proportionally as Vanguard retakes the crown there. Two other ETF giants are also gaining AUM fast in the space.

Today Chicago-based investment research giant Morningstar released its "Morningstar ETF Managed Portfolios Landscape Report" for the fourth quarter of 2017. Ben Johnson, director of global ETF research, again penned the report.

Leading the pack was Vanguard's ETF strategist arm, with AUM growth of $1.7188 billion in Q4 2017, M* estimates. Other big AUM gainers in Q4 included: SSgA, $1.0975 billion; BlackRock, $710.9 million, down from $1.29 billion in Q3; Richard Bernstein Advisors, $707.2 million; and UBS, $645.6 million.

Proportionately, of the 30-biggest ETF strategists tracked by M*, UBS led the pack in Q4, seeing its AUM rise an estimated 57.9 percent. Other big AUM gainers in Q4 included: Richard Bernstein, 19.1 percent; SSgA, 16.3 percent; Vanguard, 15.9 percent; and WestEnd Advisors, 14 percent.

Per strategy, it was BNY Mellon's ETF strategist that led the pack, seeing its AUM rise an estimated $187 million per strategy. Other big Q4 AUM gainers included: Richard Bernstein, $117.9 million per strategy; UBS, $107.6 million per strategy; Churchill Management Group, $89 million per strategy; and WestEnd, $86.7 million per strategy.

None of the top 30 ETF strategists tracked by M* saw their AUM slip in Q4 2017.

ETF titans dominate the ETF strategist space by AUM. Charles Schwab is the biggest ETF strategist in the business, now with $12.4254 billion in AUM (including its Windhaven business). The next four biggest are: Vanguard, $10.8412 billion; BlackRock, $7.9281 billion; SSgA, $6.7338 billion; and RiverFront, $6.6539 billion. 

Stay ahead of the news ... Sign up for our email alerts now
CLICK HERE