Thematic ETF launches in 2026 outpace the 2021 pace as AI funds multiply
Fund managers keep rolling out AI, robotics and cybersecurity ETFs. Morningstar counts 73 thematic launches in the U.S. this year, against 39 in 2025.
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what happened
Thematic ETFs are booming. According to Morningstar, 73 such funds have launched in the U.S. so far in 2026, an 87% increase on the 39 launches seen in 2025. The previous peak came in 2021, when 90 products were launched during the COVID-era market frenzy.
Asset managers are rolling out narrow products within the AI theme, covering memory chips for data centers, photonics, AI lab ecosystems, robotics and humanoids, space and cybersecurity. Investors, market participants say, increasingly want more precise exposures rather than broad index funds.
October has been rocky, though. According to FactSet data, the iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF BAI fell more than 14% this month through Friday, while the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF AIQ lost more than 4%. Analysts warn that high valuations of AI companies make it hard to judge how late an investor is entering the trend.
why it matters
The wave of new products resembles the 2021 frenzy, which is a relevant signal for markets. A growing number of narrow funds can amplify swings in individual AI segments, as capital flows become more concentrated.
market impact
AI and chip stocks: inflows into thematic funds amplify swings within specific AI segments
tags
instruments
sources
- AI fever ignites a boom in thematic ETFs as fund managers hunt for their next big hit — Dow Jones Newswires, 24 October 2026 at 12:00 UTC
prepared by the newsmetry newsroom with ai assistance from the sources listed below. not investment advice.
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