5 Biggest ETF Companies (2024)

Growth in the exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry exploded since these funds were first introduced in the early 1990s. These investment vehicles are pooled securities that operate like mutual funds because they track an underlying asset, such as a commodity, index, or security. But they trade on exchanges the same way stocks do.

Investors have a wide selection of ETFs to choose from with thousands of them currently trading globally. There is no shortage of companies that offer these funds. But the largest ETF companies dominate the ETF market.

The five largest ETF companies control the vast majority of total assets under management (AUM) in the ETF universe. We take a closer look at these companies below, which are ranked by AUM. Data is courtesy of VettaFi as of Jan. 11, 2023. The revenue figures cited below are based on the website's estimates of each issuer's revenue generated from its own ETF business.

Key Takeaways

  • Exchange-traded funds are a popular type of investment that operate like mutual funds but trade on exchanges just like stocks.
  • ETFs are pooled securities that track an underlying asset like a commodity, index, or security.
  • Investors can choose from a variety of ETFs that trade globally.
  • BlackRock's iShares is the largest provider of ETFs as calculated by assets under management.
  • Other major ETF providers include Vanguard, State Street, Invesco, and Charles Schwab.

1. BlackRock Financial Management

  • Assets Under Management (AUM): $2.23 trillion
  • Number of ETFs Offered: 393
  • Revenue: $3.74 billion
  • 3-Month Fund Flow: $65.50 billion
  • Average AUM-Weighted ETF Expense Ratio: 0.17%

BlackRock (BLK) is the world's largest asset management firm that's primarily a mutual fund and ETF management company. BlackRock is a publicly-traded company and issues its family of ETFs under the iShares name. iShares which is a subsidiary of the company.

The largest iShares ETFs include:

  • iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), which tracks the S&P 500 Index and has $312.23 billion in AUM
  • iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA), which tracks developed markets outside North America, with $99.23 billion in AUM

2. Vanguard

  • Assets Under Management (AUM): $1.90 trillion
  • Number of ETFs Offered: 81
  • Revenue: $993.37 million
  • 3-Month Fund Flow: $41.41 billion
  • Average AUM-Weighted ETF Expense Ratio: 0.05%

Vanguard offers investment management and advisory services. It is primarily a mutual fund and ETF management company. The company is uniquely structured: it is owned by its funds, which are owned by shareholders. Thus, Vanguard is owned by its shareholders and there are no outside investors. This structure allows the company to charge very low expenses on its funds.

Vanguard's largest ETFs include:

  • Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI), which tracks thousands of U.S. stocks of various market caps and has $1.3 trillion in AUM
  • Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), which tracks the S&P 500 Index and has $820.7 billion in AUM

Because most ETFs are passively managed, they commonly come with lower expense ratios. This makes them an inexpensive and attractive investment. But keep an eye out for any ETFs that are actively managed, which are characterized by higher expense ratios.

3. State Street

  • Assets Under Management (AUM): $926.66 billion
  • Number of ETFs Offered: 139
  • Revenue: $1.21 billion
  • 3-Month Fund Flow: $31.28 billion
  • Average AUM-Weighted ETF Expense Ratio: 0.13%

State Street SPDR ETFs are issued by State Street Global Advisors, which is the asset management division of State Street Corp. (STT), the publicly-traded financial services company. State Street's products and services include custody, accounting, administration, international exchange services, cash management, asset management, securities lending, investment advisory services, and more.

The largest SPDR funds include:

  • SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 Index and has $391.93 billion in AUM
  • SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), which tracks the spot price of gold bullion and has $59.78 billion in AUM

4. Invesco

  • Assets Under Management (AUM): $329.13 billion
  • Number of ETFs Offered: 242
  • Revenue: $965.90 million
  • 3-Month Fund Flow: $5.19 billion
  • Average AUM-Weighted ETF Expense Ratio: 0.29%

Invesco ETFs are issued by Invesco (IVZ), a publicly-traded company involved in a broad range of investment management activities for individual and institutional customers. In addition to ETFs, the firm offers mutual funds, closed-end funds, retirement plans, and unit trusts.

The largest ETFs offered by Invesco include:

  • Invesco QQQ (QQQ), which tracks the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq and has $180.06 billion in AUM
  • Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP), which tracks an equal-weighted allocation of the 500 companies that make up the S&P 500 Index and has $32.62 billion in AUM

5. Charles Schwab

  • Assets Under Management (AUM): $262.17 billion
  • Number of ETFs Offered: 29
  • Revenue: $125.3 million
  • 3-Month Fund Flow: $200.23 million
  • Average AUM-Weighted ETF Expense Ratio: 0.08%

Charles Schwab ETFs are issued by The Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW), a publicly-traded savings and loan holding company. The firm provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services.

The largest Schwab ETFs include:

  • Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD), which tracks dividend-paying U.S. equities with $45.5 billion in AUM
  • Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF), which tracks large- and mid-cap stocks from developed markets outside the U.S. with $31.63 billion in AUM
5 Biggest ETF Companies (2024)

FAQs

Who are the big 5 ETF issuers? ›

Investors can choose from a variety of ETFs that trade globally. BlackRock's iShares is the largest provider of ETFs as calculated by assets under management. Other major ETF providers include Vanguard, State Street, Invesco, and Charles Schwab.

How many ETFs is enough? ›

Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.

What is the largest ETF company in the world? ›

ETF Providers
No.Provider NameTotal Assets
1BlackRock2,340.85B
2Vanguard2,059.40B
3State Street1,050.98B
4Invesco371.63B
89 more rows

What's the best ETF to buy right now? ›

7 Best ETFs to Buy Now
ETFYTD performance as of June 2
Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK)33.2%
Global X MSCI Greece ETF (GREK)28.8%
Pimco Enhanced Short Maturity Active ETF (MINT)2.5%
iShares Gold Trust (IAU)6.8%
3 more rows
Jun 5, 2023

What is the most famous ETF? ›

Most Popular ETFs: Top 100 ETFs By Trading Volume
SymbolNameAvg Daily Share Volume (3mo)
TQQQProShares UltraPro QQQ134,882,078
SQQQProShares UltraPro Short QQQ129,408,984
SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust87,772,445
SOXLDirexion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares72,319,008
96 more rows

Which ETF holds the most stocks? ›

Largest ETFs: Top 100 ETFs By Assets
SymbolNameAvg Daily Share Volume (3mo)
SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust87,604,742
IVViShares Core S&P 500 ETF3,978,708
VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF3,690,368
VTIVanguard Total Stock Market ETF2,753,517
96 more rows

How many S&P 500 ETFs should I buy? ›

You only need one S&P 500 ETF

You could be tempted to buy all three ETFs, but just one will do the trick. You won't get any additional diversification benefits (meaning the mix of various assets) because all three funds track the same 500 companies.

What is the most aggressive ETF? ›

Aggressive Growth ETF List
Symbol SymbolETF Name ETF NameESG Score Global Percentile (%) ESG Score Global Percentile (%)
VGTVanguard Information Technology ETF82.69%
XLKTechnology Select Sector SPDR Fund88.82%
IVWiShares S&P 500 Growth ETF63.33%
SCHGSchwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF58.77%
4 more rows

How many ETFs should I own as a beginner? ›

The majority of individual investors should, however, seek to hold 5 to 10 ETFs that are diverse in terms of asset classes, regions, and other factors. Investors can diversify their investment portfolio across several industries and asset classes while maintaining simplicity by buying 5 to 10 ETFs.

What is the oldest ETF in the world? ›

SPDR is an acronym for the Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts, the former name of the ETF. It is designed to track the S&P 500 stock market index. This fund is the largest and oldest ETF in the world.

What is the largest US value ETF? ›

The largest Value ETF is the Vanguard Value ETF VTV with $96.81B in assets. In the last trailing year, the best-performing Value ETF was EWJV at 8.46%. The most recent ETF launched in the Value space was the BlackRock Large Cap Value ETF BLCV on 05/19/23.

What is the largest ETF in the US? ›

The largest U.S. ETF is the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY with $397.47B in assets.

Which ETFs outperform the S&P 500? ›

The VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF has been a consistent outperformer over the past 10 years
  • SPX.
  • SPY.
  • AAPL.
  • MSFT.
  • AMZN.
  • NVDA.
  • GOOG.
  • GOOGL.
Mar 29, 2023

What is better than ETF? ›

Both can track indexes as well, however ETFs tend to be more cost effective and more liquid as they trade on exchanges like shares of stock. Mutual funds can provide some benefits such as active management and greater regulatory oversight, but only allow transactions once per day and tend to have higher costs.

Which ETF goes up when market goes down? ›

What is an inverse ETF? An inverse ETF is set up so that its price rises (or falls) when the price of its target asset falls (or rises). This means the ETF performs inversely to the asset it's tracking. For example, an inverse ETF may be based on the S&P 500 index.

What is top 40 ETF? ›

The Satrix 40 ETF tracks the performance of the FTSE/JSE Top 40 index which includes the 40 largest companies on the JSE, ranked by investable market cap. The ETF aims to accurately replicate the index by holding all constituents in the exact index weighting. Distributions are made quarterly.

Which ETFs grew the most in the last three years? ›

100 Highest 3 Year ETF Returns
SymbolName3-Year Return
RSPGInvesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF30.66%
OILKProShares K-1 Free Crude Oil Strategy ETF30.21%
XMESPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF30.13%
PSCEInvesco S&P SmallCap Energy ETF30.10%
90 more rows

What is the largest ETF in 2023? ›

As of January 16, 2023, State Street's SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust was the highest valued exchange traded fund (ETF) globally, with a market capitalization of over 365 billion U.S. dollars.

What is the oldest ETF in the US? ›

SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF is not only the oldest U.S. listed exchange-traded fund, but it also typically has both the largest assets under management (AUM) and highest trading volume of all ETFs.

Which ETF has Tesla as top holding? ›

ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK)

ARKK stock has just 28 positions, and its top 10 holdings account for 63.8% of assets, so it's a fairly concentrated bet on Tesla and other “disruptive technology” stocks like Coinbase and Block.

How long should you hold an ETF? ›

Holding period:

If you hold ETF shares for one year or less, then gain is short-term capital gain. If you hold ETF shares for more than one year, then gain is long-term capital gain.

How much of your money should be in ETFs? ›

ETFs can provide an easy way to be diversified and as such, the investor may want to have 75% or more of the portfolio in ETFs." To that end, Conzo says a more sophisticated investor may have additional needs.

Can you own too many ETFs? ›

On the other hand, having too many ETFs can lead to over-diversification and excessive fees, as well as potential underperformance if the ETFs are not chosen carefully.

Which ETF has the most growth? ›

Compare the best growth ETFs
Fund (ticker)Expense ratio10-year return as of March 31
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)0.20%17.70%
Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG)0.04%13.61%
iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF)0.18%14.38%
iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (IVW)0.18%13.42%
3 more rows
Jun 1, 2023

Which ETF has lowest risk? ›

Short-term bond ETFs

This kind of bond ETF gives exposure to bonds with a short maturity, typically no more than a few years. These bond ETFs won't move much in response to changes to interest rates, meaning they're relatively low risk.

What ETFs do well in high inflation? ›

6 Best ETFs For Inflation Of 2023
  • The Best ETFs To Beat Inflation.
  • Vanguard Short-Term Inflation Protected Securities ETF (VTIP)
  • SPDR SSGA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF (RLY)
  • ProShares Inflation Expectations ETF (RINF)
  • Schwab U.S. REIT ETF (SCHH)
  • Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking ETF (DBC)
Jun 1, 2023

How often should I put money into an ETF? ›

The best time to buy ETFs is at regular intervals throughout your lifetime. ETFs are like savings accounts from back when savings accounts actually paid you interest. Think back to a time when you (or your parents!) used to invest in your future by putting money into a savings account.

How do I choose my first ETF? ›

Ultimately, investors choosing an ETF need to ask 3 questions: What exposure does this ETF have? How well does the ETF deliver this exposure? And how efficiently can I access the ETF? Look at the ETF's underlying index (benchmark) to determine the exposure you're getting.

Are 3x ETFs a good idea? ›

However, 3x exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are especially risky because they utilize more leverage in an attempt to achieve higher returns. Leveraged ETFs may be useful for short-term trading purposes, but they have significant risks in the long run.

What is the largest non US ETF? ›

The largest Global Ex-US ETF is the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF VXUS with $56.12B in assets.

What was Vanguard's first ETF? ›

2001: Vanguard brings cost competition to the ETF market

The first one available was Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF, which began trading on the American Stock Exchange. When we entered the ETF market in 2001, our unique approach lowered costs for investors.

What are the largest first trust ETFs? ›

The largest First Trust ETF is the First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund FVD with $11.93B in assets. In the last trailing year, the best-performing First Trust ETF was AIRR at 22.15%. The most recent ETF launched in the First Trust space was the FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - May GMAY on 05/19/23.

What is the most expensive ETF to buy? ›

100 Highest Expense Ratio ETFs
SymbolNameExpense Ratio
PBDCPutnam BDC Income ETF10.61%
VPCVirtus Private Credit Strategy ETF6.72%
HDGEAdvisorShares Ranger Equity Bear ETF4.29%
KBWDInvesco KBW High Dividend Yield Financial ETF3.84%
96 more rows

What is the largest Dow Jones ETF? ›

Key Takeaways. The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) is the top (and only) exchange-traded fund tracking the Dow.

Which is better BlackRock or Vanguard? ›

For example, investors who want to participate in socially and environmentally conscious asset growth strategies may prefer working with BlackRock, while investors who want a simple long-term strategy to provide retirement income may prefer working with a company such as The Vanguard Group.

What is the largest green ETF? ›

  • What is the largest clean energy ETF? The largest clean energy ETF is the iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN). ...
  • What are the best alternative energy stocks? The best alternative energy stock is the one that makes the most sense for your portfolio. ...
  • What green energy should you invest in?
Jun 1, 2023

Does Warren Buffett outperform the S&P 500? ›

Berkshire has a history of outperforming the S&P 500 during recessions, and performing especially well during bear markets, according to data from Bespoke Investment Group. Since 1980, Berkshire shares have beat the broader market over the course of six recessions by a median of 4.41 percentage points.

Which stock mirrors the S&P 500? ›

Three of the most popular ETFs that track the S&P 500 are offered by State Street (SPDR), Vanguard (VOO), and iShares (IVV).

Does QQQ outperform sp500? ›

Invesco QQQ — the ETF that tracks the Nasdaq-100 index — has beaten the S&P 500 nine out of the last 10 years. Source: Morningstar Inc. Data begins 10 years prior to the ending date. Fund performance shown at NAV.

Why is ETF not a good investment? ›

ETFs are subject to market fluctuation and the risks of their underlying investments. ETFs are subject to management fees and other expenses. Unlike mutual funds, ETF shares are bought and sold at market price, which may be higher or lower than their NAV, and are not individually redeemed from the fund.

What are 3 disadvantages to owning an ETF over a mutual fund? ›

So it's important for any investor to understand the downside of ETFs.
  • Disadvantages of ETFs. ETF trading comes with some drawbacks, which include the following:
  • Trading fees. ...
  • Operating expenses. ...
  • Low trading volume. ...
  • Tracking errors. ...
  • Potentially less diversification. ...
  • Hidden risks. ...
  • Lack of liquidity.

Is it better to hold stocks or ETFs? ›

When it comes to stocks vs. ETFs, one is not better than the other. They are both solid ways to invest your money depending on your interest and goals. In fact, you can do both to further diversify your portfolio.

What is the best time of the month to buy ETFs? ›

Stock prices tend to fall in the middle of the month. So a trader might benefit from timing stock buys near a month's midpoint—the 10th to the 15th, for example. The best day to sell stocks would probably be within the five days around the turn of the month.

What is the best day and time to buy ETFs? ›

So when is the ideal time? "Middle of the day is generally best, and if there are international (European) securities in the ETF, trading in the morning will ensure you get prices closest to fair value," Nadig explains. Now that you know what time of day is best, let's look at what kind of order you're planning on.

What time of year is best to invest in ETF? ›

"Around September or October, the investor can buy the major market index ETFs: SPDR Dow Jones industrial average ETF (ticker: DIA), SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), PowerShares QQQ (QQQ) and iShares Russell 2000 (IWM). And then sell them around the April to May time frame, especially after a nice run-up," Hirsch says.

What are the 4 biggest investment companies? ›

Companies like BlackRock, Vanguard, Fidelity, State Street, and J.P. Morgan, which are the largest in the U.S. in terms of assets, offer a reasonable jumping-off point. With their massive size, these firms can offer investors a range of products and services.

Who are the biggest ETF fonds? ›

As of January 16, 2023, State Street's SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust was the highest valued exchange traded fund (ETF) globally, with a market capitalization of over 365 billion U.S. dollars.

What companies are in hero ETF? ›

Top Holdings As of 06/09/23
Net Assets (%)TickerName
6.30ATVIACTIVISION BLIZZARD INC
6.10RBLXROBLOX CORP -CLASS A
6.06NTESNETEASE INC-ADR
5.987974 JPNINTENDO CO LTD
46 more rows

Who has the top holdings in Meta ETF? ›

Top Holdings & Documents
NameTickerWeight
META PLATFORMS INCMETA6.65%
ROBLOX CORPRBLX6.31%
MICROSOFT CORPMSFT4.34%
AMAZON COM INCAMZN3.45%
6 more rows

Does BlackRock own Vanguard? ›

Here is a list of the top companies that are stockholders in BlackRock and their stake percentages: The Vanguard Group, Inc. - 8.1%

Who is the greatest investment of all time? ›

Warren Buffett is often considered the world's best investor of modern times. Buffett started investing at a young age, and was influenced by Benjamin Graham's value investing philosophy.

What is the richest investment firm in the world? ›

Top 10 Largest Investment Companies in World 2022
RankCompanyAssets under Management (USD trillions)
1BlackRockUSD 7.43 trillion
2The Vanguard GroupUSD 6.2 trillion
3Charles Schwab CorporationUSD 3.3 trillion
4UBS GroupUSD 3.26 trillion
6 more rows
May 6, 2023

What is the largest US financial ETF? ›

The largest Financials ETF is the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund XLF with $28.57B in assets. In the last trailing year, the best-performing Financials ETF was BNKD at 14.82%.

What ETF holds Coca Cola? ›

All of these ETFs are listed in the table below. The ETF with the largest weighting of COCA-COLA CO is the Xtrackers MSCI USA Consumer Staples UCITS ETF 1D.

What ETF includes Pfizer? ›

Unlock all 432 ETFs with exposure to Pfizer Inc. ( PFE)
Ticker TickerETF ETFWeighting Weighting
PPHVanEck Pharmaceutical ETF4.66%
DURAVanEck Durable High Dividend ETF4.56%
HARTIQ Healthy Hearts ETF4.47%
XLVHealth Care Select Sector SPDR Fund4.42%
21 more rows

Do you pay taxes on ETF dividends? ›

The IRS taxes dividends and interest payments from ETFs just like income from the underlying stocks or bonds, with the income being reported on your 1099 statement. Profits on ETFs sold at a gain are taxed like the underlying stocks or bonds as well.

What is the most socially responsible ETF? ›

The largest Socially Responsible ETF is the iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF ESGU with $13.83B in assets. In the last trailing year, the best-performing Socially Responsible ETF was QQMG at 17.34%.

What are the top 10 holdings of the QQQ ETF? ›

Consumer Staples
  • Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.
  • Mondelez International Inc.
  • Monster Beverage Corp.
  • PepsiCo Inc.
  • The Kraft Heinz Co.
  • Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.

What is the largest active equity ETF? ›

The largest Active Management ETF is the JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF JEPI with $25.76B in assets.

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