Lithium’s Having a Whale of a Time as AI Demand Surges
The Livewire Markets interview spotlights a sharp uptick in lithium demand, now propelled not only by electric‑vehicle batteries but also by massive energy‑storage needs of AI data centers. Portfolio manager Will Taylor introduced the newly launched VLT lithium‑miners ETF as a way for investors to capture this trend. Taylor explained that AI‑driven data centers require batteries containing lithium volumes comparable to a blue whale, creating a multi‑year demand surge. He also noted lithium’s historic price swings, driven by fragmented private‑market contracts and multiple chemical forms, which he frames as buying opportunities when the market overreacts. The VLT fund applies a 40 % revenue‑threshold, targeting explorers, developers and extractors across Australia, the United States, Canada, Chile, Argentina and China. Taylor highlighted that mining is the scarcest link in the battery chain, offering the highest margins and pricing power, while pointing to emerging robot‑humanoid applications that could add two‑plus kilograms of lithium per unit. For investors, VLT provides a global, diversified satellite position that complements broad equity ETFs, delivering exposure to a sector with strong EPS growth but also political, technical and project‑delay risks. Under‑investment in refining capacity and the lag between demand spikes and new supply suggest upside potential that many market participants may be overlooking.
Green Infrastructure Indices | FTSE Russell Index Ideas
FTSE Russell describes its green infrastructure indices as extensions of its core infrastructure benchmarks that layer climate and sustainability data onto companies exposed to transportation, energy and communications. The firm says recent attacks on regional infrastructure have refocused investors on...
This ETF Hedges Against Rising Healthcare Costs
Milliman has introduced two new exchange‑traded funds, MHIG and MHIP, on the NYSE designed to give investors a direct hedge against the accelerating cost of health care. The ETFs combine Milliman’s two‑decade track record in health‑care analytics with its three‑decade financial‑risk‑management...
Why Advisors Are Pivoting to Managed Futures & Thematics
Advisors are increasingly pivoting to managed futures and thematic ETFs as traditional diversification has faltered this decade—bonds are down while equities remain elevated and inflation fears persist. Andrew Beer’s IMGP DBI managed futures ETF (DBMF) has seen assets surge from...
How to Trade the Oil Crisis
Direxion is pitching its leveraged energy ETFs as tactical tools for traders seeking to profit from heightened oil-market volatility driven by the Middle East conflict and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. The firm highlighted 2x bull and bear ETFs...
Behind the Ticker: NASA, SpaceX, & Tema ETFs
On Behind the Ticker, Yuri — an early-team portfolio manager at TEMA ETFs — outlines his path from running UK income strategies at Majetti to earning a bioscience master’s and joining TEMA’s push into actively managed, thematic ETFs. TEMA has...
Copper Is the Hottest Commodity Trade in the World Right Now. Here's How to Get Exposure
Portfolio manager Will Taylor argues copper is surging as the metal underpinning the ‘electrification of everything’—from EVs and renewable grids to AI data centers—driving robust demand. Supply looks constrained by declining ore grades, labor shortfalls and decade-long mine lead times,...
Dan Ahrens on Pot Stock Outlook & MSOS ETF After Reclassification
Dan Ahrens, managing director at AdvisorShares, discussed the outlook for the MSOS cannabis ETF in light of the DEA’s recent decision to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, a regulatory shift he called the biggest development for U.S....
Manulife John Hancock Investment’s CEO Explains the Explosive Growth of Active ETFs
The interview with Manulife John Hancock Investment’s CEO centers on the explosive rise of active exchange‑traded funds and the emerging role of artificial intelligence in asset management. He highlights that active ETFs now account for roughly 40% of industry flows,...
How to Invest in Rare Earths Mining Outside of China
The video introduces Sprott’s newly launched Sprott Rare Earths Ex‑China ETF (ticker REXC), a fund that concentrates exclusively on companies involved in the rare‑earth ecosystem outside of China. REXC follows Sprott’s “pure‑play” rule, requiring at least half of its assets to...
Bond ETF Flows Just Flipped. Here's What It Means for You
Investors poured a record $24 billion into ultrashort bond ETFs in March, only to withdraw $1.6 billion in April – the largest outflow in two years. The segment, which includes ultrashort, short‑term, and short‑term government bond ETFs, focuses on securities with...
Roundhill Launches "HALO" ETF
Roundhill Investments announced the launch of a new exchange‑traded fund called HALO, designed to capture the performance of companies deemed resistant to artificial‑intelligence disruption. The acronym HALO—Heavy Assets Low Obsolescence—was originally coined by market commentator Josh Brown to describe...
3 Great International Dividend ETFs
The video spotlights three international dividend‑focused exchange‑traded funds that have gained traction as U.S. investors chase higher returns abroad. Schwab’s SCHY delivers a 3.1% 12‑month yield with an ultra‑low 0.08% expense ratio, targeting 100 high‑yield, low‑volatility stocks while capping emerging‑market exposure...
Episode 531: AllianceBernstein's Noel Archard on ETF Growth, Marketing and Client Solutions
AllianceBernstein positions itself as a research-driven, client-focused asset manager that combines global reach with one-to-one engagement, leveraging technology to scale personalized service. Noel Archard, AB’s global head of product solutions and marketing, emphasizes solving clients’ real problems—both investment and operational—rather...
Michael Burry Says AI Boom Looks Like a Car Crash. The Options Math on SMH Is Stranger Than That.
The video centers on Michael Burry’s stark warning that today’s AI‑driven market frenzy resembles a car crash about to happen, using the semiconductor ETF SMH as a case study. Burry argues that Wall Street’s earnings forecasts are overly optimistic, inflating...