Behind the Ticker

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Springer Harris, the author of Get ETF’d: An Insider’s Guide to Starting and Running an ETF, shared his extensive experience in the ETF industry and the inspiration behind his book. Harris, who has spent his entire career at Teucrium, initially entered the finance industry without even knowing what an ETF was. After a brief stint in corporate PR, he found his passion for ETFs and has spent over 14 years as a portfolio manager and chief operating off...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Howard Chan, founder of Kurv Investment Management, discussed his unique approach to ETFs and how his firm leverages institutional-grade strategies to benefit all investors. Chan, who began his career as an engineer, transitioned to finance after stints at Goldman Sachs and PIMCO, where he led the ETF business in Europe. After returning to the U.S., Chan was inspired by discussions with advisors to launch Kurv Investment Management with a mission to...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Joanna Gallegos, co-founder of BondBloxx, shares her extensive background in ETFs and the innovative fixed income strategies her firm employs. Gallegos, who has been in the ETF industry her entire career, began at Barclays Global Investors during the early days of iShares before moving to JP Morgan to help start their ETF business. She co-founded BondBloxx in October 2021 with a team of experienced ETF professionals from firms like BlackRock, Vangua...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Taylor Krystkowiak, co-founder of ThemesETFs, shared insights into his career and the innovative strategies behind ThemesETFs. Krystkowiak, who has worked at various firms ranging from Fortune 500 companies to boutique asset managers, brought his extensive experience in macroeconomic analysis and investment strategy to ThemesETFs. The firm, founded by Jose Gonzalez, focuses on providing thematic and fundamental investment strategies at competitive p...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Will Rhind, founder and CEO of GraniteShares, discussed the innovative approach behind the GraniteShares NASDAQ Select Disruptors ETF, ticker DRUP. GraniteShares, an ETF issuer with around $8 billion in assets under management, offers a diverse range of ETFs including physical gold, income strategies, broad equity strategies, and leveraged and inverse ETFs on single stocks like Tesla and Nvidia. DRUP focuses on capturing the top 50 most disruptive e...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Tim Kramer, founder of CNIC Funds, shares his extensive background in the energy industry and the innovative approach behind CNIC’s latest offering. Kramer, who has been in the energy sector since 1997, brings a wealth of experience from working with various energy companies and a private equity firm where he managed commodity exposure. This diverse background led him to identify a gap in the market: the lack of electricity in commodity indexes. To ...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Meb Faber, CEO and CIO of Cambria Investments, shares insights into his career journey and the innovative investment strategies employed by his firm. Faber, who has a background in engineering and biotech, founded Cambria Investments and has led the firm to manage approximately $2.5 billion in assets. Based in Manhattan Beach, California, Cambria is known for its quantitative, rules-based investment approach. Over the past decade, the firm has launc...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” John McHugh, founder of WealthTrust Asset Management, shared his extensive experience in portfolio management and the innovative strategies his firm employs. McHugh, who began his career at Merrill Lynch in 1988 and later joined Oppenheimer and Wells Fargo Advisors, eventually founded WealthTrust in 2015. His motivation stemmed from a desire to manage portfolios on a discretionary basis and offer superior performance, which he has successfully achie...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Andrew Skatoff, founder of Bancreek, shared insights into his journey and the innovative investment strategies his firm employs. Skatoff, who graduated from Columbia Business School’s value investing program in 2009, began his career in the family office world, where he developed a deep understanding of long-term capital compounding. This experience led him to create a strategy focused on investing in structurally advantaged businesses, which he lat...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Danielle Gilbert, head of business development at Panagram, discusses her career path and the innovative structured credit solutions offered by Panagram. Gilbert began her career in structured credit at UBS and spent 18 years on the sell side. In that role, she met the investment team at Eldridge. Panagram provides a deep dive into the complexities and benefits of structured credit and CLOs (collateralized loan obligations). Panagram, launched in 20...

In a recent episode of “Behind the Ticker,” Yang Tang, co-founder of Arch Indices, discusses his career journey and the innovative approach his firm takes in constructing investment portfolios. With a background in commodity sales and macro solutions at major financial institutions like Barclays, Morgan Stanley, and Citi, Tang brings a wealth of experience to Arch Indices. The firm, founded in August 2022, aims to build better portfolios through a unique methodology focused on risk-adjusted c...

In a recent episode of "Behind the Ticker," Burke Ashenden, Head of Capital Markets at Innovator ETFs, delves into the unique offerings of Innovator ETFs with host Brad. Ashenden, who started his career in ETF trading and later transitioned to the issuer side, shares his journey and how it led him to Innovator. Innovator ETFs, founded by industry veterans Bruce Bond and John Souther, focuses exclusively on Defined Outcome ETFs. This singular focus has made Innovator a leader in this niche, wi...

In a recent episode of "Behind the Ticker," Jerry Parker, founder of Chesapeake Capital an industry veteran in trend following and systematic trading, shares his professional journey and insights into the systematic investing approach that defines Chesapeake. Parker's career transition from accounting to trading was catalyzed by his training under Richard Dennis in the famous "turtle trading" program, which profoundly shaped his investment philosophy. His foundational experience at Dennis's t...

In a recent episode of "Behind the Ticker," Bob Elliott, founder of Unlimited and former employee at Bridgewater Associates, shares insights into his journey and the innovative approach his firm takes in the hedge fund industry. Elliott's experience at Bridgewater and overseeing a venture fund shaped his understanding of the limitations of traditional hedge fund fees, leading him to create Unlimited. The firm leverages modern machine learning to replicate hedge fund strategies at lower costs,...

In a recent episode of "Behind the Ticker," Andrew Beer, an established figure in the hedge fund and ETF industries, shares his experiences and insights with host Brad. Beer discusses his journey through the hedge fund world, where he initially worked with prominent managers and later co-founded hedge funds, ultimately focusing on making hedge fund strategies more accessible and less costly through ETFs. This led to the development of hedge fund replication strategies, helping wealth managers...

In a recent episode of "Behind the Ticker," host Brad delves into the innovative financial products from Calamos with guest Matt Kaufman. Kaufman, with a rich background in the ETF and insurance industries, discusses his journey through various financial sectors and how these experiences have shaped the development of new ETF products at Calamos. The episode focuses on the launch of Calamos's new ETF, CPSM, which offers 100% downside protection with capped upside potential, a novel approach i...

In this episode of "Behind the Ticker," host Brad Roth sits down with Jason Hsu, co-founder of Rayliant, to discuss the integration of quantitative research with institutional investment strategies. Jason shares his journey from an academic setting into the finance industry, detailing the transition and how it led to the founding of Rayliant. He explains how his firm has evolved from focusing solely on institutional clients to offering sophisticated active ETFs that make complex investment st...

The podcast episode of "Behind the Ticker" featuring Greg Reid, the president of Real Assets at Westwood, offers a detailed insight into his background, the firm’s operations, and the innovative strategies they employ. Greg Reid has a lengthy career in investment, dating back to 1987, and currently manages a team in Houston overseeing $2.3 billion in assets. Westwood, a public company based in Dallas, focuses on real asset management, particularly in the energy sector, with a strong emphasis ...

In this episode of "Behind the Ticker," host Brad interviews Kim Mayer from GMO. Kim has been with GMO for over 18 years, starting his career on the sell side at Morgan Stanley before transitioning to the buy side. He currently holds a dual role at GMO as a portfolio strategist and covers several sectors including luxury goods, beer, spirits, and retail.Kim discusses the launch of GMO's QLTY ETF, which marks GMO's strategic entry into the ETF market. He explains how the ETF aims to make high-...

In the latest episode of Behind the Ticker, Brad Roth engages with Simeon Hyman from ProShares, delving into the intricate world of ETFs and the innovative strategies behind them. Hyman, with over three decades of experience in asset and wealth management, discusses his role at ProShares, a firm that manages around $65 billion across various ETF solutions. The conversation highlights Hyman's personal interests, such as music and outdoor activities, providing a glimpse into the individual behi...

In this episode of "Behind the Ticker," Brad Roth engages with Dodd Kittsley from Davis Funds to explore their ETFs and mutual funds. Kittsley brings a wealth of experience from his early involvement in the ETF industry in the late 1990s to his present position at Davis Funds, offering insights into the development of ETFs as tools for broadening market access.Davis Funds, founded in 1969, has evolved from focusing on institutional clients to offering mutual funds, SMAs, and ETFs, partnering ...

The episode of "Behind the Ticker" features Sal Esposito from Zacks, focusing on two of their ETFs: ZECP (Earnings Consistent Portfolio) and SMIZ (Small Mid Cap Core ETF). Sal's journey began at UBS, transitioning from various roles to Zacks, where he embraced the ETF space. Zacks, starting in 1978, specializes in earnings estimate revisions and surprises, crafting strategies around quality and consistency.ZECP, designed as a core portfolio piece, invests in large cap, quality companies demon...

The podcast episode of "Behind the Ticker," hosted by Brad Roth, features Johan Grahn from Allianz discussing the intriguing world of buffered ETF products. Johan Grahn, with his extensive background in investment and asset management over two decades, delves into how buffered ETFs provide investors with defined outcomes, integrating protection against market downturns with a cap on maximum gains. These innovative products, primarily based on the S&P 500, aim to manage investment risk whi...

In the episode of "Behind the Ticker," Brad Roth and Weldon Rice from Qraft Technologies discuss the integration of artificial intelligence within the investment landscape, particularly through Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). This conversation provides a detailed look at how Qraft applies AI to develop and manage ETFs, offering insights into the practical implications and methodologies behind AI-driven investment strategies.Weldon Rice introduces two specific ETFs during the discussion: the QRF...

In this episode of "Behind the Ticker," host Brad Roth welcomes David LaValle, a notable figure in the ETF industry and a current leader at Grayscale, the premier digital currency asset manager. The discussion provides an in-depth look at the intersection of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and digital assets, highlighting LaValle's significant contributions and Grayscale's innovative efforts in this space.Background and Industry Experience: David LaValle shares his extensive experience in the fi...

Special Live From Exchange ETF SeriesIn this live and in-person episode of "Behind the Ticker," host Brad Roth welcomes Keri Riemer and Hazel Doyle to explore the evolving landscape of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) from both a U.S. and European perspective. This engaging conversation offers a deep dive into the intricacies of ETFs, their legal frameworks, and the burgeoning growth within the industry.Keri Riemer, with a rich background in corporate law, asset management, and regulatory roles, ...

Adam Curran shares his background growing up in a household focused on money and his journey to starting his own financial planning firm. He introduces the God Bless America ETF, which aims to provide conservative investors with an investment option that aligns with their values. He explains the screening process for selecting companies based on their political and social activism. Curran also discusses the weighting and selection of holdings within the ETF and the challenges of marketing the...

In this conversation, Brad interviews Todd Rosenbluth, an industry veteran and current member of VettaFi. They discuss Todd's background, VettaFi's business, and the upcoming Exchange conference. Todd shares his insights on the future of the ETF industry and offers advice for new ETF issuers. The conversation highlights the collaborative nature of the ETF community and emphasizes the importance of ongoing engagement and communication. Todd provides information on where to learn more about Vet...

The guest on this episode of the "Behind the Ticker" podcast was Matt Barry, head of product management and ETF capital markets at Touchstone Investments. Touchstone is a $25 billion mutual fund manager that has historically focused on active management strategies. As Matt explained, Touchstone aims to beat benchmarks by looking meaningfully different than the benchmarks, using high conviction best ideas from 15 different subadvisors across various strategies.Seeing the continued growth in ac...

In this episode, we are joined joined by Andrew Chanin, Co-Founder and CEO of ProcureAM. They discuss Andrew's background in financial services and how he came to found Procure, focusing on their decision to build their own ETF infrastructure and unique suite of product.Andrew provides an overview of Procure's two flagship ETFs - UFO, which offers exposure to the global space industry, and FIXT, which provides exposure to disaster recovery stocks. He explains the methodology behind the constr...

In this episode of Behind the Ticker, Brad invites Yuri Khodjamirian, CIO at Temma Capital Management, to discuss their actively managed ETF focused on monopolies and oligopolies. (TICKER: TOLL).Yuri shares his background in finance and how he eventually became CIO at Temma. He talks about his interests outside of work, like exercising and reading widely across different topics.They discuss the key sources of competitive advantage for monopolies, including non-replicable physical assets, netw...

Ragen Stienke, founder of Ballast Asset Management, joined the Behind the Ticker podcast to discuss his 30+ years of experience in small and mid-cap investing. Ragen got his start in the 1990s at Arthur Anderson's business valuation group before working at UBS and later founding a SMID strategy at Westwood. In 2015, he started Ballast focused on small and mid-caps, offering both SMAs and their Small/Mid Cap ETF called MGMT. Ragen aims to turn alpha generation into a process focused on quantif...

Episode 23 of Behind the Ticker features guest Steve Cook, Head of ETFs at Harbor Capital Advisors. Join us as we discuss Harbor's suite of ETF products and the commodity ETF Hedger (ticker: HGER).In this episode, Steve provides background on his experience in the ETF industry and Harbor Capital's evolution into the ETF space. He discusses Harbor's manager vetting process and bringing unique active strategies to the ETF wrapper.Steve then dives into the motivation behind launching HGER, expla...

In this episode of Behind the Ticker, we sit down with Katie Stockton, founder and managing partner of Fairlead Strategies, to delve into the philosophy and mechanics behind the TACK investment strategy and explore the offerings of her firm.With her vast experience and a unique perspective on market trends, Stockton discusses the foundations of technical analysis that underpin the TACK strategy. She elaborates on the importance of a disciplined, long-term approach, emphasizing how TACK's meth...

Join us for an insightful episode as we dive into the fascinating world of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) with a true industry veteran, Will Rhind. With over two decades of experience in the ETF arena, Will has carved a unique path by focusing on providing investors with high-conviction stock positions through innovative and disruptive ETF investments.GraniteShares, Will's brainchild, boasts a diverse ETF suite covering everything from commodities to income, equities, and leveraged single stock...

In Episode 20, we feature Paul Weisbruch from GTS, a prominent player in the financial industry. GTS specializes in trading over 30,000 different financial instruments globally, catering to a diverse clientele that includes leading financial institutions and public companies.Their approach is built on state-of-the-art proprietary technology and a team of seasoned professionals, which allows them to offer execution and liquidity solutions, even during volatile market conditions. As one of the ...

In Episode 19, we welcome Kyle Wiggs, the founder and CEO of UX Wealth Partners, a platform known for its utilization of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in investment technologies. This episode provides insights into the services and technologies offered by UX Wealth Partners to Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs).We explore how UX Wealth Partners employs its technology to offer solutions that go beyond traditional asset management platforms, providing tools and resources aimed...

In Episode 18, we're joined by John Davi and Frank Tedesco from Astoria Advisors, who have just introduced their second ETF, ROE - US Quality Kings. We delve deep into the current state of the U.S. stock market and explore the intricacies of the ROE strategy.Astoria's US Quality Kings ETF is an actively managed Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) designed to pursue long-term capital growth. It achieves this by investing in a well-diversified portfolio of 100 high-quality U.S. large-cap and mid-cap sto...

Episode 17 showcases Elysabeth Alfano, an influential figure in the world of food systems transformation. She is the founder and CEO of VegTech™ Invest, advisor to the Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF, EATV. Elysabeth’s journey began with invaluable experience at Fortune 500 companies such as IBM-Europe and The Kellogg company, as well as being Chief Investment Officer for a small family office. Focused on both growth and impact, the EATV ETF invests up and down the food s...

Introducing Ryan Pannell, CEO of Kaiju ETF Advisors. Ryan Pannell is the focus of Episode 16, where he talks about his journey from pioneering cryptographic web-based messaging technologies to becoming a professional equities trader. With a background in theoretical physics, quantum mechanics, cosmology, film, and television, Ryan has a unique perspective on investment management and the applications of artificial intelligence in scientific trading. Kaiju Worldwide, founded by Ryan, manages s...

Episode 15 of Behind the Ticker features Alejandro Garza, the Founder and Portfolio Manager of Aztlan Equity Management. Alejandro is the portfolio manager behind the Aztlan Global Developed Markets SMID Cap Strategy ticker AZTD. AZTD is Atzlan’s stock selection ETF, a unique rules-based strategy that selects the top 27 stocks based on fundamental factors. AZTD uses a proprietary 6-factor fundamental model to assign stock rankings: cash flow generation, value, growth, capital structure qualit...

Episode 14 features David Schulhof the CEO and Portfolio Manager of MUSQ, The Global Music Industry ETF. David is an American music industry executive and investor with 25 years of experience in the field. David’s background in the music industry is extensive, having previously served as President of Music Publishing at LiveOne, a global media company for livestream and on-demand audio, video and podcast content. He is also the former President of Music at AGC Studios and IM Global Studi...

Episode 13 features Adam Eaglston, the Chief Investment Officer of Formidable Asset Management. Formidable is an active and adaptable financial services company. They employ a disciplined process and build client portfolios and develop financial plans. The Firm also manages a hedge fund the 'Formidable Fund' which is a multi-strategy fund. In this episode we discuss their Formidable ETF, ticker FORH. The fund is an active multi-strategy equity portfolio that also deploys a hedging component t...

In this Episode we talk with Neil Azous founder of Rareview Capital. Rareview Capital works with advisors to help develop systematic and differentiated strategies using their goals based approach. Neil heads the firm’s investment team and oversees all portfolio and risk management activities. Neil also serves as a Portfolio Manager for the Rareview ETFs. We focused on the Rareview Systematic Equity (RSEE) and Rareview Dynamic Fixed Income (RDFI). Their unique systematic approach to investing ...

Episode 11, features John Forlines III, the Chief Investment Officer of Donoghue Forlines. Donoghue Forlines is a tactical investment firm that has specialized in risk-managed portfolios since 1986. Donoghue Forlines has a suite of ETFs that utilize technical indicators to recognize shifts in market momentum and uses proprietary tactical signals to help preserve capital in down trending markets and potentially offer strong client-centric risk-adjusted returns over a full market cycle. John sp...

In Episode 10, we welcome John Davi, the Founder of Astoria Advisors. Astoria Advisors maintains a variety of strategies for investors to utilize. Among these are Core Risk Based ETF Strategies, Thematic ETF & Stock Strategies, and Factor US Stock Strategies. Astoria also manages an Inflation Protected ETF under the ticker PPI. The portfolio aims to invest in “inflation-sensitive” assets that can help investors limit inflation risk and provide lower correlations to traditional assets, esp...

Welcome to episode 9 of Behind the Ticker. In this episode, our special guest is Michael Gayed, the portfolio manager of $RORO and $JOJO and Founder of ATAC Funds. We have an in depth conversation about what led him to investing, his career path, and starting his first funds. We also talk about the unique investment thesis behind his ETFs and how he envisions them being utilized in model portfolios. As an industry veteran, we dive into what it's like to manage money through different cycles a...

Welcome to episode 8 of Behind the Ticker. In this episode, our special guest is Mike Venuto, the portfolio manager of $BLOK and co-founder and CIO at Tidal. $BLOK holds the distinction of being the first-ever blockchain ETF to hit the market. Join us as we delve into the evolving landscape of ETFs, exploring the rise of active ETFs, the conversion of mutual funds to ETFs, and the transformative impact of blockchain on the industry. With Mike's extensive experience in bringing ETFs to market ...

Introducing Dan Cupcovic, the Portfolio Manager behind BlackSwan's strategy. Discover how this partner at Cerity Partners, one of the largest RIAs in the country, is revolutionizing investments with SWAN, ISWN, and QSWN ETFs. Whether you're looking for a short-term risk-off play or a smart capital allocation for the long haul, this is the podcast you don't want to miss. To learn more about Dan and BlackSwan, visit https://amplifyetfs.com/swan/

In episode 6, we speak with David Cohen the Co-Founder of the HANDLS Indexes. David is an industry veteran and has been responsible for the creation of many unique indexes throughout his career. Currently the HANDLS index is the driver of the HNDL ETF, a successful ETF with over a billion dollars of assets. HNDL is a income producing strategy that seeks to provide a target distribution rate to its investors on an annualized basis. For more information on David and the HANDLS Indexes go to han...

Welcome to episode 5, where we hear from Dave Mazza, the Chief Strategy Officer for Roundhill Investments. Dave talks about the newest ETF offering from Roundhill, CHAT. CHAT is an active ETF which will rank the top generative Ai companies and identify the best opportunities in the space. He also talks about Roundhill’s approach to launching products, how they go about marketing, and what’s coming next from the firm. More on Roundhill Investments and the CHAT ETF is available at www.roundhill...

Episode 4 of Behind the Ticker features a conversation with Garrett Stevens, founder of Exchange Traded Concepts (ETC). Garrett built his company to support ETF providers and issuers, providing listeners with a look at what it takes to start and run an ETF. His passion is flying but the conversation is grounded in the realities and challenges faced in launching a family of ETFs. These challenges became his catalyst to become a white label ETF issuer, offering infrastructure and exemptive reli...

Welcome to episode 3, where we hear from Daniel Snover, the founder of PMV Capital and portfolio manager of the ARP ETF (Adaptive Risk Parity), about his desire to pursue a proprietary approach to managing market risk. Brad and Daniel take a look at the systematic approach taken by PMV Capital, highlighting the importance of macroeconomic factors in portfolio allocation and risk management. PMV recognized the need for an ETF structure to compete effectively and launched the ARP ETF in Decembe...

In this episode, host Brad Roth interviews Patricia Lizarraga, CEO of Hypatia Capital and portfolio manager for WCEO, an ETF that invests solely in women-led companies. Patricia discusses how her experience in investment banking and private equity led her to create the ETF. She also explains how Hypatia Capital started as an advisory shop serving senior women executives and the meaning behind the name. Hear from Patricia as she explains her strategies outperformance and process for bring...

The Behind the Ticker podcast premiere episode features a dynamic conversation between host Brad Roth, and Tommy Mancuso, founder of the BAD ETF. In episode one, Mancuso discusses the challenges of launching a unique investment product that appeals to investors seeking counterculture opportunities while providing long-term sustainable growth, including how he came up with the idea for BAD ETF (Betting, Alcohol, and Drugs).Hear from Mancuso as he discusses his anti-ESG ETF, which he believes f...

Welcome to Behind the Ticker. This show will uncover the inter-workings of the ETF industry. We will interview Portfolio Managers and ETF Service Providers to dive deep into their work lives and their business. Many of these individuals are entrepreneurs and will have unique and compelling insights to share, as much goes on, Behind the Ticker.