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Timely, curated analysis on the strategies, trends, and shifts shaping the ETF industry.

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ETF Intelligence, Delivered

ETF Strategy. Market Perspective. Real-World Insight.

Stay ahead with thoughtful, timely articles from the team at Blackwater. Each piece is designed to bring structure to complexity—covering ETF strategy, market dynamics, macro trends, and the shifts that matter. For professionals who want insight they can act on, not just information.

Featured ETF Insight

The biggest problem in ETFs no one is talking about right now

The ETF market is being flooded with new entrants, like bees to honey. Whilst it’s great to see, it is creating a massive problem which many people may not be aware of. 

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Another record year. Another clear message. - newsletter header visual

Latest Articles

Another record year. Another clear message. - newsletter header visual

Another record year. Another clear message

Speed to market, operational efficiency, and technological readiness will separate those who can keep pace from those who get left behind.
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Retail doesn’t care about your logo

ETF issuers are teaming up with online brokers like Comdirect to reach retail investors, a smart shift toward trust-based, accessible ETF growth in Europe.
Everyone wants to launch an ETF. Few think about what comes next. - newsletter header visual

Everyone wants to launch an ETF. Few think about what comes next.

One of the best things about the ETF industry is that you often get to see the little guy compete with the big guy. That doesn’t happen much elsewhere.
Are we watching an ETF bubble in real time - newsletter header visual

Are we watching an ETF bubble in real time?

The ETF industry isn’t broken. Far from it. But it is starting to show signs of strain. The challenge now is not innovation, it’s discipline.
The Retail Reality - newsletter header visual

The Retail Reality

Most asset managers still don’t see the opportunity clearly. They talk about retail, but act like it’s a side project. Their systems, incentives, and leadership mindset remain built for institutions, not individuals.
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Private Markets – a poison chalice for the ETF industry?

The ETF industry’s push into private markets — from credit to equity — is bold, but it’s not without serious reputational risk.
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Active ETFs Are Old News—Here’s What Might Actually Change the Game

ETF share classes and private markets are vying for the spotlight. Which trend will truly reshape the industry?
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The Democratisation of Paradigm Shifts

Is the ETF world overusing buzzwords like "democratisation" and "paradigm shift"? We explore the latest trends, flows, and career moves in ETFs.
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ETFs as we know them are dead. And here’s why.

The Central Bank of Ireland has approved the use of semi-transparent ETFs, marking a significant shift following sustained industry pressure.
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Does thy neighbour earn more than you? Find out here

Discover how your ETF compensation stacks up. Join the Global ETF Salary Survey 2025, the only recruiter-backed benchmark for ETF professionals worldwide.
Are ETF salaries about to defy the market—or sink with it? - newsletter banner

Are ETF salaries about to defy the market—or sink with it?

Whilsts the media has been fixated on the new shiny thing which is Active ETFs, ETF share classes of mutual funds have quietly been building interest in the background.
01.04.25 Newsletter banner

The Next Big Thing: ETF Share Classes.

Whilsts the media has been fixated on the new shiny thing which is Active ETFs, ETF share classes of mutual funds have quietly been building interest in the background.
25.03.25 Newsletter banner

The biggest problem in ETFs no one is talking about right now

The ETF market is being flooded with new entrants, like bees to honey. Whilst it’s great to see, it is creating a massive problem which many people may not be aware of.
18.03.25 Newsletter Banner

Buffer ETFs blow a hurricane in the US

Have you ever wondered why Buffer ETFs in the U.S. are booming yet in Europe it’s like a ghost town? Will Buffer ETFs ever take off in Europe?
11.03.25 Newsletter Banner

Active ETFs: The great con. Are investors being mis-sold?

For over 20 years we have told ourselves that passive was king and active was a broken promise. Now active is the shiny new thing that everyone wants to own. The problem is "active" is not really that active is it?
25.02.25 Newsletter Banner

Vanguard: The best ETF manager in the world?

There’s a lot to be said about how Vanguard do business. Unlike other managers who sometimes seem like a dog chasing it’s tail, Vanguard do no such thing.
18.02.25 - Newsletter Banner - etfs are becoming a mutual fund killer

ETFs are becoming a Mutual Fund Killer

ETFs are basically eating the lunch of mutual funds at a rate that even the most die hard ETF cheerleader would have been surprised by.
11.02.25 - Newsletter Banner - Newspaper etfs fast food financial markets

Can you believe what this guy has just said?

Hendrik Leber, the CEO of asset manager, Acatis in Germany, recently compared ETFs to “the fast food of the financial markets”
04.02.25 Newsletter Banner - One deadly Mistake No Issuer Can Afford to Make

ETF Failure Alert : The One Deadly Mistake No Issuer Can Afford to Make!

If an ETF issuer isn’t investing in a killer internal sales and distribution team, they’re not launching an ETF business—they’re launching an expensive failure.

Big Players, Bigger Deals: Why ETF M&A Could Explode in 2025

Mutual fund giants continue eyeing the ETF space and let’s be honest—what’s easier than snapping up a well-established ETF platform to hit the ground running?
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