This headline might be a bit provocative and even misleading, but as the global ETF industry seems to be in launching spree, the question of whether investors are appreciating these new exchange traded funds (ETFs) is a legitimate one. Overall, there were 1,908 ETFs (primary share classes) which have been launched globally over the course of the first nine months of 2026. If one also takes the 492 new convenience share classes into account, the number of new products goes up to 2,400. Conversely, there were 346 ETFs (primary share classes) closed (merged of liquidated) over the same period of time. Taking the 39 convenience share classes which were additionally closed into account, the number of closed products goes up to 385.
Graph 1: Number of Launched and Closed ETFs (Primary Share Classes) by Asset Type (January 1 – September 30, 2026)
Source: LSEG Lipper
As graph 1 shows, there were 690 new alternatives exchange traded funds launched between January 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026, while 133 were closed over the same time period. This means overall 557 additional alternatives ETFs have been launched. During the same time period, 262 new bond ETFs were launched, while 51 were closed. As a result, 211 additional bond ETFs are now available to investors around the globe. In the segment of commodities ETFs, 41 exchange traded funds have been launched, while six were closed, which brings the number of additional commodities ETFs up to 35.
Since equity ETFs are by far the largest segment in terms of available products, as well as for the assets under management, it is not surprising that the activity in the global ETF industry when it comes to ETF launches and closures is the highest in this segment. The ETF promoters around the globe launched 831 new equity ETFs over the course of first nine months of 2026, while closing 143 exchange traded funds over the same period of time. In the segment of mixed-asset ETFs, 70 ETFs have been launched, while 12 were closed, which brings the number of additional commodities ETFs up to 58 over the observation period. Since money market plays only a minor role as asset type in the global ETF industry, it is not surprising that there were only 14 new money market exchange traded funds launched in 2026 so far, while only one money market ETF was closed. Hence, there are 13 new money market exchange traded funds available for investors around the globe.
Net Inflows as Ultimate Measure of Investor Interest in New ETFs
To answer the question raised in the headline, one needs to look at the estimated net inflows into the newly launched ETFs, as net inflows are the ultimate measure of investor interest. That said, the exchange traded funds which have been launched over the course of the first nine months of 2026 were able to gather $172.7 bn in estimated net inflows (all share classes). This means the average newly launched ETF enjoyed estimated net inflows of $90.0 million (primary share classes) or $72.0 million (all share classes). This doesn’t sound too bad, taking into account that most of the newly launched ETFs were not available at the beginning of the observation period.
That said, as some of the newly launched ETFs were able to gather hundreds of millions or in some cases even billions in estimated net inflows, it is clear that a large portion of the newly launched ETFs hold less than the average $90 million in assets under management, which means that some of the newly launched exchange traded funds might already be at risk of being closed soon, since they do not met the expectations of their issuers. Therefore, it can be said that some of the newly launched ETFs are measured by estimated net inflows good/useful additions to the portfolios of investors, while others may have to wait until there time comes or they will vanish over time.
Even as some observers think that such a high launching activity, which may end in a high number of ETF closure, is not necessary and is looking like the typical issuer behavior during a bubble—I think that this is rather a sign of a healthy ETF industry. There is no better time to launch product innovations than in a prospering market environment in which the assets under management and inflows are at record highs, as this guarantees that at least the established issuers have the budget to maintain new (innovative) products over a longer time period, even as these new products might not be able to gather sufficient assets under management over a short period of time.
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute any investment advice.
The views expressed are the views of the author, not necessarily those of Lipper or LSEG.
