Advisor ETF Search Trends - April 2025

Behavioral signals from active advisor research across leading industry publisher platforms

Introduction & Methodology

Each month, AdvizorPro tracks ETF-related search behavior from financial advisors—primarily RIAs and broker-dealer representatives—across a network of industry publisher websites where we have data-sharing partnerships. In April, AdvizorpRo tracked over 2,150 RIAs & Broker-Dealers conducting ETF-related searches across the network. These searches reflect what advisors are researching on platforms they rely on for industry news, product information, and investment ideas.While this data does not represent fund flows or platform activity, it offers directional insight into what advisors are actively evaluating—making it a valuable signal for distribution, product, and marketing teams tracking demand and market narratives.

Executive Summary

• Total ETF-related searches rose 22.8% month-over-month
• Highest growth seen in commodities, gold, energy, leveraged/inverse equity, and Small Blend equity categories
• Core index ETFs remained heavily researched, but cost-sensitive and sector-specific tickers saw rising attention
• ETF issuers focused on precious metals, tactical products, and real assets led in search growth

Tariff-Driven Shifts in Advisor Focus

The April 2 “Freedom Day” tariff announcement corresponded with increases in search activity tied to:

• Commodities and inflation-hedging strategies (e.g., gold, energy)
• Tactical positioning via leveraged/inverse equity ETFs
• Reevaluation of sector exposure, including Large Value and Technology, due to supply chain and global trade implications

Most-Searched Morningstar Categories – April 2025

Insights:

• Growth in commodities and precious metals categories aligns with increased advisor attention to inflation risks and market volatility
• Tactical ETF categories gained traction as advisors explored hedging and speculative strategies
• Large Value and Technology may reflect interest in sectors with exposure to global trade, cost pressure, or reshoring

Top-Searched ETF Tickers (Ranked by April Count)

Insights:

• QQQ, VOO, and SPY remained top benchmarks in advisor searches
• GLD saw a notable increase in interest, consistent with the broader focus on gold and real assets
• VUG’s search volume more than doubled, reflecting attention to growth equities during a period of economic uncertainty
• Interest in SPLG and QQQM points to cost-aware evaluation of alternative core exposures

ETF Issuers with the Highest Search Growth

Insights:

• Search growth for World Gold Council, ProShares, and Direxion aligns with increased advisor interest in gold and tactical ETFs
• Broader issuers like Schwab, VanEck, and Dimensional also saw increased visibility, reflecting more diversified search behavior across product types
• State Street and Invesco maintained high search volume as advisors revisited large, core ETF providers

Understanding Advisor Interest and Market Positioning

April’s advisor search activity reveals that ETF research behavior continues to be shaped by macroeconomic headlines and tactical portfolio adjustments. Advisors are exploring inflation-sensitive and commodity-based strategies, as well as evaluating cost-efficient core exposures across equity and fixed income categories. These behavioral shifts highlight how data-driven insights can help issuers, asset managers, and marketing teams align their outreach with real advisor demand.

AdvizorPro’s analytics and behavioral intelligence provide visibility into how advisors research investments, which firms are gaining traction, and where market attention is trending. Explore the 2025 RIA ETF Trends Report for deeper insights into ETF growth segments, and visit our AI Driven Intelligence article to see how real-time data supports smarter product positioning. You can also read the ETF Trends Q2 2024 Report for historical context and category-level comparisons.

For issuers and platforms focused on distribution, timing outreach based on advisor research behavior can unlock stronger engagement and competitive advantage. Start your free trial

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