AdvizorPro's Q1 2026 Quarterly RIA ETF Holdings Report was featured in InvestmentNews, Advisor Perspectives, and Wealth Management. The report drew from 13F filings across 5,304 consistently reporting firms. Here is what the numbers show.

RIA Portfolios Kept Broadening in Q1 2026

The average number of unique ETFs per RIA firm rose from 85.9 in Q4 2025 to 89.7 by the close of Q1 2026. Half of all RIAs added net ETF positions during the quarter, while fewer than 29% trimmed their lineups. RIAs added 62,302 ETF positions and dropped 41,858, producing a net gain of more than 20,000 slots. As the AdvizorPro report put it, advisors are "no longer just increasing ETF usage. They are refining how ETFs are used, selecting funds more intentionally, and integrating them as core building blocks of portfolio construction."

For the full category breakdowns, read the complete Q1 2026 RIA ETF Report on the AdvizorPro blog.

Real Assets Led Category Growth by a Wide Margin

Equity Energy was the fastest-growing ETF category by net new RIA count, gaining 265 advisors and growing 14% from Q4 2025. Natural Resources added 145 net new RIAs and Commodities Broad Basket grew by 118. At the fund level, the USCF SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Strategy No K-1 Fund (SDCI) grew its RIA allocator base by 62.7%, the Sprott Critical Materials ETF (SETM) added 61.5% more holders, the Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX) expanded by 44.5%, and the VanEck Oil Services ETF (OIH) gained 44.4%.

Active Managers Are Converting Loyal Followers Into ETF Allocators

The most striking data point in the report belongs to Akre Capital Management. Its Akre Focus ETF (AKRE), less than a year old at the end of the quarter, grew from 140 RIA allocators at the close of 2025 to 404 by March 2026, a 188.6% jump in a single quarter. The AdvizorPro report described this as a case study in pent-up demand, with growth concentrated in the $1 billion to $100 billion mid-market RIA segment. Other active managers saw similar momentum: Cohen and Steers grew its RIA allocator count by 35.3%, MFS gained 33.8%, and First Eagle Investments expanded by 33.3%.

The pattern aligns with what AdvizorPro has tracked across the fastest-growing firms in the RIA channel: brand-credible managers with a clear portfolio role tend to reach meaningful adoption faster than new entrants competing purely on structure.

Defense and Geopolitical Themes Reshaped the Industrials Category

The Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD) added 93 net new RIA relationships. The SPDR S&P Aerospace and Defense ETF (XAR) gained 69 and the Invesco Aerospace and Defense ETF (PPA) added 44. The broader Industrials category grew by 105 net RIAs. Gold and oil ETFs moved alongside defense, with GLD adding 70 net RIAs and USO gaining 45.

Fee Tolerance Is Expanding Beyond Buffered Products

High-fee ETF gainers in Q1 2026 shifted away from defined outcome and buffered strategies. The Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF (CLSE) grew RIA allocators 25.5%. The AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund (BTAL) added 7% more RIA relationships. Infrastructure Capital Advisors placed two funds on the list: PFFA gained 9.5% more RIA allocators and the InfraCap MLP ETF (AMZA) added 6.5%. As AdvizorPro noted, "advisor willingness to pay for complexity is broadening," spanning long-short equity, credit-hedged income, preferred and MLP infrastructure, and option-overlay strategies.

Crypto ETFs Remain a Fringe Allocation in the RIA Channel

A separate AdvizorPro analysis, cited in Wealth Management, found that only 4% of practicing RIAs hold any crypto ETFs. Of the roughly $40 billion allocated to crypto ETFs by RIAs, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) accounts for just over half. The Q1 2026 data reflects a channel still primarily oriented toward traditional asset classes.

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