Morningstar has announced the speakers and agenda for its sixth annual ETF Conference, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. The conference features experts from across the exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry including Morningstar analysts, who will provide in-depth knowledge and perspective for financial advisors.
“With more than $2 trillion in assets under management in the growing U.S. ETF industry, investors and their advisors face myriad options when it comes to ETF investing,” Ben Johnson, CFA, Morningstar’s director of global ETF research, said. “Our sixth annual ETF Conference will gather industry experts to discuss and debate three key areas of ETF investing—strategy, tactics, and managed-portfolio solutions—to help investors achieve better outcomes.”
Joe Davis, Vanguard principal and chief economist, will deliver the keynote opening address on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Charles Ellis, founder of Greenwich Associates and author of Winning the Loser’s Game and Falling Short: The Coming Retirement Crisis and What to Do about It, will give the keynote luncheon address on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
General session speakers on Wednesday, Sept. 30, are Andrea Frazzini, Ph.D., AQR; Jason Hsu, Research Affiliates; and Mark Kiesel, PIMCO. Jim Crowley, Pershing; and Jon Stein, Betterment, will address attendees on Thursday, Oct. 1.
The popular “Meet the Pundits” panel will close the conference on Oct. 1. Morningstar’s Johnson, ETF.com’s Matt Hougan, and ETF Trends’ Tom Lydon will engage in a no-holds-barred discussion of the latest trends in the ETF industry, moderated by author and journalist John Wasik.
The conference offers 15 breakout sessions focusing on strategic, tactical, and managed-portfolio solutions. Speakers from BlackRock/iShares, Eaton Vance, Envestnet, Fidelity, Invesco PowerShares, J.P. Morgan, MSCI, Windham, and WisdomTree, among other firms, will cover an array of timely topics, including:
- Strategic beta abroad;
- Currency-hedged ETFs;
- The active/passive debate and the future of active ETFs;
- Tactical asset allocation;
- Accessing alternative strategies and niche markets through ETFs; and
- Managing interest-rate risk and the role of fixed income.
Morningstar will offer two preconference workshops from 1-4 p.m. on Sept. 29. Attendees will be able to choose one of two workshop tracks. The first workshop, “The ABCs of ETFs,” will cover the evolution of ETFs as an investment vehicle and provide a practical review of ETFs by asset class, along with their benefits and limitations. The other workshop, “An Overview of the Trends Shaping the ETF Market,” will offer Morningstar analysts’ insights on key topics including strategic beta, active ETFs, and the opening up of onshore Chinese stock markets.
To register for the conference, please follow this link