Fidelity AAA CLO ETF

FAAA

Capitalización de mercado USD 85.6 M

The Nasdaq-VettaFi Asset Allocation Summit this week included insights from leaders at key asset managers discussing the major decisions that advisors are facing. With costs rising and many investors at or near retirement, fixed income and income ETFs, specifically, took up a big part of the conversation.

The once obscure CLO ETF market has officially broken out of its niche shell and entered a new phase of growth. Heading into 2026, total global assets quickly topped $35 billion and have now surged past the $50 billion mark in early July.

As of the end of the first quarter, there was approximately $8 trillion in money market funds — a staggering sum, considering the recent performance of equities. Yes, some of that capital is “dry powder” for institutional investors or required cash reserves for fund managers, but $8 trillion is still a jaw-dropping amount.

Uncertainty persists in 2026, affecting the broader fixed income market. Collateralized loan obligations (or CLO) have emerged as a viable option with the advent of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which have democratized access to retail investors.

Not long ago, CLO ETFs were niche vehicles only talked about at credit conferences and in sophisticated bond manager circles. But fast forward to 2026, and they've entered the mainstream – drawing meaningful interest from both institutions and retail investors.