iShares U.S. Thematic Rotation Active ETF

THRO

Market cap $6.54B

I maintain a Buy rating on the iShares US Thematic Rotation Active ETF, reaffirming the original thesis from September 2025. Compared to IVV, the IT-heavy THRO portfolio has a GARP tilt (i.e., a combination of a high EY and impressive earnings growth), which is supportive of further outperformance. THRO has outperformed the S&P 500 index since September. Since its inception in 2021, it has delivered a stronger total return than IVV, as it captured around 105% of its upside.

Thematic ETFs have maintained their impressive momentum in early 2026, building on a resurgent 2025. After gathering $23 billion last year, the category added another $4 billion in January alone.

2025 was sprinkled with hints that a thematic exchange-traded fund (ETF) comeback could be in its initial stages. With over $240 million in assets under management (AUM) and growing, the Procure Space ETF (UFO) could be one of those funds to watch in 2026.

iShares U.S. Thematic Rotation Active ETF uses AI-driven, tactical theme rotation focused on large-cap U.S. equities, currently overweighting technology. THRO has outperformed the S&P 500 since inception, but recent 12-month returns lag the benchmark. The THRO fund has underperformed two sector rotation ETFs since inception.

Benchmarked against the S&P 500, iShares U.S. Thematic Rotation Active ETF relies on data-driven methods to identify and exploit promising themes. I initiate coverage of the fund with a Buy rating. IT-heavy THRO has beaten IVV since inception, sporting higher risk-adjusted returns, though with a downside capture ratio of 102.7%.

Along with the increasing number of active ETF launches this year, conversions from mutual funds to ETFs have been another prevailing trend. This time, one of the biggest in the industry is converting a pair of mutual funds to ETFs — BlackRock.

THRO ETF actively rotates among U.S. growth themes, leveraging big data and systematic frameworks for trend identification, with a strong technology bias. Current macro conditions—stabilized global liquidity and a neutral interest rate outlook—do not strongly support multiple expansion for growth assets like THRO. Performance now hinges more on the fund manager's thematic and company selection.

Jay Jacobs, BlackRock U.S. Head of Equity ETFs, and Roger Hallam, Vanguard global head of rates, share their outlooks for the rest of year, key trends to watch in the ETF space and the strategy behind their firms' latest funds with CNBC's Dominic Chu.

On this week's episode of ETF Prime, VettaFi's Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth discusses top ETF stories shaping the first half of 2025 with host Nate Geraci. Later, Astoria's Bruce Lavine steps through 351 Exchanges, explaining what they are and why they matter.

Mid-2025 is approaching, and exchange traded fund demand continues its robust growth. Last year was a landmark year for the ETF industry, with industry net inflows for the first time surpassing $1 trillion and one ETF exceeding $100 billion in net inflows.