Ticker symbols have taken on an outsized importance in the exchange traded fund world, where pursuit of the kind of name recognition enjoyed by funds such as SPY, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF, has become the holy grail. “I would venture that half the enterprise value of our single bond ETFs is in the tickers,” said Alexander Morris, president and chief investment officer of F/m Investments.
the Merlyn AI SectorSurfer Momentum ETF, died in November, and investors no longer need fear missing out after FOMO, the AXS FOMO ETF, disappeared last month. “Flashy ticker symbols can be a double-edged sword,” said Geraci. “While tickers are certainly important in attracting retail investors, they can very easily turn off financial advisers and institutional investors. Do advisers really want a fund with the ticker symbol DUDE showing up on client statements? Probably not.