2026 ETF.com Award Nominees: International Equity

The Nominees

IVES - Dan IVES Wedbush AI Revolution ETF

Launched: June 2025 | ER: 0.75% | AUM: $983M | Issuer: Wedbush

Investment Strategy: The fund works to capitalize on the companies leading AI's evolution. IVES seeks to track the Solactive Wedbush Artificial Intelligence Index, an Index made up of companies from the Dan Ives AI 30 Research Report. These companies represent notable movers within AI, including innovators, AI integrators, product developers, and partnerships. 

• Merit: High - Ives is arguably one of the most well known AI analysts, bringing real research edge
• Position: First-mover for analyst-branded AI ETF
• Utility: Excellent - “Dan Ives’ AI picks” is an easy sell
• Power: Depends on Ives staying relevant, but AI isn’t going away

Why it’s nominated: Dan Ives is the most-quoted AI analyst on Wall Street, and now his proprietary research lives in ETF form. IVES holds 30 stocks across semiconductors, hyperscalers, cybersecurity, robotics, and cloud, built from Ives’ research reports via the Solactive Wedbush AI Index. It broke $100M in its first week and approached $1B by October. The analyst-as-brand model isn’t new, but IVES executed it better than anyone in 2025. Nearly $1B in flows proves advisors wanted exactly this product.

VEXC - Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF

Launched: September 2025 | ER: 0.07% | AUM: $70M | Issuer: Vanguard

Investment Strategy:  VEXC seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging ex-China Index (~1,012 stocks). The index includes large and mid-cap companies from emerging markets globally while excluding China. Emerging market stocks provide elevated growth potential along with higher volatility profiles. 

• Merit: High - A needed product at Vanguard prices
• Position: Late to category but Vanguard pricing changes the game
• Utility: Excellent - “EM without China risk” remains a relevant strategy for U.S. investors
• Power: Very High - China concerns aren’t fading anytime soon

Why it’s nominated: When Vanguard enters a category, they typically win on cost. VEXC provides ultra-low-cost EM ex-China exposure at 7 basis points, making this ETF the cheapest way to get EM ex-China exposure. The category will also likely grow in 2026 as advisors continue de-risking China. The portfolio includes heavy weights in India, Taiwan, and Brazil and it also pairs naturally with VEA for complete ex-China international exposure.

GPZ - VanEck Alternative Asset Manager ETF

Launched: June 2025 | ER: 0.40% | AUM: $123M | Issuer: VanEck

Investment Strategy: GPZ seeks to track the MarketVector Alternative Asset Managers Index, an index that tracks the performance of alt asset managers across venture capital, private equity and credit, private real estate, and private infrastructure. Asset managers/companies included must derive at least 75% of their revenue or operating assets from investing in alternative assets and list in U.S., Canadian, or developed European markets. 

• Merit: Very High - Only way to get pure-play alts managers exposure
• Position: First-mover, no real competition
• Utility: Excellent - “Invest in PE without PE” resonates
• Power: Very High - Private markets are secular growth

Why it’s nominated: There’s no other way to get this type of exposure. GPZ is the first ETF to target publicly traded alternative asset managers from the private sector. Top holdings include Blackstone, KKR, Apollo, Ares, and the rest of the alts management elite. As the private markets grow, so does the opportunity for the managers who run them, and GPZ provides the only pure-play on that thesis.

KDEF - PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF

Launched: February 2025 | ER: 0.65% | AUM: $71M | Issuer: PLUS ETF

Investment Strategy: The strategy seeks long-term growth and tracks the Korea Defense Industry Index. The Index includes South Korean defense companies (must derive half of their revenue from defense-related activities) and uses LLM/AI scoring to assess thematic relevance, with 70% market-cap weighting and 30% thematic score weighting.

• Merit: High - Unique Korea defense access
• Position: First-mover on Korean defense specifically
• Utility: Niche but timely, given geopolitics
• Power: Moderate - Tied to Korean peninsula dynamics

Why it’s nominated: Korean defense is differentiated from European defense plays, with different companies and different geopolitical drivers. KDEF is the only way to express this specific thesis, offering pure-play exposure to Korean defense companies and capturing the Korean defense industrial base at a time when geopolitics makes it increasingly relevant.

IDEQ - Lazard International Dynamic Equity ETF

Launched: May 2025 | ER: 0.40% | AUM: $501M | Issuer: Lazard

Investment Strategy: IDEQ is actively managed and converted from a mutual fund in May 2025. The strategy seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing in international equities with attractive risk-to-return profiles. It employs a systematic stock-picking process that relies on Lazard's proprietary methodology and expertise. 

• Merit: High - Lazard’s institutional pedigree
• Position: Growing active international space
• Utility: Good - “Lazard international” carries weight
• Power: High - Active international has room to run

Why it’s nominated: Lazard’s international equity capabilities are captured in ETF form. IDEQ offers a dynamic approach to developed ex-US markets with the institutional rigor Lazard is known for. Over $500M in flows validates the demand for quality active international exposure and is a meaningful achievement for an active international ETF. Lazard’s research depth and institutional credibility translate into real flows.

1. All data sourced from FactSet as of 12/26/31.

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