Inside Vanguard's New Active Stock-Picking ETFs
Vanguard is best known for indexing, but it recently rolled out actively managed stock-picking ETFs.
Vanguard has long been synonymous with low-cost index investing. But in 2025, the firm made a notable shift by launching a trio of actively managed U.S. equity ETFs in partnership with Wellington Management.
In this conversation, ETF.com Senior Analyst Sumit Roy speaks with Ryan Barksdale, Head of Active Equity Product at Vanguard, and Kim Gailun, Head of Equity Boutiques at Wellington, about why now was the right time to bring active stock selection into an ETF wrapper.
The discussion covers how these strategies differ from Vanguard’s traditional index funds, how the managers think about alpha, risk, and cost, and where active management can complement passive funds in portfolios.
