ETF Categories Index

Our ETF categories allow readers to drill down to find the best dividend ETFs to buy in 11 different niches.

The ETF categories include funds organized by similarities to facilitate searches and comparisons. To quickly jump to one of these categories, click on a link in the index below

Index of ETF Categories

• ETF asset classes (Equity, Bond, etc.)
• ETF sectors (Technology, Energy, Etc.)
• ETF regions (North America, Latin America, etc.)
• ETF countries (United States, Canada, etc.)
• ETF bond types (Treasuries, Municipal, etc.)
• ETF bond durations (Long-Term, Intermediate-Term, etc.)
• ETF commodity types (Gold, Crude Oil, etc.)
• ETF alternative types (Hedge Fund, Managed Futures, etc.)
• ETF sizes (Large-Cap, Multi-Cap, etc.)
• ETF styles (Blend, Growth, Value)

A bit more about our ETF categories

Asset classes describing the main composition of a fund’s portfolio.

Sectors showing the industry that a fund may build its holdings around.

Regions reveal where the majority of a fund’s holdings are located.

Countries provide more localized information than regions, allowing investors to assess country-specific political and economic situations that may be relevant to investment decisions.

Bond types tell investors about the risk profile and growth potential of such investments.

Bond durations identify funds that may only trade short-term instruments, as well as those that invest in nothing but fixed-income securities of 10 years or longer.

Commodity types indicate whether a fund is diversified to hold a variety of commodities or focuses on a narrow niche such as gold, silver, precious metals, oil, energy or something else.

Alternative types feature funds that can deviate from traditional assets to include so-called alternative ones that may focus on hedge fund investing, merger arbitrage, futures and others.

Sizes describe whether a fund invests in large-cap or small-cap equities, not its total assets under management or how many holdings it may possess.

Styles facilitate investors in finding both growth and value stocks, among others.

An all-inclusive unfiltered list of ETF funds can be found in our ETF directory.

ETF Asset Classes

ETF asset classes describe the main composition of a fund’s portfolio. While the majority of ETFs deal primarily in stocks and equities, there are many dedicated to bonds, real estate, commodities and more. The asset class of an ETF gives meaningful information about its risk profile and profit potential, helping investors make informed decisions about what funds to buy.

ETF Sectors

The listing of an ETF sector informs investors of an industry that is included in a fund’s holdings. While many ETFs will invest in assets across multiple sectors, there is typically one with the overwhelming focus of the fund’s management. For example, a health care ETF will mostly purchase shares of health care-related stocks, but it may supplement its portfolio with some pharmaceutical, biomedical or medicinal cannabis stocks to diversify.

ETF Regions

The region of an ETF describes where the majority of its holdings are located. While the fund may be managed from anywhere, the area it invests in makes a significant difference in the market conditions in which it operates. That is, a fund operated in the United States may invest mostly in Latin American equities. Therefore, the fund would list its region as “Latin America.”

ETF Countries

Similar to ETF regions, the country in which an ETF invests affects the market conditions the fund must navigate. The ETF countries category gives more localized information than regions, allowing investors to assess political and economic situations that may affect their investment.

ETF Bond Types

The bond type an ETF invests in tells investors what the risk profile and growth timeline looks like for a given investment. Not every ETF can be categorized by bond type — not every ETF trades bonds — but the ones that do have a wide range of investment styles. For example, an ETF locked into treasury bonds will look very different from one more interested in high-profit junk bonds.

ETF Bond Durations

Once again, not every ETF may be categorized by bond durations, but bond-trading ETFs will have a variety of timelines based on the durations of the bonds they hold. One ETF may only trade short-term, quick-profit bonds, while another invests in nothing but 10+ year bonds.

ETF Commodity Types

ETFs that primarily deal in commodities may be categorized by what commodity they trade most. While most commodity-focused funds hold a diversified set of materials, there are many ETFs that build a portfolio around a single item — gold, silver, grains, livestock and more make an appearance.

ETF Alternative Types

ETFs with strategies that vary from traditional asset trading may be considered alternative funds. Some strategies include hedge fund investing, merger arbitrage, futures and other alternative investment modes.

ETF Sizes

The sizes that ETFs are categorized into are not a description of how much money the fund has or how many holdings it may possess — it instead describes the average size of the fund’s holdings. Whether an ETF invests in large-cap or small-cap equities makes a meaningful difference in the fund’s profile and returns, and can lead investors to make better decisions about what fits into their portfolio.

ETF Styles

Most ETFs invest in both growth and value stocks. That said, there are many that opt to focus on just one of the equity styles. These ETFs allow specialized growth and value investors to build their portfolios with their preferred stock type. Alternatively, ETFs can make diversification into the opposite investment style more reliable and convenient.