New research from global analytics firm Cerulli Associates has found that exchange-traded fund (ETF) use among registered investment advisors (RIAs) in the US has grown nearly 27% annually over the past 5 years, with continued growth anticipated.

ETF use among RIAs has grown nearly 27% annually over past 5 years, according to research from Cerulli Associates.

“The allocation to ETFs among RIAs grew 48% from 2011 to 2012,” said Kenton Shirk, associate director at Cerulli. “The RIA channel is an extremely attractive opportunity for asset managers.”

Cerulli’s latest report, ‘RIA Marketplace 2013: The Changing Landscape of a Maturing Industry’ is focused on understanding the unique dynamics of the RIA channel. This report provides insights about RIAs for providers and asset managers serving these advisors.

“RIAs believe ETFs will become a larger portion of portfolios,” Shirk added. “ETFs gained popularity as a cost-effective method to achieve diversification, but with increased adoption they have evolved to cover a wide variety of investment strategies.”