AGNG vs WRND

AGNGAGlobal X Aging Population ETF

WRNDBNYLI Global Equity R&D Leaders ETF

In short

AGNG AGNG plays the one trend nobody needs a crystal ball for: people getting older. About 80 developed-market names in medical devices, pharma and senior living, wrapped around an aging-population index, for 0.50% a year.

WRND Most innovation funds sell you a story. WRND buys receipts: roughly 200 companies worldwide picked on what they actually spend on R&D and whether that spending earns a return, at a fee well under the thematic norm.

Stated mandate

AGNG The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Indxx Aging Population Thematic Index.

WRND The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the IQ Global Equity R&D Leaders Index. Its passive strategy targets innovative companies worldwide based on high research and development spending.

Why people hold it

• AGNG One ticket on the demographics trade: roughly 80 developed-market companies tied to older consumers, tracking the Indxx Aging Population Thematic Index.globalxetfs.com
• 0.50% a year, below the median fee in its global thematic peer group. Niche themes usually charge a premium for the privilege.
• Running since 2016, so the theme has a long live record rather than a backtest and a pitch deck.
• Portfolio construction and risk profile put it among the stronger builds in its global thematic peer group.

• WRND 0.18% a year against a 0.56% median for its global thematic peers. Innovation exposure without the boutique markup.newyorklifeinvestments.com
• Selection leans on the income statement: R&D intensity paired with return on invested capital, favoring firms that turn research budgets into results.newyorklifeinvestments.com
• Roughly 200 names from a global universe, one of three R&D-screened funds New York Life launched in 2022 rather than a one-off experiment.businesswire.com

Worth knowing

• AGNG Thinly traded, so spreads can run wider than in mega-cap funds and how you place the order matters more.
• One theme, tilted to healthcare and developed markets, so its path can look nothing like a broad global index.
• Distributions arrive annually or semiannually, not monthly, and the asset base is modest by ETF standards.

• WRND Small and lightly traded, so bid/ask spreads tend to run wider than on mainstream global index funds.
• Weighting by R&D dollars, with a cap on any single position, tilts the book toward the world's largest research spenders.businesswire.cometfstrategy.com
• Distributions arrive quarterly, but income isn't the mandate; the index screens on research spending, not payouts.

Full AGNG profile⁠

Full WRND profile⁠