Gold and Silver Plunge Amid War, JPMorgan Debuts Equity Premium Yield ETFs | ETF IQ 3/19/2026

Summary

• Todd Sohn observes a shift from passive metals ETFs (gold, silver) to energy equity ETFs amid geopolitical volatility, with energy flows turning positive after being negative.
• He highlights agriculture (AG) ETFs as a niche space for investors to watch within the ETF universe.
• Sohn predicts Vanguard will launch a buffer ETF within 12-18 months, citing demand signals and hiring from iShares as breadcrumbs.
• For inflation protection, he recommends short duration TIPS, commodities, managed futures, and distributing ladder ETFs (e.g., from DAVE) to capture hard assets.
• Hamilton Reiner introduces JPMorgan's new Equity Premium Yield ETFs (ROCY and ROCQ), offering tax-efficient distribution options (1099 or tax-deferred) for S&P and Nasdaq exposure.
• Reiner emphasizes active management and robust research (₹200 million annual budget, 5000 company meetings/year) as differentiators, with strategies underweight tech for diversification.
• He compares ROCY and ROCQ to JEPI and JEPQ, noting the ability to combine growth, yield, and tax deferral in a single suite.
• Robert Mitchnick notes Bitcoin's historical pattern of rallying after geopolitical disruptions (e.g., COVID, U.S. banking crisis), suggesting resilience as a global monetary asset.
• Mitchnick states that ETF flows for Bitcoin (e.g., IBIT) have been flat or positive even during price declines, with selling pressure concentrated in leveraged crypto trading venues.
• He highlights the launch of Ethereum ETFs with staking, improving yield capture and access for mainstream investors, and notes strong initial interest.