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Thematic exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw a resurgence in 2025, bringing growth opportunities in niche subsectors back into the spotlight. That said, some investment trends can be short-lived. Meanwhile, others offer secular trends with enduring investment horizons, such as drone technology. In the early frame of 2026, investors will want to position their portfolios to capture this long-term upside in the DRNZ Drone ETF. In a webinar called How to Find Pure Play Approaches to Drone Technology, REX Shares COO Scott Acheychek joined TMX VettaFi Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth to discuss this unique opportunity. From its early beginnings to its manifestations as an investment opportunity via an ETF wrapper in DRNZ, webinar attendees had much to take away regarding drone technology. DRNZ Holdings of Note Some of the notable holdings Acheychek outlined in the webinar: - Draganfly: Canada-based, designs and manufactures advanced unmanned aerial tech; - AeroVironment: U.S.-based, builds military drones for defense applications; - EHang Holdings: China-based, focused on passenger drones; and - Droneshield: Australia-based, focused on protecting airspace and critical infrastructure. As cited by Rosenbluth, a common theme around these holdings is the global diversification. It’s one of the key aspects of this fund, giving investors exposure to global opportunities as opposed to a smaller geographic slice. As shown in a chart by Acheychek, DRNZ index is already exhibiting exceptional performance since its inception late last year: Where Does It Fit in a Portfolio? Thematic funds typically occupy a satellite allocation in a portfolio that would complement traditional growth exposure. Overall, these funds meld the opportunity for profitability along with topical themes that may pique an investor’s interests. Webinar attendees noted that the average percentage of thematic ETFs in a client portfolio is between 3% to 5%. “Most advisors carve out a small sleeve,” Acheychek said. He confirmed that DRNZ could be used as a thematic, satellite allocation. DRNZ exposes investors to a wide range of market cap sizes. Thus, tempered exposure is ideal to limit the inherent volatility that can come with small-cap equities. Overall, DRNZ is able to give investors the opportunity to replace single-stock holdings within the industry for more diversified exposure to the entire sector. Acheychek mentioned that “access” to the industry and a “thoughtful index design” help to make DRNZ a unique product offering in a nascent drones ETF marketplace. “DRNZ is a disciplined, rules-based access product in a difficult-to-replicate niche,” Acheychek said. That aligns with the REX Shares philosophy of offering unique ETF products to the general investing populace. [Click here] for more information on DRNZ. For more news, information, and analysis visit the Thematic Investing Content Hub. [vettafi.com] is owned by VettaFi LLC (“VettaFi”). VettaFi is the index provider for DRNZ, for which it receives an index licensing fee. However, DRNZ is not issued, sponsored, endorsed, or sold by VettaFi, and VettaFi has no obligation or liability in connection with the issuance, administration, marketing, or trading of DRNZ.
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