The fundamental shift changing how Aussies invest

As Sara Allen wrote in her introduction to last year's Listed Series, "there’s never been a better time to be an investor." That remains true, even if recent volatility and divergence means it often feels otherwise. 

But this year it feels more appropriate to say there's never been a time in which your success as an investor has been so much in your own hands. 

A world dominated by profound technological, political and societal shifts may require a more nuanced approach than the classic portfolio of the past. The old way of doing things no longer holds up.

There may be more to think about than ever as an investor, but there are also more tools than ever at your disposal. A nuanced, multi-faceted world requires a considered, multi-faceted strategy, and listed products can sit at the heart of that. 

No matter who you are or how you want to invest, you can now likely find what you need listed on the ASX. But as choice grows, so too does the need to successfully navigate a sprawling, ever-growing ecosystem and that's what we're hoping to help investors achieve via Livewire's 2026 Listed Series. 

We've interviewed an impressive range of experts to get their insights on the biggest changes they're seeing in markets, the opportunities those changes are presenting to investors, and most importantly, the listed products that can help you succeed in this brave new world. 

The ever-growing demand for listed products

The rise and rise of listed products has helped democratise investing in a way few other innovations can hold a candle to. And that is a worthwhile accomplishment in its own right. 

As one of our featured portfolio managers in the Listed Series, Macquarie Asset Management's Benjamin Leung, explains, "the ETF has really been a game changer for all investors."

"The ability to quickly access quite sophisticated strategies in a platform that is not overtly cumbersome, has really opened up and democratised the availability of strategies for investors," he says.

It has changed not only how regular investors can access markets but also how professional investors think about them.

"We think about what ETF stands for in terms of inspiring innovation, in terms of offering transparency, offering efficiency, those very principles are the same things that we aspire to." 

Broad index-based ETFs remain the most popular products with investors, and for good reason, but there's never really been more choice and more variety for investors looking to refine their portfolio.

The data bears that out. There is now more than $630 billion in market capitalisation across more than 600 listed products on the ASX, covering ETFs/ETPs, mFunds, LIVs (including LICs and LITs), A-REITs and Infrastructure funds. 

Over the 12 months to January, more than $84 billion was added to the market capitalisation of ASX funds, with 7 of 8 asset classes seeing double-digit growth. Reflecting how the opportunity set in markets has changed over the last 12 months, commodities-focused ETPs saw the highest growth, at 137%, followed by mixed assets, property and crypto.

The data also speaks to the increasingly crucial role ETFs and listed products play across the entire investing landscape.

ASX-listed products are no longer peripheral tools. They are now core building blocks for professional and self-directed investors alike. Industry research shows that 73% of Australian financial advisers currently use ETFs in client portfolios, with adoption expected to exceed 80% within the next year.

Around one quarter of new client flows outside superannuation are now being directed into ETFs, rising to almost 30% within managed account structures. This shift is being led by the most sophisticated parts of the market. Advisers focused on high-net-worth clients report the highest ETF usage, deploying listed products not just for broad exposure, but for factor tilts, country allocations, and targeted portfolio adjustments.

And a perusal of the most recently admitted ASX-listed products (according to the ASX's January 2026 data) demonstrates the impressive breadth and variety now offered to investors across multiple asset classes. 

• Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: SLVM)
• VanEck Australian Fixed Rate Subordinated Debt ETF (ASX: FSUB)
• Macquarie Core Global Equity (Hedged) Active ETF (ASX: MQHG)
• First Sentier Ex-20 Australian Share Active ETF (ASX: XX20)
• Global X Japan Topix 100 ETF (ASX: J100)
• Ten Cap Alpha Plus Complex ETF (ASX: TCAP)
• Quay Global Real Estate Fund (Unhedged) Active ETF (ASX: QGRU )
• Quay Global Real Estate Fund (Aud) Active ETF (ASX: QGFH)
• Betashares Aust Enhanced Credit Income Complex ETF (ASX: ECRD)
• iShares Credit Income Active ETF (ASX: ICME)