The ETF roundup with Étienne Joncas-Bouchard – March 2026

In this episode of FidelityConnects, host Lauren Gardie welcomes Etienne Joncas-Bouchard, Fidelity's Director of ETF and Alternative Strategy, for a deep dive into the latest ETF trends in Canada, with a focus on February 2026's strong inflows and shifting investor preferences. The conversation highlights a sustained surge in demand for international equities, which now surpass Canadian equity ETF assets, driven by value and momentum factors. Fidelity's all-in-one ETF suite, particularly FBAL and FGRO, celebrated their five-year anniversary with strong performance, outperforming 100% of peers since inception and representing over half of Fidelity's total ETF assets. The discussion also explores the strategic role of quantitative and factor-based investing, the unique integration of active insights into systematic strategies, and the rationale behind including a 0.5%–3% Bitcoin allocation for diversification without increasing overall portfolio volatility. Emerging markets remain excluded due to concerns over index quality and lack of suitable tools, though future inclusion is possible. Key takeaways include the growing importance of international equities and factor investing, the success of Fidelity’s all-in-one ETFs as turnkey, diversified solutions, the strategic use of Bitcoin for non-correlated diversification, and the competitive edge Fidelity gains from in-house index creation and blending active manager insights with quantitative rigor. The episode underscores a shift toward systematic, multi-factor, and hybrid active-quant strategies that balance cost, risk, and long-term alpha generation—offering advisors powerful tools for client portfolios in a complex market environment.