Amplify is building out its organization but maintains a Below Average Parent rating as its niche approach creates a lineup of risky exchange-traded funds that haven’t always hit the mark.
This 10-year-old firm has been in expansion mode. As of January 2026, Amplify managed 40 ETFs comprising USD 18.4 billion in assets under management, a 72% increase from a year ago. The firm has added two more subadvisors, bringing its total to seven, to run new strategies, and in July 2024, it hired an experienced sales leader to build out its distribution efforts. Recent hires in that regard include a senior relationship manager, as well as a more strategic development role. Like much of the senior leadership, including founder and CEO Christian Magoon and President William Belden, the team is quite experienced. The additions support leadership’s continued growth ambitions. Magoon and Belden, who have been with Amplify since 2018, highlight that the firm has been the first to market with unique strategies.
Although Amplify’s strong growth signals it is addressing market demand and several of its ETFs have performed well, its fund lineup is generally quite niche, including many of the 11 strategies launched since April 2025. The firm maintains a focus on income but has shifted recent launches to unique options-income ETFs rather than more-proven ones. Some new offerings, for example, sell options on cryptocurrencies, trading upside potential for income. Some of its older income-oriented funds, like Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF, take a more balanced approach of both generating income and maintaining upside.
Thematic ETFs are also a strategic focus for the firm, and some funds offer very specific exposures to growing trends, including weight-loss drugs and blockchain. While these may offer more diversification than a single stock, the performance of thematic funds can still be volatile and unpredictable, which in turn threatens the longevity of such offerings. Amplify has seen a higher rate of fund closures compared with firms with more traditional ETF strategies. It has liquidated or merged 15 ETFs that failed to attract assets or deliver strong results, including three that shuttered in 2025.
Note: This share class' Parent Pillar rating is analyst-driven, as its Branding Name, Amplify (Branding Name ID: BN00000ITV), is covered by Morningstar Manager Research.
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