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William Blair Expands Into Active ETFs with Two Global Funds

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William Blair Investment Management has launched its debut pair of actively managed exchange-traded funds, introducing an emerging markets equity fund (WBEM) alongside an international equity fund (WBIE). Both vehicles are scheduled to start trading today on the New York Stock Exchange.

The product launches give advisors and individual investors a new mechanism to access the asset manager's cross-border strategies in an ETF format. William Blair brings substantial historical experience to foreign investing, having operated international equity strategies since 1992 and emerging markets portfolios since 1996. As of mid-2026, the firm oversaw $19.8 billion in emerging market equities and $18.5 billion in broader international stocks. Choosing the ETF structure provides benefits such as intraday liquidity, tax efficiency, and daily portfolio visibility.

Moving forward, the firm intends to broaden its ETF lineup. Future expansion plans include bringing additional strategies to the active ETF marketplace across domestic equities, global equities, and developing market fixed income.

Key points

  • William Blair introduced its first two active exchange-traded funds, focusing on foreign and developing equity markets.
  • The new offerings trade on the New York Stock Exchange under tickers WBEM and WBIE.
  • The firm managed $19.8 billion in emerging market stocks and $18.5 billion in international stocks as of June 30, 2026.
  • William Blair plans to expand its active ETF suite over time into additional asset classes like debt and U.S. equities.

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Questions and answers

What tickers do the new William Blair ETFs use?

The funds trade under the ticker symbol WBEM for emerging markets equity and WBIE for international equity.

Which exchange lists the new William Blair active funds?

Both active ETFs trade on the New York Stock Exchange starting October 15, 2026.

What volume of international assets does William Blair oversee?

As of June 30, 2026, William Blair managed $19.8 billion in emerging markets equities and $18.5 billion in international equities.