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REDDIT

Best sources for digging into ETF trading/mechanics - institutional perspective

C
May 30, 2026 · 17:22

I work in asset allocation and have started helping PMs review tactical ETF exposures and possible substitutes.

At first there was some really low hanging fruit but now approaching the need for more under the hood of the trading/implementation side - volume, bid/ask spreads, underlying liquidity, creation/redemption, market makers/APs, basket mechanics.

I understand the basic concepts, but I’m trying to build the practical judgment to assess when each one actually matters and how to evaluate tradeability beyond surface-level metrics like ADV and quoted spread.

I have access to plenty of resources overall - Bloomberg, our trading desk, and ETF provider product/cap markets teams, but I’d like to build a little better understanding myself so I can ask better questions.

Any good resources or practical frameworks for learning ETF mechanics from an institutional perspective?