You can modify our assumptions and forecasts to see how sensitive BlackRock's valuation is to its key value drivers (and see more about how Trefis technology is used by CFOs, private equity firms and institutional investors). The Global ETF Industry, And BlackRock's Long-Term Growth Strategy The popularity of ETFs and other exchange-traded products (ETPs) is demonstrated by the fact that the industry has grown to over $5 trillion in total assets currently, from being a largely obscure investment option at the turn of the century. [ 1 ] The reason for this growth is that ETFs provide investors a cheap and convenient way to put their money into fixed income, equity, currency, commodities and other investment markets. And with the popularity really only skyrocketing in the past few years, the industry has the potential to continue to grow considerably in the future. The largest avenue of growth for ETF providers over the coming years is expected to be the retail investor market, which remains underserved.