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Plume has launched the first payroll pilot using tokenised real-world assets, enabling employees to receive salaries in yield-bearing fund shares. Developed with payroll provider Toku and using WisdomTree's tokenised money market fund WTGXX, the programme allows Plume employees to elect receiving part of their compensation in regulated fund shares rather than cash. The pilot removes the need for employees to purchase crypto or interact with exchanges, allowing compensation to earn yield immediately upon payment. Plume purchases corresponding fund shares via WisdomTree Connect and delivers them to participating employees' verified wallets linked to their WisdomTree Prime accounts. The programme initially targets Plume employees and aims to demonstrate how tokenised assets can integrate with existing payroll workflows whilst maintaining separation between payroll delivery and investment selection.

WisdomTree bolsters defence ETF range with two new funds. The new strategies will target defence companies globally and in Asian markets 31 March 2026 WisdomTree has launched the WisdomTree Asia Defence UCITS ETF and WisdomTree Global Defence UCITS ETF, which seek to track the price and yield performance of the firm's inhouse indices before fees and expenses. Both ETFs will launch on the London Stock Exchange on 1 April, but are already available to investors in France, Italy, Sweden and Germany. The Asia Defence ETF will have a total expense ratio of 0.5%, while the Global Defence ETF has an expense ratio of 0.4%. The global defence UCITS will provide exposure to companies that derive a "meaningful portion" of their revenues from defence activities. By targeting companies directly involved in defence, the strategy hopes to avoid dilution from broader industrial or civil aerospace companies. Meanwhile, the Asia funds aim to capture the rising defence cycle in the US, as Asian governments expand budgets, strengthen supply chains and bolster their autonomy. This launch further expands the team's existing defence ETF range, such as the WisdomTree European Defence UCITS ETF, which launched in March 2025 and was the fastest European ETF to reach $3bn in AUM. Currently, it has more than $5.2bn in AUM. These strategies have benefitted from the push for defence spending, which has become a longer-term policy priority, as governments pledge to strengthen their military capacity. For example, the UK has pledged to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035. Pierre Debru, European head of research at WisdomTree, said: "Defence has become a structural investment theme rather than a short-term reaction to geopolitical events." He added: "With these new ETFs, investors can access the theme through both a global strategy that captures multiple rearmament cycles and a dedicated Asia strategy focused on a region where defence spending is accelerating rapidly." Alexis Marinof, CEO of Europe at WisdomTree, said: "As geopolitical tensions persist and governments prioritise security and resilience, defence remains a powerful example of how policy-driven megatrends can shape long-term investment opportunities." MORE ARTICLES ON

WisdomTree, a financial services company managing exchange-traded funds, has demonstrated strong cash generation with a 30% trailing 12-month free cash flow margin. The company has achieved 18.9% annual revenue growth over the past two years and posted a 17% return on equity. Share repurchases have enabled earnings per share growth of 52.5%, outpacing revenue gains. Founded as a financial media company before pivoting to ETF management in 2006, WisdomTree creates investment products for individual and institutional investors. Commvault, a data protection and cyber resilience software provider, has shown 26.6% average billings growth over the past year with an 81.4% gross margin. Meanwhile, Yelp faces challenges with 7.1% annual revenue growth over three years and flat sales forecasts, suggesting potential struggles ahead.