Weekly Channel Summary
The EQ: Specialty channel continues to demonstrate consistent growth, ending the week of January 30, 2026, with a total of 75 ETFs across 52 unique brands. The channel currently manages $15.0B in Assets Under Management (AUM). Flow activity remained positive this week, with the channel bringing in $79M in net new money. This contributes to a strong start for the year with $583M in YTD flows and a robust $3.56B gathered over the trailing one-year period.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Both categories within the Specialty composite posted gains this week. The Equity: Specialty – Long | Short category led the way with a 0.96% WTD return, outperforming the Equity: Specialty – Hedged category, which rose 0.70%. On a YTD basis, the Long | Short category maintains a notable lead with a 3.71% return compared to 2.09% for its Hedged counterpart.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity: Specialty – Long | Short | 0.96% | 3.26% | 3.54% | 8.16% | 3.71% | 10.21% |
| Equity: Specialty – Hedged | 0.70% | 1.34% | 1.55% | 8.75% | 2.09% | 12.18% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The Harbor Long-Short Equity ETF (LSEQ) was the standout performer this week, gaining 4.30%. On the lagging end, the NEOS Long/Short Equity Income ETF (NLSI) fell -2.11%, followed by the Formidable ETF (FORH) which declined -1.18%.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| LSEQ | Harbor Long-Short Equity ETF | 4.30% |
| CTEF | Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | 4.02% |
| PRAE | PlanRock Alternative Growth ETF | 3.89% |
| MEMA | Man Active Emerging Markets Alternative ETF | 3.52% |
| CLSE | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF | 2.67% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| NLSI | NEOS Long/Short Equity Income ETF | -2.11% |
| FORH | Formidable ETF | -1.18% |
| BTAL | AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund | -0.98% |
| LBAY | Leatherback Long/Short Alternative Yield ETF | -0.42% |
| CLIX | ProShares Long Online/Short Stores ETF | -0.41% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The channel attracted $79M in total net flows this week. The Equity: Specialty – Hedged category saw the largest intake, bringing in $41M (on $10.7B total AUM). The Equity: Specialty – Long | Short category also saw healthy interest, recording $39M in new assets. There were no categories with net outflows at the aggregate level this week.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity: Specialty – Hedged | 49 | $10.7B | $41M | $290M | $688M | $287M | $2,736M |
| Equity: Specialty – Long | Short | 25 | $4.3B | $39M | $303M | $455M | $296M | $827M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF (HELO) led all inflows this week, bringing in $23M. Outflows were relatively muted, but the PlanRock Alternative Growth ETF (PRAE) and the Toews Agility Shares Managed Risk ETF (MRSK) saw the most significant withdrawals, each losing -$2M.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| HELO | JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF | $23M |
| CAOS | Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | $13M |
| ORR | Militia Long/Short Equity ETF | $12M |
| HEFT | Hedgeye Fourth Turning ETF | $12M |
| CLSE | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF | $6M |
| Outflows | ||
| PRAE | PlanRock Alternative Growth ETF | -$2M |
| MRSK | Toews Agility Shares Managed Risk ETF | -$2M |
| KSPY | KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | -$1M |
| CCOR | Core Alternative ETF | -$1M |
| HEQT | Simplify Hedged Equity ETF | -$1M |
Issuer League Table Update
JPMorgan and First Trust continue to dominate the EQ: Specialty landscape, holding 27.35% and 14.70% market share, respectively. JPMorgan was the clear leader in gathering assets this week with $23M in inflows. Among the top issuers, PlanRock saw the largest outflow, with -$2M exiting its products.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan | 3 | $4.10B | 27.35% |
| First Trust | 1 | $2.20B | 14.70% |
| Fidelity | 2 | $0.85B | 5.65% |
| Simplify | 5 | $0.67B | 4.47% |
| Swan | 1 | $0.62B | 4.16% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| JPMorgan | $23M |
| Hedgeye | $16M |
| Alpha Architect | $13M |
| Outflows | |
| PlanRock | -$2M |
| Toews | -$2M |
| KraneShares | -$1M |
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Disclosures
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. All investments, including ETFs, involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Investors should consider their investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing.
This analysis was developed by the team at ETF Action. We leverage advanced AI tools to assist in the drafting and refinement of our content, based on our expert prompts, direction, and final review.
