Weekly Channel Summary
The EQ: Specialty channel currently encompasses 80 ETFs managed by 54 distinct issuers, representing a combined $20.8B in Assets Under Management (AUM). Over the past week, the space attracted strong investor interest with $3.70B in net inflows. This robust weekly activity pushes Year-to-Date (YTD) net flows to $5.48B and 1-Year flows to $7.22B, underscoring sustained demand for specialty equity strategies.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
During a challenging week for the broader channel, the Equity: Specialty – Long | Short category proved to be the more resilient segment, posting a Week-to-Date (WTD) return of -1.42% compared to the Equity: Specialty – Hedged category’s -1.75%. Despite the recent weekly pullback, both categories remain in positive territory for the year, with Long | Short up 5.62% YTD and Hedged up 5.34% YTD.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity: Specialty – Long | Short | -1.42% | 0.51% | 4.01% | 5.56% | 5.62% | 12.17% |
| Equity: Specialty – Hedged | -1.75% | 1.00% | 4.71% | 5.01% | 5.34% | 16.19% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
At the fund level, the AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund (BTAL) was the standout performer, advancing 3.75% for the week. On the other end of the spectrum, the FINQ DOLLAR NEUTRAL U.S. Large Cap Al-Managed Equity ETF (AINT) and the Global X NASDAQ 100 Tail Risk ETF (QTR) were the primary laggards, declining -7.88% and -4.45% respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| BTAL | AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund | 3.75% |
| LBAY | Leatherback Long/Short Alternative Yield ETF | 1.84% |
| ONEH | TrueShares Equity Hedge ETF | 1.38% |
| CCOR | Core Alternative ETF | 1.15% |
| LSEQ | Harbor Long-Short Equity ETF | 1.03% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| AINT | FINQ DOLLAR NEUTRAL U.S. Large Cap Al-Managed Equity ETF | -7.88% |
| QTR | Global X NASDAQ 100 Tail Risk ETF | -4.45% |
| CLIX | ProShares Long Online/Short Stores ETF | -4.23% |
| MSTQ | LHA Market State Tactical Q ETF | -4.20% |
| HBTA | Horizon Expedition Plus ETF | -4.01% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The EQ: Specialty channel generated massive net inflows of $3,700M this past week. This surge was almost entirely driven by the Equity: Specialty – Long | Short category, which amassed $3,711M in new capital across its $9.2B AUM base. In contrast, the Equity: Specialty – Hedged category, despite having a larger AUM footprint overall, experienced mild outflows totaling -$11M over the same 5-day period.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity: Specialty – Long | Short | 27 | $9.2B | $3,711M | $4,123M | $4,326M | $4,948M | $5,239M |
| Equity: Specialty – Hedged | 52 | $11.6B | -$11M | $149M | $50M | $531M | $1,983M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
Looking at individual funds, the iShares Systematic Alternatives Active ETF (IALT) dominated the inflows leaderboard, raking in an extraordinary $3,668M. Conversely, the JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF (HELO) and the PlanRock Alternative Growth ETF (PRAE) faced the steepest redemptions, bleeding -$54M and -$14M, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| IALT | iShares Systematic Alternatives Active ETF | $3,668M |
| CLSE | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF | $21M |
| QGRD | Horizon Nasdaq-100 Defined Risk ETF | $16M |
| CAOS | Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | $16M |
| ADME | Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF | $11M |
| Outflows | ||
| HELO | JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF | -$54M |
| PRAE | PlanRock Alternative Growth ETF | -$14M |
| ORR | Militia Long/Short Equity ETF | -$6M |
| FHEQ | Fidelity Hedged Equity ETF | -$4M |
| HEQT | Simplify Hedged Equity ETF | -$4M |
Issuer League Table Update
The competitive landscape is tightly contested at the top, with JPMorgan and iShares commanding the leading market shares at 21.07% and 20.65%, respectively. Driven by the success of IALT, iShares was the undisputed winner in asset gathering this week, bringing in $3,668M in new flows. Meanwhile, JPMorgan found itself on the opposite end, experiencing the channel’s largest weekly outflows at -$56M.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan | 3 | $4.39B | 21.07% |
| iShares | 2 | $4.30B | 20.65% |
| First Trust | 1 | $2.37B | 11.38% |
| Fidelity | 2 | $0.90B | 4.33% |
| Alpha Architect | 2 | $0.71B | 3.41% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| iShares | $3,668M |
| Horizon | $24M |
| Convergence | $21M |
| Outflows | |
| JPMorgan | -$56M |
| PlanRock | -$14M |
| Militia | -$6M |
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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.
