Weekly Channel Summary
The Thematic ETF channel, now comprising 382 ETFs from 96 issuers, holds a total of $252 billion in assets under management. Over the past week, the channel saw net inflows of $1.37 billion, pushing the year-to-date total inflow to $27.41 billion and the one-year total to $32.85 billion.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
FinTech was the standout category this week with a strong 6.13% week-to-date return, advancing its impressive 37.94% year-to-date gain. Sustainability also had a notable week, rallying 3.69%. On the other end of the spectrum, the Midstream & MLPs category was the primary laggard, posting a -0.82% return for the week, which trims its year-to-date gain to 4.88%.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FinTech | 6.13% | 19.97% | 35.08% | 64.10% | 37.94% | 70.95% |
| Sustainability | 3.69% | 6.65% | 20.84% | 28.05% | 26.51% | 16.35% |
| Disruptive Tech | 3.59% | 10.54% | 17.16% | 30.81% | 24.67% | 36.76% |
| Industrial Revolution | 3.35% | 7.57% | 18.10% | 26.94% | 26.18% | 34.04% |
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | 2.84% | 8.31% | 15.66% | 28.14% | 22.53% | 32.12% |
| Natural Resources | 2.59% | 8.15% | 17.95% | 24.76% | 30.31% | 24.05% |
| Evolving Consumer | 1.72% | 4.63% | 23.05% | 28.14% | 25.79% | 26.50% |
| Precious Metals | 1.42% | 26.79% | 33.61% | 60.64% | 109.82% | 89.45% |
| Health Innovation | 0.92% | 3.65% | 9.18% | 8.03% | 6.32% | -5.42% |
| Infrastructure | 0.80% | 3.27% | 9.45% | 16.60% | 17.89% | 14.37% |
| Alternative Equity | -0.26% | 0.26% | 5.82% | 2.65% | 2.31% | 6.82% |
| Midstream & MLPs | -0.82% | 0.38% | 0.55% | -3.71% | 4.88% | 13.88% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The best performing ETF this week was the Global X Hydrogen ETF (HYDR), which rocketed up 18.18%. Other top performers were heavily concentrated in the uranium and clean energy themes. On the downside, housing-related ETFs struggled, with the iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) falling -4.07% and the AdvisorShares Restaurant ETF (EATZ) dropping -3.66%.
| Top Performers | ||
| HYDR | Global X Hydrogen ETF | 18.18% |
| URA | Global X Uranium ETF | 16.68% |
| URAN | Themes Uranium & Nuclear ETF | 11.77% |
| PBW | Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF | 11.55% |
| WGMI | CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF | 11.45% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| ITB | iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF | -4.07% |
| EATZ | AdvisorShares Restaurant ETF | -3.66% |
| AMZA | InfraCap MLP ETF | -2.99% |
| XHB | SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF | -2.66% |
| CUT | Invesco MSCI Global Timber ETF | -2.61% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The Thematic channel attracted a net total of $1.35 billion in flows this week. Disruptive Tech was the undisputed leader, gathering over $2.65 billion in new assets and growing its total AUM to $47.7 billion. Other categories with strong inflows included Industrial Revolution ($574M) and Natural Resources ($495M). Thematic – Multi-Sector saw the most significant redemptions, with over $2.33 billion in outflows for the week.
This week’s report may include significant custom create activity, which was orchestrated to facilitate major index rebalancing events. We anticipate these outsized inflows to be offset by corresponding redemptions in next week’s flows data.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disruptive Tech | 58 | $47.7B | $2,654M | $4,183M | $7,193M | $12,591M | $14,556M |
| Industrial Revolution | 32 | $13.6B | $574M | $696M | $1,815M | $3,390M | $3,241M |
| Natural Resources | 53 | $35.9B | $495M | $900M | $1,845M | $158M | $1,287M |
| Infrastructure | 38 | $36.3B | $276M | $1,297M | $3,580M | $5,490M | $9,351M |
| Midstream & MLPs | 16 | $21.5B | $40M | $59M | $407M | $1,443M | $2,499M |
| Alternative Equity | 8 | $2.4B | $16M | $70M | $259M | $601M | $839M |
| Health Innovation | 25 | $2.0B | $14M | ($38M) | ($71M) | ($113M) | ($294M) |
| Sustainability | 28 | $5.3B | $13M | $66M | $149M | ($480M) | ($907M) |
| Precious Metals | 14 | $36.6B | ($7M) | $249M | $172M | ($3,184M) | ($3,763M) |
| Evolving Consumer | 45 | $18.5B | ($184M) | $804M | $1,615M | $596M | ($141M) |
| FinTech | 24 | $6.1B | ($204M) | $251M | $583M | $498M | $728M |
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | 38 | $25.7B | ($2,334M) | ($5M) | $1,906M | $6,397M | $5,438M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF (BAI) was the runaway leader for inflows, pulling in a massive $2.47 billion this week. The Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD) also saw very strong interest, gathering $523 million. On the outflows side, the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) saw the largest redemption of $2.8 billion, followed by the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) with $904 million in outflows.
| Inflows | ||
| BAI | iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF | $2,470M |
| SHLD | Global X Defense Tech ETF | $523M |
| MAGS | Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF | $373M |
| AIQ | Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology E.. | $159M |
| GRID | First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID In.. | $133M |
| Outflows | ||
| ARKK | ARK Innovation ETF | -$2,804M |
| ARKW | ARK Next Generation Internet ETF | -$904M |
| ARKF | ARK Fintech Innovation ETF | -$448M |
| FDN | First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund | -$115M |
| XHB | SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF | -$63M |
Issuer League Table Update
Global X and iShares continue their battle for the top spot in the thematic space, holding 16.73% and 16.01% of the market share, respectively. This week, iShares was the top asset gatherer, bringing in an impressive $3.05 billion in net inflows. In a sharp reversal, ARK saw the largest outflows among all issuers, with a net of $4.14 billion leaving their thematic products.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global X | 34 | $42.11B | 16.73% |
| iShares | 33 | $40.29B | 16.01% |
| First Trust | 29 | $39.14B | 15.55% |
| VanEck | 18 | $34.70B | 13.79% |
| ARK | 7 | $15.75B | 6.26% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Inflows | |
| iShares | $3,048M |
| Global X | $893M |
| Roundhill | $453M |
| Outflows | |
| ARK | -$4,138M |
| SPDR | -$47M |
| US Global | -$37M |
For a deeper dive into these trends, access our FREE, in-depth Thematic ETF reports in the right side panel of this page.
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.
