Last Week in ETFs: Traditional Assets Shine While Digital Assets Cool

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The Big Picture: The U.S. ETF industry reached a massive AUM milestone of $14.14 trillion as of January 30, 2026, supported by weekly net inflows of $38,608.4 million. The week was characterized by a sharp divergence between traditional asset classes and digital assets; while Equities and Fixed Income captured a combined $39.1 billion in new capital, Digital Assets faced a market-wide correction leading to $934.2 million in redemptions. This rotation suggests a “flight to quality” as investors digested the latest Q4 earnings results and monitored geopolitical shifts in East Asia.

Asset Class AUM ($B) 1W Flow ($M) 1M Flow ($M) 3M Flow ($M) YTD Flow ($M) 1Y Flow ($M)
Equity 10,762.9 27,802.3 110,453.8 377,326.7 104,200.0 908,843.2
Fixed Income 2,341.2 11,374.2 53,897.9 139,532.7 52,856.5 458,131.1
Commodity 437.4 (620.5) 4,002.7 15,284.7 4,174.4 61,335.9
Non-Traditional 424.0 344.9 1,926.5 19,191.2 1,663.2 81,576.2
Digital Asset 132.7 (934.2) (436.4) (5,953.5) (988.0) 30,862.0
Multi-Asset 33.4 397.1 1,185.4 2,662.7 1,079.8 8,464.1
Alternative 10.4 101.4 244.0 317.3 225.6 3,984.1
Currency 2.5 143.0 104.8 138.4 121.3 658.5

(Source: ETF Action, FactSet)

Equity Landscape

Total equity ETF assets remained dominant at $10.76 trillion. The week saw a robust global demand, though the dynamic shifted toward International markets, which captured over $12 billion in weekly flows, eclipsing the $8.8 billion directed toward U.S. Size & Style strategies.

Channel AUM ($B) 1W Flow ($M) 1M Flow ($M) 3M Flow ($M) YTD Flow ($M) 1Y Flow ($M)
EQ: Size & Style – U.S. 7,389.7 8,818.9 28,048.8 212,910.3 23,370.6 556,469.8
EQ: Size & Style – Global Ex-U.S. 1,667.9 12,291.4 40,404.6 93,297.0 39,558.7 207,975.2
EQ: Sector & Industry 924.5 256.1 12,757.2 19,313.8 12,768.6 19,668.7
EQ: Thematic 336.7 4,288.5 17,013.7 27,824.0 16,577.5 64,436.1
EQ: Region & Country 267.5 1,544.2 7,591.6 12,763.0 7,534.0 31,912.2
EQ: Size & Style – Global 161.8 523.8 4,044.8 10,075.5 3,807.5 24,818.8
EQ: Specialty 15.0 79.4 593.2 1,143.0 582.7 3,562.5

U.S. Narrative: Large Cap Value led performance as the broader market reacted to mixed earnings from technology giants. Despite the value performance, Growth strategies continued to dominate inflows, indicating a persistent commitment to long-term secular trends even amidst short-term volatility.

International Narrative: Global Ex-U.S. strategies saw a massive $12.3 billion surge, with Emerging Market Large Cap funds hitting a 3% weekly return. YTD flows for this channel now approach $40 billion, marking it as one of the strongest starts to a year on record for international equity exposure.

Region & Country: South Korea and Latin America drove significant regional momentum. Institutional interest in South Korean exporters remained high, while Brazil’s resource-heavy index benefited from stabilizing industrial metal prices, driving the channel’s $1.5 billion weekly inflow.

Sectors & Themes: In the $336 billion thematic landscape, a distinct rotation was observed. Physical Infrastructure and Natural Resources eclipsed Innovation themes this week, as investors sought tangible asset exposure. Energy continued to lead the charge within Sector & Industry ETFs, which now aggregate $924 billion in AUM.

Equity Spotlight Chart

Insight: The equity spotlight highlights the massive divergence in 1W flows between U.S. and Global Ex-U.S. segments, with emerging market momentum increasingly becoming the primary driver of equity-related capital allocation.

Fixed Income Landscape

Fixed Income assets stood at $2.34 trillion, capturing $11.37 billion in weekly flows. The environment remains supportive for bond ETFs as yield curves showed slight normalization, enticing investors into taxable fixed-income vehicles.

Channel AUM ($B) 1W Flow ($M) 1M Flow ($M) 3M Flow ($M) YTD Flow ($M) 1Y Flow ($M)
FI: Taxable 2,079.7 9,254.0 45,323.7 116,592.8 44,687.2 393,579.4
FI: Municipal 194.5 1,657.8 5,940.2 14,493.2 5,650.9 42,305.2
FI: Specialty 67.0 462.4 2,634.0 8,446.7 2,518.3 22,246.5

Duration: Intermediate duration and multi-sector strategies led the massive weekly flow in the taxable segment. As yields on the long end of the curve fluctuated, investors clustered in the 5-7 year duration range, seeking a balance between yield capture and interest rate risk mitigation.

Credit: High-quality credit remains the preferred vehicle for FI investors. Municipal bonds also saw a “shining” moment with a $1.6 billion surge, particularly in intermediate-term muni strategies as tax-equivalent yields became increasingly attractive.

International: Defined maturity and specialty FI ETFs captured $462 million in weekly inflows. While USD-denominated debt remains the core holding, there is a burgeoning interest in defined maturity ladders as investors seek predictable income streams amid an uncertain macro backdrop.

Fixed Income Spotlight Chart

Insight: The taxable fixed income segment continues to absorb the lion’s share of bond flows, with intermediate duration serving as the primary anchor for portfolio construction this week.

Currencies, Commodities & Digital Assets

This macro group represents over $570 billion in total assets. However, the week saw significant selling pressure in Digital Assets, while Commodities experienced a rotation between metals.

Channel AUM ($B) 1W Flow ($M) 1M Flow ($M) 3M Flow ($M) YTD Flow ($M) 1Y Flow ($M)
Comm: Focused 417.6 (881.9) 3,069.4 13,675.3 3,276.4 58,195.5
DA: Cryptocurrency 132.7 (934.2) (436.4) (5,953.5) (988.0) 30,862.0
Curr: FX 2.5 143.0 104.8 138.4 121.3 658.5

Commodities: A notable rotation occurred in precious metals. Gold-backed ETFs continued to lead inflows as a geopolitical hedge, while Silver triggered profit-taking following a multi-week run, leading to the overall $881.9 million outflow for focused commodities.

Digital Assets: A market-wide correction triggered heavy weekly selling across major issuers. Cryptocurrency ETFs saw $934.2 million in redemptions, marking a significant sentiment shift for the “core” crypto holdings compared to the momentum seen late last year.

Currencies: Yen-based strategies led performance as safe-haven demand spiked. Conversely, U.S. Dollar strategies saw minor redemptions, mirroring the broader market’s cautious stance toward domestic currency strength in the face of potential trade headwinds.

Digital Assets Spotlight Chart

Insight: The digital asset correction is clearly visible in the flow data, with major issuers seeing their first sustained period of net redemptions in several months.

Non-Traditional Landscape

The Non-Traditional landscape continues to scale, with AUM now exceeding $424 billion. Synthetic income remains the primary engine of growth within this category.

Channel AUM ($B) 1W Flow ($M) 1M Flow ($M) 3M Flow ($M) YTD Flow ($M) 1Y Flow ($M)
NT: Synthetic Income 176.8 1,169.3 6,952.0 17,597.1 6,560.6 70,544.0
NT: Leverage | Inverse 164.2 (968.8) (6,289.9) (2,487.8) (6,149.2) (3,062.2)
NT: Buffer 83.0 148.6 1,261.7 4,084.8 1,249.0 14,086.8

Synthetic Income: This $177 billion market remains in a boom phase, with JEPQ leading the charge. Weekly inflows of $1.17 billion suggest that the demand for option-overlay income strategies remains decoupled from broader equity volatility.

Buffers: Equity buffer ETFs captured $148.6 million in weekly flows. Innovation in laddered strategies continues to lead the pack, allowing professional allocators to maintain equity exposure with defined downside protection.

Leverage & Inverse: This segment saw extreme divergence. While the channel overall lost $968.8 million, single-stock leveraged ETFs (now consolidated here) showed high-conviction swings. Single-stock leverage is gaining traction as a tactical tool for earnings season, even as broader inverse index products see redemptions.

Non-Traditional Spotlight Chart

Insight: Synthetic income dominance is the defining characteristic of the non-traditional space, now representing nearly 42% of the total category AUM.

Multi-Asset & Alternatives

Multi-Asset and Alternative ETFs reached a combined AUM of approximately $44 billion, with both categories seeing positive weekly deltas as investors seek diversification.

Channel AUM ($B) 1W Flow ($M) 1M Flow ($M) 3M Flow ($M) YTD Flow ($M) 1Y Flow ($M)
Multi-Asset 33.4 397.1 1,185.4 2,662.7 1,079.8 8,464.1
Alternative 10.4 101.4 244.0 317.3 225.6 3,984.1

Multi-Asset: Capital Group continues to dominate flows in this segment. Real Assets led performance this week, as multi-asset allocators tilted toward inflation-sensitive exposures amid a firming commodity floor.

Alternatives: Managed Futures strategies fared well as volatility spiked. This channel captured $101.4 million as investors looked for non-correlated returns during a week of significant dispersion in the equity markets.

Multi-Asset/Alt Spotlight Chart

Insight: The steady growth in multi-asset ETFs highlights a shift toward all-in-one institutional-grade solutions for retail and RIA portfolios.

Important Disclosures: The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, tax, or legal advice. Performance data quoted represents past performance and is not a guarantee of future results. All data is sourced from ETF Action and FactSet as of the date indicated. Investment in ETFs involves risks, including the possible loss of principal. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.