Weekly Channel Summary
The EQ: Thematic ETF channel currently consists of 408 ETFs managed by 105 distinct brands, representing a total of $304B in assets under management (AUM). Over the past week, the channel experienced net outflows of -$0.96B. Despite the recent weekly pullback, the channel maintains strong momentum over longer time horizons, having gathered $21.31B in year-to-date (YTD) flows and a massive $70.71B over the trailing one-year period.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
The performance landscape was bifurcated this week, with the Precious Metals category leading all thematic groups with a 5.40% week-to-date (WTD) return. Natural Resources followed closely with a 3.49% gain. Conversely, FinTech was the primary laggard, dropping -6.14% WTD. On a YTD basis, Midstream & MLPs remains the top-performing thematic segment with a robust 20.37% gain, while Evolving Consumer and Alternative Equity continue to struggle with YTD returns below -16%.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precious Metals | 5.40% | -27.95% | -5.79% | 21.02% | -1.30% | 103.48% |
| Natural Resources | 3.49% | -11.17% | 5.77% | 18.37% | 7.22% | 55.53% |
| Midstream & MLPs | 2.22% | 3.75% | 20.81% | 19.41% | 20.37% | 17.92% |
| Infrastructure | 0.74% | -6.12% | 7.49% | 10.88% | 8.53% | 31.66% |
| Sustainability | 0.13% | -4.52% | 4.06% | 11.70% | 5.81% | 49.91% |
| Health Innovation | -1.29% | -9.70% | -9.15% | 8.65% | -7.49% | 22.46% |
| Alternative Equity | -1.81% | -5.16% | -17.20% | -16.66% | -17.07% | -17.34% |
| Evolving Consumer | -2.56% | -10.13% | -17.31% | -19.99% | -16.39% | 1.15% |
| Industrial Revolution | -2.61% | -9.44% | -0.42% | 3.73% | 0.57% | 35.80% |
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | -2.68% | -8.30% | -9.03% | -7.09% | -7.44% | 18.78% |
| Disruptive Tech | -4.41% | -7.04% | -11.15% | -10.97% | -9.90% | 16.54% |
| FinTech | -6.14% | -8.90% | -17.44% | -25.46% | -14.84% | 23.11% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The LITP (Sprott Lithium Miners ETF) dominated individual fund performance this week with a massive 14.34% return. On the opposite end of the spectrum, cannabis and crypto-focused funds faced significant headwinds, with the WEED (Roundhill Cannabis ETF) and IBLC (iShares Blockchain and Tech ETF) dropping -10.54% and -10.48%, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| LITP | Sprott Lithium Miners ETF | 14.34% |
| ILIT | iShares Lithium Miners and Producers ETF | 11.23% |
| LIMI | Themes Lithium & Battery Metal Miners ETF | 10.25% |
| REMX | VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF | 8.54% |
| SLVR | Sprott Silver Miners & Physical Silver ETF | 7.76% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| WEED | Roundhill Cannabis ETF | -10.54% |
| IBLC | iShares Blockchain and Tech ETF | -10.48% |
| DAPP | VanEck Digital Transformation ETF | -9.37% |
| BKCH | Global X Blockchain ETF | -8.94% |
| MSOS | AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF | -8.84% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The thematic channel saw total net outflows of -$959M this week. Thematic – Multi-Sector was the clear leader for fresh capital, attracting $238M in new money, bringing its total AUM to $25.3B. Midstream & MLPs also saw significant interest with $135M in weekly inflows. On the defensive side, Evolving Consumer faced the sharpest redemption pressure, shedding -$612M.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | 45 | $25.3B | $238M | $633M | $209M | $271M | $7,425M |
| Midstream & MLPs | 17 | $26.0B | $135M | $374M | $898M | $840M | $1,832M |
| Disruptive Tech | 63 | $51.1B | $116M | $833M | $2,163M | $2,202M | $20,158M |
| Alternative Equity | 9 | $2.1B | $62M | $95M | $85M | $84M | $679M |
| Sustainability | 27 | $7.4B | $44M | ($55M) | $436M | $441M | $1,072M |
| Industrial Revolution | 40 | $20.0B | $24M | $1,101M | $4,172M | $4,032M | $8,851M |
| Health Innovation | 23 | $2.1B | $3M | ($106M) | $67M | $69M | $14M |
| FinTech | 25 | $4.0B | ($36M) | ($72M) | ($298M) | ($299M) | $142M |
| Natural Resources | 56 | $55.2B | ($162M) | $877M | $9,589M | $9,084M | $14,942M |
| Infrastructure | 42 | $50.5B | ($341M) | $1,074M | $5,781M | $5,656M | $15,151M |
| Precious Metals | 15 | $48.3B | ($430M) | ($1,790M) | $825M | $587M | $2,638M |
| Evolving Consumer | 45 | $12.0B | ($612M) | ($1,007M) | ($1,670M) | ($1,655M) | ($2,197M) |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The FWD (AB Disruptors ETF) secured the top spot for weekly inflows, gathering $204M. Conversely, the infrastructure and internet thematic spaces saw the largest individual fund outflows, with IFRA (iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF) and FDN (First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund) losing -$480M and -$414M, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| FWD | AB Disruptors ETF | $204M |
| GDX | VanEck Gold Miners ETF | $190M |
| BAI | iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF | $167M |
| COPX | Global X Copper Miners ETF | $117M |
| AMLP | Alerian MLP ETF | $90M |
| Outflows | ||
| IFRA | iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF | -$480M |
| FDN | First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund | -$414M |
| SILJ | Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF | -$267M |
| SIL | Global X Silver Miners ETF | -$186M |
| ITB | iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF | -$136M |
Issuer League Table Update
Global X and iShares continue to lead the thematic landscape by market share, controlling 19.52% and 16.44% of the channel, respectively. AB Funds was the standout performer for asset gathering this week, leading all issuers with $204M in net inflows. iShares, despite its dominant market position, experienced the largest redemption pressure among top issuers with -$504M in weekly outflows.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global X | 36 | $59.36B | 19.52% |
| iShares | 33 | $50.00B | 16.44% |
| VanEck | 18 | $45.12B | 14.84% |
| First Trust | 30 | $40.64B | 13.37% |
| Alerian | 2 | $12.92B | 4.25% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| AB Funds | $204M |
| VanEck | $173M |
| Alerian | $96M |
| Outflows | |
| iShares | -$504M |
| First Trust | -$388M |
| Amplify | -$270M |
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.
