Weekly Channel Summary
The Alternative ETF channel continues to show robust growth, currently boasting $13B in Assets Under Management (AUM) spread across 47 ETFs and 28 distinct issuing brands. Over the past five days, the channel attracted $135M ($0.14B) in net new capital. This steady weekly influx builds upon a strong long-term trend, bringing Year-To-Date (YTD) flows to $2.59B and 1-Year trailing flows to a massive $5.56B.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
In the Absolute Return space, Managed Futures took the lead this week, delivering a solid 1.54% return. Meanwhile, the Volatility categories exhibited a rare convergence: despite their typically inverse relationship, both Volatility – Long (-0.01%) and Volatility – Short (-0.07%) posted slightly negative weekly returns. This suggests choppiness in VIX futures roll yields and a relatively flat spot VIX environment.
Absolute Return Category Performance
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Return – Managed Futures | 1.54% | 3.68% | 9.78% | 17.79% | 14.86% | 27.43% |
| Absolute Return – Multi-Strategy | 0.47% | 0.40% | -0.63% | -1.39% | 0.07% | 11.65% |
| Absolute Return – Event Driven | 0.32% | 0.58% | 1.26% | 1.99% | 1.77% | 6.79% |
Volatility Category Performance
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative: Volatility – Long | -0.01% | -4.71% | -7.29% | -23.82% | 0.34% | -42.61% |
| Alternative: Volatility – Short | -0.07% | 1.57% | -2.23% | 2.96% | -7.05% | 10.21% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
At the individual fund level, QIS (Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF) crushed the competition with a stellar 12.22% weekly jump. Conversely, WZRD (Opportunistic Trader ETF) and ZVOL (Volatility Premium Plus ETF) brought up the rear, plunging -8.61% and -1.21% respectively, highlighting the underlying strain on aggressive trading and premium-harvesting strategies this week.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Performers | ||
| QIS | Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF | 12.22% |
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | 3.78% |
| HFMF | Unlimited HFMF Managed Futures ETF | 2.80% |
| CUSD | CrossingBridge Ultra-Short Duration ETF | 2.42% |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | 2.13% |
| Bottom 5 Performers | ||
| WZRD | Opportunistic Trader ETF | -8.61% |
| ZVOL | Volatility Premium Plus ETF | -1.21% |
| HFND | Unlimited HFND Multi-Strategy Return Tracker ETF | -1.19% |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | -0.92% |
| EVNT | AltShares Event-Driven ETF | -0.76% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Net flows for the channel amounted to $135M this week. Absolute Return – Managed Futures led the charge in asset gathering with $97M in inflows. Unlike a contrarian value-play, investors here are successfully chasing performance, adding capital to the very category that is leading in returns. On the flip side, Volatility – Short experienced the largest outflows at -$23M, hinting that some investors might be de-risking or taking profits off short-volatility exposure.
Absolute Return Category Flows
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Return – Managed Futures | 16 | $7.2B | $97M | $191M | $1,533M | $1,920M | $3,066M |
| Absolute Return – Multi-Strategy | 11 | $2.4B | $2M | $355M | $515M | $518M | $740M |
| Absolute Return – Event Driven | 9 | $0.4B | ($2M) | ($9M) | ($20M) | ($35M) | ($5M) |
Volatility Category Flows
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative: Volatility – Long | 6 | $1.9B | $61M | $473M | $302M | $188M | $2,529M |
| Alternative: Volatility – Short | 5 | $1.1B | ($23M) | ($96M) | $43M | ($2M) | ($770M) |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
DBMF easily took the crown for inflows this week, vacuuming up $54M (amounting to 1.49% of its existing AUM). On the outflow side, short volatility products bled assets; SVIX and UVXY led the retreat with net withdrawals of -$16M and -$8M, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| DBMF | IMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $54M |
| VXX | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | $30M |
| VIXY | ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | $24M |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | $21M |
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $14M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| SVIX | -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | ($16M) |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | ($8M) |
| SVOL | Simplify Volatility Premium ETF | ($7M) |
| VIXM | ProShares VIX Mid-Term Futures ETF | ($6M) |
| MARB | First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF | ($4M) |
Issuer League Table Update
IM reigns supreme as the dominant market share leader in the Alternative ETF space, commanding 28.20% of the market with $3.69B in AUM. Simplify comfortably holds the #2 spot at 17.85% ($2.34B). Unsurprisingly, IM was also the principal asset gatherer this week, netting $54M in fresh capital. On the downside, the leading outflow brands effectively saw zero or functionally flat flows on a net brand basis in the top 50, with JPMorgan, SEI, and American Beacon occupying the absolute bottom with $0M in movement.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 1 | $3.69B | 28.20% |
| Simplify | 4 | $2.34B | 17.85% |
| New York Life Investments | 2 | $1.24B | 9.48% |
| ProShares | 6 | $1.10B | 8.42% |
| Franklin | 1 | $0.90B | 6.88% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Top 3 Inflows | |
| IM | $54M |
| iPath | $30M |
| KraneShares | $13M |
| Bottom 3 Flows | |
| JPMorgan | $0M |
| SEI | $0M |
| American Beacon | $0M |
For a deeper dive into these trends, access our FREE, in-depth Alternative 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.
