Weekly Channel Summary
The Alternatives channel, comprising 47 ETFs from 26 issuers, currently holds $13.60 billion in total assets. This past week, the channel attracted $132 million in net inflows, contributing to a robust year-to-date total of $3.92 billion. Over the last twelve months, investors have allocated a net $5.01 billion into these strategies.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Volatility-focused strategies showed a stark divergence in weekly performance. Short Volatility products led the channel with a 1.30% gain, while Long Volatility funds were the worst performers, declining by 2.75%. On a year-to-date basis, Managed Futures strategies remain the clear leader with a 12.00% return, whereas Long Volatility funds have posted a significant loss of 34.78%.
Absolute Return Performance Snapshot
| Absolute Return | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed Futures | 1.28% | 1.15% | -0.58% | 2.93% | 12.00% | 21.98% |
| Event Driven | 0.03% | 0.70% | 1.00% | 1.49% | 2.96% | 4.12% |
| Multi-Strategy | -0.10% | 1.33% | 1.63% | 3.67% | 7.63% | 14.05% |
Volatility Performance Snapshot
| Volatility | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Short | 1.30% | 5.10% | 13.23% | 12.66% | 8.60% | 25.73% |
| Vol – Long | -2.75% | -13.55% | -31.96% | -38.41% | -34.78% | -56.32% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF (QIS) was the standout performer this week, delivering a strong 7.67% return. It was a challenging week for other funds, particularly the Opportunistic Trader ETF (WZRD), which registered the largest decline of 10.89%. Several other top performers were also in the managed futures space, including the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF (CTA), which gained 5.00%.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| QIS | Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF | 7.67% |
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | 5.00% |
| FFUT | Fidelity Managed Futures ETF | 2.88% |
| WTIP | WisdomTree Inflation Plus Fund | 1.95% |
| SVIX | -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | 1.85% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| WZRD | Opportunistic Trader ETF | -10.89% |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | -4.82% |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -3.48% |
| VIXY | ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -2.25% |
| VXX | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | -2.09% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The Alternatives channel recorded net inflows of $132 million for the week. Long Volatility strategies were the primary driver of this activity, attracting $95 million despite poor weekly performance. Managed Futures funds also saw healthy demand with $53 million in new assets, while Short Volatility products experienced the largest redemptions, shedding $19 million.
Absolute Return Flows Summary
| Absolute Return | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed Futures | 16 | $7.82B | $53M | $250M | $672M | $2,772M | $3,678M |
| Multi-Strategy | 12 | $2.89B | $2M | $60M | $407M | $924M | $1,169M |
| Event Driven | 8 | $429M | $1M | $3M | -$1M | -$28M | -$7M |
Volatility Flows Summary
| Volatility | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Long | 6 | $1.39B | $95M | $327M | $149M | $440M | $548M |
| Vol – Short | 5 | $1.07B | -$19M | -$59M | -$149M | -$186M | -$378M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF) led all funds in the channel, gathering $51 million in net new assets. On the other end of the spectrum, the -1x Short VIX Futures ETF (SVIX) saw the largest weekly redemption, with outflows totaling $9 million. The Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF (CTA) also experienced notable outflows of $7 million.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| DBMF | iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $51M |
| VXX | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | $37M |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | $23M |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | $15M |
| VIXY | ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | $15M |
| Outflows | ||
| SVIX | -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | -$9M |
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -$7M |
| SVXY | ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -$6M |
| SVOL | Simplify Volatility Premium ETF | -$6M |
| HDG | ProShares Hedge Replication ETF | -$6M |
Issuer League Table Update
iM and Simplify remain the dominant issuers in the Alternatives space, commanding 29.45% and 16.41% of the market share, respectively. This week, iM led all issuers in asset gathering, bringing in $51 million in net inflows. Conversely, Simplify experienced the largest net outflows among its peers, with investors pulling $13 million from its funds.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| iM | 1 | $4.00B | 29.45% |
| Simplify | 5 | $2.23B | 16.41% |
| New York Life Investments | 2 | $1.27B | 9.35% |
| Franklin | 1 | $1.05B | 7.72% |
| ProShares | 6 | $958M | 7.04% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| iM | $51M |
| iPath | $39M |
| ProShares | $22M |
| Outflows | |
| Simplify | -$13M |
| Altshares | -$1M |
| Unlimited | -$1M |
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.
