Weekly Channel Summary
The EQ: Specialty channel holds $20.58B in AUM across 82 ETFs from 54 issuers. Net flows were positive over the trailing five days at $95M, while the channel has attracted $5,299M year-to-date and $6,221M over the past year, underscoring sustained investor interest in specialty equity strategies.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Both specialty categories posted negative weekly returns, with Long | Short slipping just -0.11% WTD versus a steeper -0.32% decline for Hedged strategies. Long | Short also outperformed over longer horizons, up 10.82% YTD and 15.22% over the past year compared to 7.43% and 10.33% for Hedged. The relative resilience of Long | Short this week reinforces its stronger multi-month trend, with 6-month gains of 11.11% versus 9.05% for Hedged. Category dispersion remains moderate, suggesting broad-based softness rather than a single dominant driver.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long | Short | -0.11% | -0.12% | 1.98% | 11.11% | 10.82% | 15.22% |
| Hedged | -0.32% | -0.92% | 0.92% | 9.05% | 7.43% | 10.33% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
AINT led all funds with a 5.62% weekly gain, well ahead of QTR at 1.32% and CLSE at 1.26%. On the downside, HFEQ was the weakest performer at -2.15%, followed closely by MEMA at -2.13% and VAMO at -2.06%. The spread between top and bottom performers exceeded seven percentage points, highlighting significant single-name dispersion within the channel this week despite modest category-level moves.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| AINT | FINQ DOLLAR NEUTRAL U.S. Large Cap AI-Managed Equity ETF | 5.62% |
| QTR | Global X NASDAQ 100 Tail Risk ETF | 1.32% |
| CLSE | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF | 1.26% |
| SHRT | Gotham Short Strategies ETF | 0.97% |
| HFSP | TradersAI Large Cap Equity & Cash ETF | 0.86% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| HFEQ | Unlimited HFEQ Equity Long/Short ETF | -2.15% |
| MEMA | Man Active Emerging Markets Alternative ETF | -2.13% |
| VAMO | Cambria Value & Momentum ETF | -2.06% |
| LBAY | Leatherback Long/Short Alternative Yield ETF | -1.92% |
| CTEF | Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | -1.89% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The channel gathered $95M in net inflows over the trailing five days, with Long | Short strategies leading at $62M against $32M for Hedged funds. Long | Short also dominates longer-term flow trends, pulling in $3,368M YTD and $3,592M over one year, more than the $1,931M and $2,629M respectively captured by Hedged funds. No category recorded net outflows this week, indicating broad-based demand across the channel’s roughly $20.6B asset base. The 90-day totals of $1,945M for Long | Short and $1,433M for Hedged confirm the persistence of this inflow trend heading into the current week.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long | Short | 29 | $7.65B | $62M | $622M | $1,945M | $3,368M | $3,592M |
| Hedged | 53 | $12.93B | $32M | $142M | $1,433M | $1,931M | $2,629M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
HELO topped the fund flow leaderboard with $27M in net inflows, followed by CLSE at $22M and BFLX at $19M. On the outflow side, SPYC saw the largest redemptions at -$31M, well ahead of ZHDG at -$4M. The gap between the top inflow and outflow funds illustrates concentrated investor positioning within a handful of names this week.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| HELO | JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF | $27M |
| CLSE | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF | $22M |
| BFLX | iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF | $19M |
| BTAL | AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund | $11M |
| FHEQ | Fidelity Hedged Equity ETF | $10M |
| Outflows | ||
| SPYC | Simplify US Equity PLUS Convexity ETF | -$31M |
| ZHDG | Zega Buy & Hedge ETF | -$4M |
| HEQT | Simplify Hedged Equity ETF | -$3M |
| CCOR | Core Alternative ETF | -$2M |
| PRAE | PlanRock Equity Plus Alternatives ETF | -$2M |
Issuer League Table Update
JPMorgan remains the dominant issuer in this channel with $5.13B in AUM and a 24.94% market share, followed by First Trust at $2.55B and a 12.38% share. JPMorgan also led weekly inflows with $33M, followed by Convergence at $22M and iShares at $19M. On the outflow side, Simplify recorded the largest weekly redemptions at -$25M, notably more than ZEGA’s -$4M outflow. These figures suggest JPMorgan’s scale continues to translate into both asset leadership and active investor engagement across the specialty equity space.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan | 4 | $5.13B | 24.94% |
| First Trust | 1 | $2.55B | 12.38% |
| iShares | 1 | $2.12B | 10.29% |
| Fidelity | 2 | $1.01B | 4.89% |
| Convergence | 1 | $959M | 4.66% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| JPMorgan | $33M |
| Convergence | $22M |
| iShares | $19M |
| Outflows | |
| Simplify | -$25M |
| ZEGA | -$4M |
| Core Alternative | -$2M |
For a deeper dive into these trends, access our FREE, in-depth EQ: Specialty 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.
