Weekly Channel Summary
The EQ: Specialty channel closed the week with $21.09B in total AUM spread across 81 ETFs from 54 issuers. Net flows were positive for the week at $134M, extending a strong year with YTD inflows of $5,800M and 1-Year inflows of $6,340M. The channel continues to see steady demand across both its Long|Short and Hedged categories, which together account for nearly all channel assets.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
On a weekly basis, performance across the channel was broadly negative, with the Long | Short category posting the smallest decline at -0.35% WTD, while the Hedged category slipped further at -0.57%. The small Asset Allocation: Specialty – Alternative Asset Sleeve segment lagged the group with a -1.57% weekly return, though its limited two-fund base and lack of longer-term data limit its comparability. Despite the soft week, Long | Short funds remain the stronger performers over longer horizons, up 10.68% YTD and 14.11% over the trailing year versus 6.94% and 8.40% for Hedged strategies. BTAL stood out as the top performer for the week, gaining 2.15%, while WTAL was the weakest, falling 3.13%.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long | Short | -0.35% | 0.01% | 2.15% | 6.72% | 10.68% | 14.11% |
| Hedged | -0.57% | -0.95% | 1.30% | 4.08% | 6.94% | 8.40% |
| Asset Allocation: Specialty – Alternative Asset Sleeve | -1.57% | — | — | — | — | — |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
Among individual funds, BTAL led the channel with a 2.15% weekly gain, followed by CCOR at 1.60% and LSEQ at 1.48%. On the downside, WTAL declined 3.13%, the steepest drop in the channel, with TOS and FORH also posting losses exceeding 1.8%. The spread between top and bottom performers was roughly 5.3 percentage points, reflecting a dispersion-heavy week despite the modest category-level declines.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| BTAL | AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund | 2.15% |
| CCOR | Core Alternative ETF | 1.60% |
| LSEQ | Harbor Long-Short Equity ETF | 1.48% |
| VAMO | Cambria Value & Momentum ETF | 1.44% |
| HXE | Mast HedgeIndex Adaptive Equities ETF | 1.27% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| WTAL | WisdomTree Global Alpha Fund ETF | -3.13% |
| TOS | Twin Oak Strategic Solutions ETF | -1.98% |
| FORH | Formidable ETF | -1.87% |
| HBTA | Horizon Expedition Plus ETF | -1.71% |
| CTEF | Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | -1.69% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The EQ: Specialty channel attracted $134M in net inflows over the past five trading days. The Long | Short category led with $74M in weekly inflows, supported by $1,081M over the trailing 90 days and $3,648M YTD, underscoring sustained investor interest. The Hedged category also gathered meaningful inflows of $60M for the week and $2,150M YTD, while the small Alternative Asset Sleeve segment was essentially flat at $0M. Across longer windows, both major categories have seen consistent accumulation, with Long | Short and Hedged combining for roughly $7.4B in trailing one-year inflows.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long | Short | 27 | $7.94B | $74M | $235M | $1,081M | $3,648M | $3,776M |
| Hedged | 52 | $13.14B | $60M | $176M | $850M | $2,150M | $2,563M |
| Asset Allocation: Specialty – Alternative Asset Sleeve | 2 | $6M | $0M | $1M | $1M | $1M | $1M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
CSM led individual fund flows with $35M of weekly inflows, followed by HELO at $26M and BFLX at $19M. On the outflow side, PRAE saw the largest redemptions at $5M, while MRSK and HEFT each gave back $2M. Outflows remained modest in scale relative to the leading inflow funds, indicating a broadly constructive flow environment across the channel’s fund roster this week.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| CSM | ProShares Large Cap Core Plus | $35M |
| HELO | JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF | $26M |
| BFLX | iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF | $19M |
| CAOS | Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | $12M |
| CLSE | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF | $11M |
| Outflows | ||
| PRAE | PlanRock Equity Plus Alternatives ETF | -$5M |
| MRSK | Toews Agility Shares Managed Risk ETF | -$2M |
| HEFT | Hedgeye Fourth Turning ETF | -$2M |
| CBLS | Clough Hedged Equity ETF | -$1M |
| EHLS | Even Herd Long Short ETF | -$1M |
Issuer League Table Update
JPMorgan remains the dominant issuer in the EQ: Specialty channel with $5.23B in AUM and a 24.79% market share across four funds, well ahead of First Trust’s $2.63B and 12.48% share from a single fund. ProShares led all issuers in weekly inflows at $35M, driven by strength in CSM, while JPMorgan followed closely with $26M in net inflows. On the outflow side, PlanRock recorded the largest weekly redemptions among issuers at $5M, with Toews and Hedgeye each seeing $2M in outflows. Overall, inflows were concentrated among a handful of larger issuers, while outflows remained limited to smaller, single-fund issuers.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan | 4 | $5.23B | 24.79% |
| First Trust | 1 | $2.63B | 12.48% |
| iShares | 1 | $2.21B | 10.48% |
| Fidelity | 2 | $1.04B | 4.92% |
| Convergence | 1 | $1.02B | 4.82% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| ProShares | $35M |
| JPMorgan | $26M |
| iShares | $19M |
| Outflows | |
| PlanRock | -$5M |
| Toews | -$2M |
| Hedgeye | -$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.
