Weekly Channel Summary
The Thematic ETF channel encompasses 481 funds from 114 issuers, with total assets under management standing at $394.95 billion. This week, the channel experienced net outflows of $1.18 billion, a reversal from the strong inflows seen year-to-date. Despite the weekly redemption, thematic strategies have attracted a substantial $71.58 billion in new assets so far in 2026 and over $102.3 billion over the past year.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
FinTech was the standout category this week, posting a strong gain of 5.45% and reversing a recent trend of underperformance. On the other end of the spectrum, Industrial Revolution strategies were the weakest, declining by 1.82%. Despite a minor loss this week, Health Innovation remains the top-performing category year-to-date with a remarkable 47.68% return.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FinTech | 5.45% | 7.61% | 0.36% | 16.96% | 13.80% | 13.21% |
| Disruptive Tech | 1.23% | 1.66% | -4.45% | 35.77% | 31.64% | 40.34% |
| Midstream & MLPs | 0.77% | 2.82% | 5.29% | 8.10% | 25.40% | 25.72% |
| Sustainability | 0.72% | -4.86% | -19.20% | -1.46% | 7.96% | 22.44% |
| Multi-Sector | 0.59% | 2.04% | -0.62% | 15.80% | 15.83% | 22.60% |
| Infrastructure | -0.03% | -4.79% | -6.72% | 0.59% | 14.89% | 21.39% |
| Precious Metals | -0.14% | 26.79% | 14.18% | -7.41% | 15.83% | 59.58% |
| Natural Resources | -0.29% | 6.79% | -1.52% | -1.49% | 16.56% | 38.60% |
| Health Innovation | -0.37% | 12.46% | 26.58% | 43.86% | 47.68% | 76.51% |
| Alternative Equity | -0.63% | 1.93% | 6.81% | 7.89% | -2.08% | -7.49% |
| Evolving Consumer | -1.20% | 0.19% | 2.24% | 9.00% | 3.71% | -1.59% |
| Industrial Revolution | -1.82% | -4.56% | -9.31% | -5.69% | 4.44% | 14.33% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
Funds focused on digital assets and blockchain technology surged, with CoinShares Bitcoin Mining and Digital Power ETF (WGMI) leading the pack with an 11.19% weekly gain. Conversely, defense-related ETFs faced significant headwinds during the week. The Tema International Defense ETF (ARMY) was the worst performer, falling 7.22%.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| WGMI | CoinShares Bitcoin Mining and Digital Power ETF | 11.19% |
| BKCH | Global X Blockchain ETF | 11.13% |
| MNRS | Grayscale Bitcoin Miners ETF | 10.90% |
| NCLD | Roundhill Neocloud ETF | 10.19% |
| DISK | Tema Memory ETF | 9.00% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| ARMY | Tema International Defense ETF | -7.22% |
| TSSD | Truth Social American Security & Defense ETF | -5.28% |
| WCLD | WisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund | -5.15% |
| AWAY | Amplify Travel Tech ETF | -4.89% |
| SHLD | Global X Defense Tech ETF | -4.85% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Investors pulled a net $1.18 billion from Thematic ETFs, marking a significant week of outflows for the channel. The Precious Metals category saw the largest redemptions, losing $711 million, followed closely by Disruptive Tech which shed $438 million. Bucking the trend, the Infrastructure category was a clear favorite, attracting $349 million in new capital.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | 48 | $63.24B | $349M | $769M | $4,309M | $17,530M | $22,560M |
| Midstream & MLPs | 18 | $28.00B | $71M | $186M | $756M | $1,979M | $2,392M |
| FinTech | 27 | $4.50B | $14M | $153M | -$519M | -$557M | -$298M |
| Health Innovation | 26 | $3.60B | -$8M | $191M | $372M | $417M | $469M |
| Evolving Consumer | 48 | $13.29B | -$16M | $42M | -$833M | -$2,348M | -$3,740M |
| Alternative Equity | 9 | $2.55B | -$32M | -$5M | -$6M | $320M | $536M |
| Natural Resources | 57 | $59.31B | -$42M | $445M | -$504M | $10,491M | $16,859M |
| Multi-Sector | 52 | $30.77B | -$48M | $305M | -$248M | $342M | $2,648M |
| Industrial Revolution | 58 | $19.59B | -$48M | -$33M | -$1,557M | $7,076M | $9,323M |
| Sustainability | 28 | $7.06B | -$267M | -$469M | -$1,277M | $443M | $1,293M |
| Disruptive Tech | 94 | $108.60B | -$438M | $1,528M | $16,663M | $37,709M | $49,678M |
| Precious Metals | 16 | $54.44B | -$711M | -$78M | -$720M | -$1,818M | $591M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE) was the most popular fund, gathering $286 million in net inflows. However, outflows were dominated by two funds which saw substantial redemptions far exceeding the top gainer. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) experienced a massive $934 million outflow, while the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) lost $545 million.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| PAVE | Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF | $286M |
| ALAI | Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF | $229M |
| AGIX | KraneShares Public-Private AI & Technology ETF | $112M |
| MAGS | Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF | $105M |
| MOO | VanEck Agribusiness ETF | $97M |
| Outflows | ||
| DRAM | Roundhill Memory ETF | -$934M |
| GDX | VanEck Gold Miners ETF | -$545M |
| XOVR | ERShares Private-Public Crossover ETF | -$210M |
| ICLN | iShares Global Clean Energy ETF | -$172M |
| GDXJ | VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF | -$102M |
Issuer League Table Update
Global X and iShares continue to lead the Thematic channel, commanding 17.13% and 14.99% of the market share, respectively. Alger captured the most new assets this week, bringing in $229 million in net flows. On the other hand, Roundhill experienced the largest outflows among all issuers, with investors pulling a net $871 million from its funds.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global X | 38 | $67.66B | 17.13% |
| iShares | 32 | $59.20B | 14.99% |
| First Trust | 32 | $54.07B | 13.69% |
| VanEck | 20 | $50.18B | 12.70% |
| Roundhill | 13 | $32.18B | 8.15% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| Alger | $229M |
| Global X | $219M |
| KraneShares | $111M |
| Outflows | |
| Roundhill | -$871M |
| VanEck | -$611M |
| ERShares | -$210M |
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.
