Weekly Channel Summary
The Alternatives channel, comprising 49 ETFs from 28 issuers, ended the week with total assets of $13.64 billion. The category attracted $145 million in net inflows over the past five days, contributing to a strong year-to-date haul of $4.07 billion. Over the last twelve months, investors have added a total of $4.89 billion to the channel.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
It was a challenging week for most Alternatives categories, with Volatility – Short funds being the sole group to post a gain, rising 1.16%. Conversely, Volatility – Long strategies were the worst performers, declining 3.91% for the week. The largest category, Managed Futures, also finished in the red with a modest loss of 0.63%, though it maintains a strong year-to-date return of 11.33%.
Absolute Return Performance Snapshot
| Absolute Return | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Strategy | -0.17% | 1.35% | 0.88% | 2.82% | 7.51% | 13.54% |
| Event Driven | -0.42% | 0.13% | 0.35% | 1.51% | 2.52% | 3.30% |
| Managed Futures | -0.63% | 2.13% | 0.31% | 0.69% | 11.33% | 20.49% |
Volatility Performance Snapshot
| Volatility | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Short | 1.16% | 8.20% | 11.78% | 15.19% | 9.91% | 21.01% |
| Vol – Long | -3.91% | -19.36% | -29.38% | -41.42% | -36.74% | -53.15% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The performance divergence in volatility products was evident at the fund level, with the -1x Short VIX Futures ETF (SVIX) leading all funds with a 3.19% gain. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the 2x Long VIX Futures ETF (UVIX) was the week’s biggest laggard, falling 6.40%. The Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF (QIS) also posted a significant loss of 6.02%.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| SVIX | -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | 3.19% |
| ZVOL | Volatility Premium Plus ETF | 2.79% |
| JPFP | JPMorgan Managed Futures Plus ETF | 1.59% |
| SVXY | ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | 1.59% |
| ASGM | Virtus AlphaSimplex Global Macro ETF | 1.59% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | -6.40% |
| QIS | Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF | -6.02% |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -4.90% |
| WZRD | Opportunistic Trader ETF | -4.44% |
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -3.14% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Investors added a net $145 million to the Alternatives channel this week, with demand concentrated in volatility and managed futures strategies. Despite their poor weekly performance, Volatility – Long funds led inflows, gathering $64 million in new assets. Managed Futures funds continued their strong asset-gathering trend, pulling in another $46 million, while Multi-Strategy products added $30 million.
Absolute Return Flows Summary
| Absolute Return | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed Futures | 16 | $7.78B | $46M | $42M | $548M | $2,818M | $3,596M |
| Multi-Strategy | 14 | $2.96B | $30M | $73M | $431M | $954M | $1,206M |
| Event Driven | 8 | $430M | -$0M | $3M | -$1M | -$28M | -$3M |
Volatility Flows Summary
| Volatility | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Long | 6 | $1.40B | $64M | $414M | $231M | $504M | $453M |
| Vol – Short | 5 | $1.07B | $4M | -$39M | -$134M | -$182M | -$365M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) was the most popular fund, attracting $49 million in fresh capital. The iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF) also saw significant interest, with inflows of $37 million. On the other hand, the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF (CTA) and the 2x Long VIX Futures ETF (UVIX) saw the largest redemptions, with outflows of $27 million and $11 million, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| VXX | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | $49M |
| DBMF | iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $37M |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | $20M |
| LALT | First Trust Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF | $13M |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $13M |
| Outflows | ||
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -$27M |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | -$11M |
| SVIX | -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | -$2M |
| QALT | SEI DBi Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF | -$0M |
| EVNT | AltShares Event-Driven ETF | -$0M |
Issuer League Table Update
iM continues to dominate the Alternatives space with a 29.56% market share, followed by Simplify, which holds a 15.67% share. iPath was the top asset gatherer for the week, bringing in $49 million, driven by a single product. In contrast, Simplify experienced the largest net outflows among issuers, with investors pulling $26 million from its fund lineup.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| iM | 1 | $4.03B | 29.56% |
| Simplify | 5 | $2.14B | 15.67% |
| New York Life Investments | 2 | $1.27B | 9.34% |
| Franklin | 1 | $1.05B | 7.73% |
| ProShares | 6 | $972M | 7.12% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| iPath | $49M |
| iM | $37M |
| ProShares | $33M |
| Outflows | |
| Simplify | -$26M |
| Volatility Shares | -$13M |
| SEI | -$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.
