Weekly Channel Summary
The Thematic ETF landscape remains a dynamic segment of the market, currently encompassing 105 brands and 410 ETFs with a total of $329 billion in assets under management (AUM). While the channel experienced net outflows of ($600 million) over the past five days, long-term sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive. Year-to-date flows stand at a robust $18.30 billion, contributing to a total of $65.84 billion in net new money over the past year. Product innovation continues at a steady pace, with 20 new ETFs launched in the last three months alone.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Precious Metals dominated the leaderboard this week with a stellar +3.85% return, extending its year-to-date gain to a massive +24.58%. Health Innovation also saw positive momentum, gaining +1.53%. On the other end of the spectrum, Alternative Equity was the primary laggard, declining -2.73% for the week, pushing its YTD performance further into negative territory at -9.24%.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precious Metals | 3.85% | 3.26% | 55.86% | 101.46% | 24.58% | 180.29% |
| Health Innovation | 1.53% | -2.47% | 6.22% | 23.45% | 0.87% | 20.11% |
| Industrial Revolution | 1.40% | 1.21% | 21.05% | 24.10% | 10.77% | 37.46% |
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | 1.14% | -1.81% | 6.47% | 8.42% | 0.70% | 13.96% |
| Natural Resources | 1.12% | 4.56% | 28.60% | 43.88% | 16.64% | 65.24% |
| Infrastructure | 0.45% | 9.44% | 19.03% | 21.28% | 14.29% | 33.28% |
| Disruptive Tech | -0.41% | -2.94% | 2.39% | 5.07% | -2.99% | 8.62% |
| Alternative Equity | -2.73% | -9.86% | -2.05% | -11.97% | -9.24% | -13.79% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The Sprott Silver Miners & Physical Silver ETF (SLVR) was the standout performer this week, surging +10.48%. Conversely, the Global X Cybersecurity ETF (BUG) and WisdomTree Cybersecurity Fund (WCBR) were the primary detractors, falling -8.29% and -7.28% respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| SLVR | Sprott Silver Miners & Physical Silver ETF | 10.48% |
| URNJ | Sprott Junior Uranium Miners ETF | 8.59% |
| DRNZ | REX Drone ETF | 7.51% |
| PSIL | AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF | 7.31% |
| SILJ | Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF | 6.61% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| BUG | Global X Cybersecurity ETF | -8.29% |
| WCBR | WisdomTree Cybersecurity Fund | -7.28% |
| MNRS | Grayscale Bitcoin Miners ETF | -6.94% |
| PSWD | Xtrackers Cybersecurity Select Equity ETF | -6.23% |
| WGMI | CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF | -6.05% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Total net flows for the thematic channel were ($600 million) this week. Infrastructure led the way with $501 million in weekly inflows, supporting its massive $51.7 billion AUM. Industrial Revolution and Evolving Consumer also saw positive interest with $77 million in inflows each. Conversely, the Thematic Precious Metals category saw the largest outflows at ($695 million), likely driven by profit-taking given the category’s extreme recent performance.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day Flow | YTD Flow | 1 Year Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | 44 | $51.7B | $501M | $4,248M | $12,321M |
| Industrial Revolution | 37 | $20.2B | $77M | $2,725M | $7,791M |
| Evolving Consumer | 46 | $14.6B | $77M | ($239M) | ($1,130M) |
| Sustainability | 27 | $7.9B | $46M | $446M | $954M |
| Disruptive Tech | 63 | $52.9B | ($33M) | $1,274M | $19,622M |
| FinTech | 26 | $4.3B | ($126M) | ($205M) | $120M |
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | 45 | $26.7B | ($363M) | ($15M) | $7,528M |
| Thematic – Precious Metals | 15 | $62.9B | ($695M) | $2,283M | $3,740M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index Fund (GRID) was the top inflow recipient this week, attracting $122 million. On the other hand, the VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) and ERShares Private-Public Crossover ETF (XOVR) saw significant liquidations, with outflows of ($295 million) and ($249 million) respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| GRID | First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID In.. | $122M |
| BAI | iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF | $90M |
| AIRR | First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissa.. | $89M |
| PAVE | Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF | $83M |
| SHLD | Global X Defense Tech ETF | $56M |
| Outflows | ||
| GDXJ | VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF | ($295M) |
| XOVR | ERShares Private-Public Crossover ETF | ($249M) |
| ARKK | ARK Innovation ETF | ($195M) |
| SILJ | Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF | ($186M) |
| COPX | Global X Copper Miners ETF | ($136M) |
Issuer League Table Update
Global X and VanEck continue to lead the thematic space by market share, accounting for 19.14% and 16.81% of total channel AUM, respectively. In terms of weekly flow activity, First Trust was the most successful issuer, gathering $202 million in net new assets. Conversely, ARK Investment Management saw the largest outflows among major issuers at ($355 million), as investors pulled capital from disruptive tech strategies.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global X | 36 | $62.88B | 19.14% |
| VanEck | 18 | $55.23B | 16.81% |
| iShares | 33 | $52.46B | 15.97% |
| First Trust | 30 | $43.12B | 13.12% |
| ARK | 7 | $12.79B | 3.89% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| First Trust | $202M |
| iShares | $193M |
| SPDR | $77M |
| Outflows | |
| ARK | ($355M) |
| VanEck | ($355M) |
| ERShares | ($249M) |
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.
