Weekly Channel Summary
The Thematic channel, comprising 450 ETFs from 110 issuers, holds a total of $377.1 billion in assets under management. This week, the channel experienced net outflows of $1.51 billion, a notable reversal from the positive flows seen year-to-date and over the past year. Despite the weekly redemption, year-to-date inflows remain strong at $59.0 billion, and one-year flows have accumulated to an impressive $102.4 billion.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Health Innovation was the clear performance leader this week, surging 7.61% and extending its strong year-to-date gain to 26.82%. This stood in stark contrast to the broader market weakness that impacted other themes. On the downside, Precious Metals and FinTech categories were the hardest hit, falling 8.37% and 7.68% respectively, as investors rotated out of these segments.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Innovation | 7.61% | 20.71% | 33.52% | 22.38% | 26.82% | 61.24% |
| Midstream & MLPs | 1.73% | -4.68% | -1.06% | 16.46% | 16.68% | 19.30% |
| Infrastructure | 0.84% | 3.45% | 12.78% | 23.18% | 25.18% | 41.94% |
| Evolving Consumer | -0.98% | 2.71% | 10.14% | -0.82% | 0.49% | 13.93% |
| Alternative Equity | -1.78% | -2.45% | -0.57% | -11.27% | -12.10% | -13.79% |
| Disruptive Tech | -2.51% | 12.31% | 36.53% | 30.97% | 33.06% | 52.20% |
| Multi-Sector | -3.13% | 0.43% | 16.81% | 10.00% | 12.62% | 27.62% |
| Sustainability | -3.50% | -6.32% | 10.33% | 20.01% | 22.79% | 60.86% |
| Natural Resources | -5.24% | -6.76% | -3.54% | 4.74% | 6.69% | 44.88% |
| Industrial Revolution | -6.75% | -11.62% | -2.35% | 1.05% | 3.13% | 23.35% |
| FinTech | -7.68% | -4.48% | 18.20% | 5.52% | 11.78% | 34.85% |
| Precious Metals | -8.37% | -11.54% | -12.08% | -15.04% | -11.32% | 53.02% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The strength in the Health Innovation category was reflected in the top-performing funds, led by the AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF (PSIL), which gained 12.84%. Conversely, funds focused on space and modern warfare themes saw significant declines. The Defiance Drone and Modern Warfare ETF (JEDI) was the week’s worst performer, dropping 17.23%.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| PSIL | AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF | 12.84% |
| SBIO | ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 11.36% |
| BBC | Virtus Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 9.17% |
| ARKG | ARK Genomic Revolution ETF | 8.82% |
| GNMX | Corgi Genomics & Precision Medicine ETF | 6.86% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| JEDI | Defiance Drone and Modern Warfare ETF | -17.23% |
| ORBX | Global X Space Tech ETF | -15.63% |
| NASA | Tema Space Innovators ETF | -15.46% |
| MARS | Roundhill Space & Technology ETF | -15.44% |
| CRPT | First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry & Digital Economy ETF | -15.42% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Despite overall net outflows of $1.51 billion for the channel, investor demand was highly concentrated in specific areas. The Infrastructure category was a primary beneficiary, attracting $1.18 billion in new assets. However, these inflows were more than offset by significant redemptions from Multi-Sector and Industrial Revolution funds, which bled $1.19 billion and $858 million, respectively.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | 47 | $67.09B | $1,183M | $3,490M | $10,103M | $15,771M | $23,778M |
| Disruptive Tech | 74 | $103.27B | $59M | $9,666M | $23,455M | $25,702M | $41,179M |
| Alternative Equity | 9 | $2.34B | $17M | $49M | $293M | $349M | $757M |
| Health Innovation | 25 | $2.73B | $4M | $27M | -$0M | $73M | $50M |
| Evolving Consumer | 50 | $13.42B | -$16M | -$224M | -$163M | -$1,786M | -$1,807M |
| Sustainability | 29 | $9.45B | -$34M | $339M | $1,198M | $1,578M | $2,530M |
| Natural Resources | 57 | $55.72B | -$34M | $205M | $1,435M | $10,610M | $18,046M |
| FinTech | 28 | $4.93B | -$46M | -$415M | -$78M | -$356M | $117M |
| Midstream & MLPs | 18 | $25.49B | -$47M | -$1M | $466M | $1,205M | $1,958M |
| Precious Metals | 15 | $41.87B | -$550M | -$844M | -$2,488M | -$1,809M | $1,879M |
| Industrial Revolution | 51 | $20.88B | -$858M | $1,501M | $4,146M | $7,953M | $10,923M |
| Multi-Sector | 47 | $29.87B | -$1,185M | -$1,872M | -$410M | -$323M | $2,982M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
A single fund dominated the week’s flow narrative as the Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) pulled in a staggering $2.56 billion. This outsized inflow masked broader selling pressure across the thematic landscape. The largest redemptions were seen in the Defiance Quantum ETF (QTUM), which lost $939 million, and the First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR), which saw outflows of $573 million.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| DRAM | Roundhill Memory ETF | $2,558M |
| GRID | First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index | $568M |
| IFRA | iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF | $278M |
| DTCR | Global X Data Center And Digital Infrastructure ETF | $252M |
| PAVE | Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF | $138M |
| Outflows | ||
| QTUM | Defiance Quantum ETF | -$939M |
| CIBR | First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF | -$573M |
| KOMP | State Street SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite ETF | -$573M |
| NASA | Tema Space Innovators ETF | -$475M |
| ARKK | ARK Innovation ETF | -$419M |
Issuer League Table Update
Global X and iShares maintain their leadership positions in the Thematic space, with market shares of 17.59% and 16.16%, respectively. Roundhill was the week’s biggest winner by a wide margin, attracting nearly $2.45 billion in net inflows, driven by the success of a single product. On the other hand, Defiance recorded the largest outflows among issuers, with net redemptions totaling $945 million for the week.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global X | 38 | $66.32B | 17.59% |
| iShares | 33 | $60.93B | 16.16% |
| First Trust | 30 | $52.73B | 13.98% |
| VanEck | 20 | $40.95B | 10.86% |
| Roundhill | 11 | $29.28B | 7.77% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| Roundhill | $2,446M |
| CoinShares | $79M |
| VistaShares | $57M |
| Outflows | |
| Defiance | -$945M |
| SPDR | -$607M |
| VanEck | -$565M |
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.
