Weekly Channel Summary
The Alternatives channel, encompassing 47 ETFs from 26 issuers, holds a total of $13.46 billion in assets under management. Investors added a net $280 million to the category over the past week, bringing year-to-date inflows to nearly $4.0 billion. Over the last twelve months, the channel has attracted approximately $5.6 billion in new assets.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Short Volatility strategies were the top performers this week, delivering a 1.86% return as market volatility subsided. In contrast, Long Volatility funds suffered the largest losses, declining by 5.43%. Managed Futures strategies also posted a negative return for the week, down 1.12%, but they remain the best-performing category year-to-date with an 8.51% gain.
Absolute Return Performance Snapshot
| Absolute Return | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event Driven | 0.35% | 0.67% | 1.25% | 1.81% | 2.64% | 4.12% |
| Multi-Strategy | 0.12% | 1.12% | 1.51% | 4.57% | 6.97% | 14.24% |
| Managed Futures | -1.12% | 0.81% | -2.23% | 2.42% | 8.51% | 19.42% |
Volatility Performance Snapshot
| Volatility | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Short | 1.86% | 1.91% | 11.95% | 6.75% | 4.56% | 24.44% |
| Vol – Long | -5.43% | -7.96% | -31.79% | -32.58% | -30.27% | -57.71% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The -1x Short VIX Futures ETF (SVIX) was the week’s best-performing fund, gaining 4.30% and reflecting the positive results for short volatility products. At the other end of the spectrum, the Opportunistic Trader ETF (WZRD) saw a significant decline of 36.77%. Leveraged long volatility funds also struggled, with the 2x Long VIX Futures ETF (UVIX) and ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) falling 9.28% and 7.09%, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| SVIX | -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | 4.30% |
| JPFP | JPMorgan Managed Futures Plus ETF | 3.14% |
| SVXY | ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | 2.24% |
| ASGM | Virtus AlphaSimplex Global Macro ETF | 1.87% |
| HF | DGA Core Plus Absolute Return ETF | 1.80% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| WZRD | Opportunistic Trader ETF | -36.77% |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | -9.28% |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -7.09% |
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -4.68% |
| VIXY | ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -4.63% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The Alternatives channel saw total net inflows of $280 million for the week, with volatility-focused strategies capturing the bulk of the new capital. Long Volatility funds led the way, attracting $177 million despite their negative weekly performance, suggesting traders may be positioning for future market turbulence. Managed Futures continued its steady asset gathering with $59 million in inflows, while Multi-Strategy funds added $33 million.
Absolute Return Flows Summary
| Absolute Return | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed Futures | 16 | $7.75B | $59M | $583M | $1,146M | $2,957M | $3,956M |
| Multi-Strategy | 12 | $2.84B | $33M | $81M | $411M | $920M | $1,159M |
| Event Driven | 8 | $425M | -$0M | -$5M | -$5M | -$31M | -$1M |
Volatility Flows Summary
| Volatility | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Long | 6 | $1.41B | $177M | $215M | $178M | $292M | $915M |
| Vol – Short | 5 | $1.03B | $11M | -$39M | -$184M | -$156M | -$467M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) was the most popular fund, gathering $64 million in new assets. Following closely was another ProShares product, the ProShares VIX Mid-Term Futures ETF (VIXM), which brought in $53 million. On the other side of the ledger, the iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF) saw the largest redemptions at $22 million, followed by the -1x Short VIX Futures ETF (SVIX) with $15 million in outflows.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | $64M |
| VIXM | ProShares VIX Mid-Term Futures ETF | $53M |
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $34M |
| SVXY | ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | $26M |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | $24M |
| Outflows | ||
| DBMF | iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -$22M |
| SVIX | -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | -$15M |
| IMF | Invesco Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -$6M |
| FMF | First Trust Managed Futures Strategy Fund | -$2M |
| JPFP | JPMorgan Managed Futures Plus ETF | -$1M |
Issuer League Table Update
iM and Simplify remain the two largest issuers in the Alternatives space, commanding market shares of 30.65% and 15.48%, respectively. ProShares had a standout week, leading all issuers by attracting $164 million in net new assets, primarily into its volatility-linked ETFs. In contrast, iM experienced the largest net outflows among issuers, with redemptions totaling $22 million for the week.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| iM | 1 | $4.12B | 30.65% |
| Simplify | 5 | $2.08B | 15.48% |
| New York Life Investments | 2 | $1.27B | 9.45% |
| Franklin | 1 | $1.04B | 7.76% |
| ProShares | 6 | $846M | 6.29% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| ProShares | $164M |
| Simplify | $37M |
| Cambria | $22M |
| Outflows | |
| iM | -$22M |
| Invesco | -$6M |
| JPMorgan | -$1M |
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.
