Weekly Channel Summary
The Alternatives channel closed the week with $22.10B in total AUM spread across 51 ETFs from 28 issuers. Net flows were positive across all measured horizons, with $1,129M entering funds over the past five trading days, $11,613M year-to-date, and $12,019M over the trailing year. This sustained inflow trend underscores continued investor demand for alternative strategies as portfolio diversifiers amid ongoing market volatility.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Event Driven led absolute return categories on a WTD basis at 0.50%, followed by Multi-Strategy at 0.32% and Managed Futures at 0.15%, though Managed Futures remains the strongest performer YTD at 15.98% and over one year at 22.10%. Within volatility strategies, Vol – Short gained 1.22% WTD, while Vol – Long declined sharply by 3.16%, extending its steep YTD loss to -42.22%. The standout individual performer was SVIX, up 2.89% WTD, followed closely by ASMF at 2.54%. On the downside, UVIX was the weakest fund, falling 4.89% for the week, reflecting the divergence between short and long volatility exposures.
Absolute Return Performance Snapshot
| Absolute Return | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event Driven | 0.50% | 0.19% | 1.09% | 1.87% | 3.15% | 3.85% |
| Multi-Strategy | 0.32% | 2.32% | 4.84% | 8.77% | 15.17% | 11.54% |
| Managed Futures | 0.15% | 5.27% | 8.01% | 8.46% | 15.98% | 22.10% |
Volatility Performance Snapshot
| Volatility | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Short | 1.22% | 3.97% | 13.86% | 29.81% | 13.19% | 21.84% |
| Vol – Long | -3.16% | -9.27% | -30.56% | -55.41% | -42.22% | -56.63% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
Managed futures and multi-strategy funds dominated the top of the weekly performance leaderboard, with ASMF, JPFP, and AHLT all posting gains above 2.4%. These results align with the strong YTD performance of the Managed Futures category overall. Conversely, long volatility products filled the bottom of the leaderboard, with QIS down 4.44% and UVXY down 3.88%, consistent with the broader Vol – Long category’s weekly decline.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| SVIX | -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | 2.89% |
| ASMF | Virtus Alphasimplex Managed Futures ETF | 2.54% |
| JPFP | JPMorgan Managed Futures Plus ETF | 2.48% |
| AHLT | American Beacon AHL Trend ETF | 2.43% |
| ASGM | Virtus AlphaSimplex Global Macro ETF | 1.91% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | -4.89% |
| QIS | Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF | -4.44% |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -3.88% |
| WZRD | Opportunistic Trader ETF | -3.17% |
| VIXY | ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -2.81% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Total weekly net flow into the Alternatives channel reached $1,129M, led decisively by the Multi-Strategy category with $803M in inflows, followed by Managed Futures at $278M. Event Driven flows were modest but positive at $4M for the week. Within volatility strategies, Vol – Long attracted $39M while Vol – Short saw a smaller $6M inflow, a reversal from its negative 30-day and 90-day trends. No category recorded net outflows for the week, indicating broad-based demand across the alternatives landscape.
Absolute Return Flows Summary
| Absolute Return | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Strategy | 15 | $9.97B | $803M | $1,198M | $2,184M | $7,514M | $7,724M |
| Managed Futures | 17 | $9.33B | $278M | $1,046M | $1,232M | $3,827M | $4,541M |
| Event Driven | 8 | $438M | $4M | $9M | $7M | -$19M | $3M |
Volatility Flows Summary
| Volatility | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Long | 6 | $1.30B | $39M | $44M | $426M | $505M | $92M |
| Vol – Short | 5 | $1.07B | $6M | -$28M | -$126M | -$214M | -$340M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The iShares Systematic Alternatives Active ETF (IALT) was the clear standout, gathering $788M in weekly inflows and single-handedly driving much of the category’s total. The iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF) added a further $180M, while JPFP brought in $92M. On the outflow side, the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF (CTA) led redemptions at -$35M, followed by the iShares Managed Futures Active ETF (ISMF) at -$7M.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| IALT | iShares Systematic Alternatives Active ETF | $788M |
| DBMF | iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $180M |
| JPFP | JPMorgan Managed Futures Plus ETF | $92M |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | $25M |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $15M |
| Outflows | ||
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -$35M |
| ISMF | iShares Managed Futures Active ETF | -$7M |
| VYLD | Inverse Vix Short-Term Futures ETN | -$4M |
| VIXM | ProShares VIX Mid-Term Futures ETF | -$1M |
| BTA | Beacon Tactical Alternatives Risk ETF | -$1M |
Issuer League Table Update
iShares holds the largest share of the Alternatives channel at 31.43% of AUM ($6.95B), followed by iM at 23.58% ($5.21B), together accounting for over half of the channel’s total assets. iShares also led weekly inflows by a wide margin, gathering $780M, with iM adding a further $180M to reinforce its position. On the outflow side, Simplify recorded the largest weekly redemptions among issuers at -$34M, though this was modest relative to the scale of inflows elsewhere in the channel.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| iShares | 2 | $6.95B | 31.43% |
| iM | 1 | $5.21B | 23.58% |
| Simplify | 5 | $2.05B | 9.27% |
| NYLIM | 2 | $1.27B | 5.74% |
| Franklin | 1 | $1.11B | 5.03% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| iShares | $780M |
| iM | $180M |
| JPMorgan | $88M |
| Outflows | |
| Simplify | -$34M |
| Beacon | -$1M |
| Mast | -$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.
