Weekly Channel Summary
The Alternatives channel holds $22.36B in assets across 52 ETFs from 29 issuers. Net flows totaled $315M over the past five trading days, bringing the year-to-date total to $11,928M and the one-year figure to $12,160M. The sustained inflow pace over the trailing year underscores continued investor appetite for diversifying exposures beyond traditional equity and fixed income.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Managed Futures led all absolute return categories on a WTD basis at 1.11%, extending a strong run that has produced 17.37% YTD and 22.93% over the past year across its 17 constituent funds. Multi-Strategy followed at 0.28% WTD, while Event Driven was essentially flat at -0.01%, trailing meaningfully on a YTD basis at just 3.13%. Within volatility, Vol – Long edged ahead with a 0.58% weekly gain despite a steep -41.29% YTD decline, while Vol – Short slipped -0.58% for the week but remains up 12.63% YTD. The standout fund of the week was WZRD, surging 29.97%, far outpacing the next-best managed futures names like WTMF at 2.20%.
Absolute Return Performance Snapshot
| Absolute Return | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed Futures | 1.11% | 3.71% | 9.69% | 6.99% | 17.37% | 22.93% |
| Multi-Strategy | 0.28% | 1.85% | 5.52% | 8.04% | 15.54% | 10.84% |
| Event Driven | -0.01% | 0.34% | 1.38% | 1.79% | 3.13% | 3.43% |
Volatility Performance Snapshot
| Volatility | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Long | 0.58% | -4.44% | -25.17% | -55.10% | -41.29% | -54.56% |
| Vol – Short | -0.58% | 1.39% | 10.65% | 31.61% | 12.63% | 19.57% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
Beyond WZRD’s outsized gain, managed futures strategies dominated the top of the leaderboard, with SDMF up 1.88% and DBMF up 1.75%. On the downside, MFUT declined -1.57% and FFUT fell -1.50%, indicating notable dispersion even within the same managed futures category. SVOL rounded out the laggards with a -0.91% weekly move. This spread highlights how trend-following strategies can diverge sharply depending on model construction and positioning.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| WZRD | Opportunistic Trader ETF | 29.97% |
| WTMF | WisdomTree Managed Futures Strategy Fund | 2.20% |
| SDMF | Simplify DBi CTA Managed Futures Index ETF | 1.88% |
| DBMF | iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | 1.75% |
| QALT | SEI DBi Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF | 1.32% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| MFUT | Cambria Chesapeake Pure Trend ETF | -1.57% |
| FFUT | Fidelity Managed Futures ETF | -1.50% |
| JPFP | JPMorgan Managed Futures Plus ETF | -1.19% |
| SPCK | SPAC and New Issue ETF | -1.14% |
| SVOL | Simplify Volatility Premium ETF | -0.91% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Weekly net inflows of $315M were led decisively by the Multi-Strategy category, which pulled in $216M and now stands at $7,729M YTD on $10.11B in assets. Managed Futures added a further $136M for the week, supporting its $3,963M YTD total. Event Driven saw modest outflows of -$2M, while within volatility, Vol – Long shed -$40M despite modest Vol – Short inflows of $5M. The data shows capital continuing to favor multi-strategy and trend-following vehicles over event-driven and long-volatility exposures.
Absolute Return Flows Summary
| Absolute Return | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Strategy | 16 | $10.11B | $216M | $1,242M | $2,138M | $7,729M | $7,903M |
| Managed Futures | 17 | $9.47B | $136M | $1,112M | $1,517M | $3,963M | $4,644M |
| Event Driven | 8 | $451M | -$2M | $7M | $5M | -$21M | $6M |
Volatility Flows Summary
| Volatility | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Short | 5 | $1.07B | $5M | -$10M | -$103M | -$209M | -$298M |
| Vol – Long | 6 | $1.26B | -$40M | -$56M | $399M | $466M | -$95M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The week’s largest single inflow went to IALT, which gathered $219M, closely followed by DBMF with $185M. On the outflow side, CTA led redemptions at -$90M, with UVXY next at -$19M. Smaller outflows from UVIX and FLSP suggest some rotation away from both short-term volatility products and systematic premia strategies this week.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| IALT | iShares Systematic Alternatives Active ETF | $219M |
| DBMF | iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $185M |
| FFUT | Fidelity Managed Futures ETF | $17M |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $14M |
| QIS | Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF | $8M |
| Outflows | ||
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -$90M |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -$19M |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | -$17M |
| FLSP | Franklin Systematic Style Premia ETF | -$17M |
| VXX | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | -$9M |
Issuer League Table Update
iShares and iM together command over half the channel’s assets, holding 31.77% and 24.19% market share respectively, with iShares at $7.11B across just 2 funds and iM at $5.41B in a single fund. iShares also led weekly inflows at $219M, followed by iM at $185M, reflecting concentrated demand tied to a small number of large, actively managed products. On the outflow side, Simplify experienced the largest weekly redemptions at -$79M despite its broader five-fund lineup and $1.96B in assets. Franklin and Volatility Shares also saw modest outflows of -$17M and -$16M respectively, rounding out the week’s issuer-level pressure points.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| iShares | 2 | $7.11B | 31.77% |
| iM | 1 | $5.41B | 24.19% |
| Simplify | 5 | $1.96B | 8.77% |
| NYLIM | 2 | $1.28B | 5.73% |
| Franklin | 1 | $1.09B | 4.89% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| iShares | $219M |
| iM | $185M |
| Fidelity | $17M |
| Outflows | |
| Simplify | -$79M |
| Franklin | -$17M |
| Volatility Shares | -$16M |
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.
