The Big Picture
The Returns: It was a week defined by a sharp risk-off sentiment and a scramble for safety. Equities faced a broad sell-off, with high-beta “meme” stocks crashing while defensive pockets like Health Care, Dividends, and Low Volatility strategies bucked the trend. In Fixed Income, long-duration government bonds and defined maturity strategies outperformed. Commodities saw divergence as Shipping rallied while Energy stalled. In currencies, the US Dollar posted its strongest week in over a month at the expense of the Yen, while Volatility strategies roared back with significant gains amidst the turmoil.
The Flows: Despite the red ink on screen, investors continued to put money to work, albeit selectively. Fixed Income was the clear winner, with Taxable Bond ETFs pulling in $8 billion. International Equities also saw strong demand with over $4 billion in inflows, while sector-specific allocations favored Health Care. Opportunistic activity remained high, with traders pouring $1.66 billion into Single Stock ETFs and continuing to pile into Buffer and Synthetic Income strategies, highlighting a dual demand for both speculation and downside protection.
Each week, the ETF Action team produces detailed overviews for every corner of the ETF market. Below is a snapshot of the latest activity—click any channel link to view the full recap and go deeper on the specific trends driving flows and performance.
Equity
Size & Style (US): Memes crashed this week while “boring cash” sectors, specifically Dividends and Low Volatility strategies, defied the broader downturn.
Size & Style (Global): Global ETFs added $569 million in inflows, with JPMorgan topping the flow leaderboard.
Size & Style (Global Ex-US): International funds attracted $4 billion in inflows, showing resilience despite the market pullback.
Region & Country: In a reversal of fortunes, the Philippines and Turkey led performance, while South Korea stumbled.
Sector & Industry: Health Care surged amidst the broad sell-off, leading the segment in both performance and flows.
Thematic: Health Innovation defied the broad thematic sell-off, while Multi-Sector Tech led in inflows.
Specialty: Specialty equities stumbled, seeing weekly outflows and a performance pullback.
Fixed Income
Taxable Fixed Income: The category saw $8 billion in weekly inflows as Government Long strategies took the lead.
Municipal Fixed Income: Municipals garnered $342 million in inflows, as Short Duration funds led the way.
Specialty Fixed Income: Defined Maturity strategies drove $268 million in inflows, while the Simplify Bond Bull ETF (RFIX) led returns.
Commodities
Commodities: Shipping sailed while Energy stalled this week in Commodity ETFs.
Currencies & Crypto
Currency: The US Dollar posted its biggest gain in six weeks, while the Yen retreated.
Cryptocurrency: Altcoins attracted $99 million in inflows despite the heavy market sell-off.
Alternatives
Alternatives: Volatility roared back, with Long Vol strategies surging 8% on the week.
Non-Traditional
Leverage & Inverse: Equity Bulls dominated activity, while Bitcoin Bears bit back.
Buffer ETFs: Buffer ETF flows soared past $12 billion YTD amidst the crypto plunge.
Single Stock: $1.66 billion poured into the space as traders leaned into the sell-off.
Synthetic Income: Synthetic Income gathered $661 million amid divergent performance.
Multi-Asset
Multi-Asset: Growth Strategy ETFs injected $93 million, propelling inflows for the Multi-Asset channel.
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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.
