Weekly Channel Summary
The Thematic channel closed the week with $399.33B in AUM spread across 494 ETFs from 117 issuers. Net flows totaled $2,255M over the trailing five days, extending a strong 2026 with YTD inflows of $74,843M and 1-Year inflows of $97,952M. The channel’s positive flow trajectory across nearly all time horizons underscores sustained investor appetite for thematic exposure this year.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Disruptive Tech led all categories on the week with a 3.26% gain, building on an already robust 38.44% YTD return, while Multi-Sector (2.25%) and Health Innovation (1.93%) also posted solid weekly advances. Health Innovation stands out over longer horizons with a 59.84% YTD and 81.23% 1-Year return, the strongest of any category. On the downside, Midstream & MLPs fell 3.58% for the week, followed by Precious Metals (-2.90%) and Natural Resources (-1.45%), though Midstream & MLPs still holds an 18.88% YTD gain. Among individual funds, AINF topped the tape with a 7.07% weekly return, while SBIO lagged with a 7.46% decline.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disruptive Tech | 3.26% | 7.97% | 1.87% | 44.88% | 38.44% | 38.21% |
| Multi-Sector | 2.25% | 2.98% | 6.55% | 24.08% | 18.84% | 19.13% |
| Health Innovation | 1.93% | 1.36% | 23.53% | 68.66% | 59.84% | 81.23% |
| Evolving Consumer | 1.73% | -2.34% | 3.65% | 13.50% | 2.15% | -1.36% |
| Industrial Revolution | 0.44% | -2.33% | 0.74% | -1.75% | 3.52% | 5.60% |
| Infrastructure | -0.26% | -3.53% | -9.80% | 1.19% | 12.02% | 15.96% |
| FinTech | -0.71% | 0.64% | 6.12% | 21.75% | 13.85% | -2.01% |
| Sustainability | -0.86% | -3.69% | -14.75% | -5.31% | 4.68% | 11.00% |
| Alternative Equity | -1.43% | -5.14% | 6.59% | 5.97% | -6.22% | -6.69% |
| Natural Resources | -1.45% | -9.09% | 2.09% | -1.44% | 9.14% | 19.21% |
| Precious Metals | -2.90% | -11.55% | 22.05% | 7.24% | 8.11% | 30.91% |
| Midstream & MLPs | -3.58% | -3.50% | 2.14% | 0.93% | 18.88% | 19.28% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
Fund-level dispersion was wide this week, with the top five gainers led by AINF at 7.07% and cannabis-focused names WEED (6.89%) and YOLO (6.67%) also posting strong advances. AI-linked funds such as THNQ rounded out the top performers, reflecting the Disruptive Tech category’s overall strength. On the losing side, healthcare-oriented funds dominated the bottom of the list, with SBIO down 7.46% and BBC down 7.12%. PSIL and IBRN also declined more than 5%, highlighting notable weakness in health-related niche themes despite the category’s strong YTD backdrop.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| AINF | Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF | 7.07% |
| WEED | Roundhill Cannabis ETF | 6.89% |
| YOLO | AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF | 6.67% |
| DRMP | Tuttle Capital Memory Stack Income Blast ETF | 6.63% |
| THNQ | ROBO Global Artificial Intelligence ETF | 6.62% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| SBIO | ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | -7.46% |
| BBC | Virtus Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | -7.12% |
| PSIL | AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF | -6.72% |
| SURI | Simplify Propel Opportunities ETF | -5.85% |
| IBRN | iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF | -5.27% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The Thematic channel gathered $2,255M in net inflows over the trailing five days. Multi-Sector led all categories with $892M in inflows, followed closely by Disruptive Tech at $721M and Infrastructure at $336M, all three also showing substantial YTD accumulation. Natural Resources was the week’s largest outflow category at -$128M, despite carrying a strong $10,249M YTD inflow figure, while Alternative Equity and FinTech saw modest weekly outflows of -$16M and -$6M respectively. The contrast between short-term profit-taking in Natural Resources and sustained longer-term inflows suggests some tactical rotation rather than a broader reversal in thematic sentiment.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Sector | 52 | $34.47B | $892M | $1,937M | $2,468M | $2,339M | $4,971M |
| Disruptive Tech | 101 | $118.10B | $721M | -$8M | $11,493M | $38,744M | $45,879M |
| Infrastructure | 52 | $62.71B | $336M | $1,022M | $2,402M | $17,892M | $22,163M |
| Industrial Revolution | 60 | $19.90B | $180M | $222M | -$699M | $7,326M | $8,699M |
| Sustainability | 28 | $6.99B | $142M | -$290M | -$967M | $584M | $1,361M |
| Evolving Consumer | 48 | $13.43B | $48M | $300M | -$147M | -$2,058M | -$3,663M |
| Precious Metals | 16 | $50.61B | $44M | -$1,541M | -$895M | -$2,549M | $59M |
| Health Innovation | 27 | $3.74B | $39M | $16M | $297M | $368M | $419M |
| Midstream & MLPs | 18 | $26.70B | $3M | $255M | $857M | $2,131M | $2,537M |
| FinTech | 28 | $5.02B | -$6M | $217M | -$39M | -$430M | -$372M |
| Alternative Equity | 8 | $2.34B | -$16M | -$102M | -$107M | $245M | $400M |
| Natural Resources | 56 | $55.33B | -$128M | $308M | -$331M | $10,249M | $15,498M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
ARKK led all funds with $831M in weekly inflows, followed by MAGS at $611M, both reinforcing Disruptive Tech’s and Multi-Sector’s category-level strength. CIBR and BKGI also drew sizable inflows exceeding $300M each. On the outflow side, BAI saw the largest weekly redemption at -$462M, far outpacing the next largest outflow from XME at -$88M.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| ARKK | ARK Innovation ETF | $831M |
| MAGS | Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF | $611M |
| CIBR | First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF | $335M |
| BKGI | BNY Mellon Global Infrastructure Income ETF | $309M |
| ICLN | iShares Global Clean Energy ETF | $176M |
| Outflows | ||
| BAI | iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF | -$462M |
| XME | State Street SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF | -$88M |
| DTCR | Global X Data Center And Digital Infrastructure ETF | -$60M |
| COPX | Global X Copper Miners ETF | -$38M |
| PAVE | Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF | -$36M |
Issuer League Table Update
Global X remains the largest issuer in the Thematic channel with $66.34B in AUM and a 16.61% share, followed by iShares at $60.25B and 15.09% share. ARK led all issuers in weekly inflows with $887M, well ahead of Roundhill’s $597M and First Trust’s $337M, both of which align with strength in Disruptive Tech and Multi-Sector categories. On the outflow side, VanEck experienced the largest weekly redemptions at -$91M, followed by iShares at -$83M and SPDR at -$40M, indicating some issuer-specific rotation even as the broader channel gathered net new assets.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global X | 39 | $66.34B | 16.61% |
| iShares | 32 | $60.25B | 15.09% |
| First Trust | 32 | $55.95B | 14.01% |
| VanEck | 20 | $46.87B | 11.74% |
| Roundhill | 14 | $34.69B | 8.69% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| ARK | $887M |
| Roundhill | $597M |
| First Trust | $337M |
| Outflows | |
| VanEck | -$91M |
| iShares | -$83M |
| SPDR | -$40M |
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.
