Leverage/Inverse ETFs: Tech & Energy Surge as Flows Turn Negative

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Weekly Channel Summary

The Leverage | Inverse ETF channel, comprising 561 products from 24 issuers, currently manages $159B in total assets under management (AUM). This past week saw significant aggregate outflows of -$3.52B, exacerbating a broader negative trend that has pulled year-to-date (YTD) flows down to -$7.51B and 1-year flows to -$20.92B.

This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards

There was considerable dispersion in returns across the channel this week, with volatile commodity and tech segments heavily outperforming. The “Commodity: Focused – Energy” category led the way with a massive +12.13% gain. Tech-focused funds also showed strength, as “Equity: Thematic – Disruptive Tech” and “Equity: Sector – Information Technology” climbed +6.46% and +3.85%, respectively. Conversely, “Equity: Thematic – Precious Metals” lagged significantly, dropping -6.19%, followed closely by “Equity: Thematic – Natural Resources” at -5.36%.

Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance

The single best-performing ETF was SOXL (Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF), surging an impressive +35.46% for the week. On the downside, the two worst-performing ETFs were SOXS (Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X ETF) and QPUX (Defiance 2X Daily Long Pure Quantum ETF), which plummeted -28.31% and -22.73% respectively.

Ticker Fund Name WTD Performance
Top Performers
SOXL Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF 35.46%
MSOX AdvisorShares MSOS Daily Leveraged ETF 24.39%
GDXD MicroSectors Gold Miners -3X Inverse Leveraged ETNs 17.62%
FLYD MicroSectors Travel -3x Inverse Leveraged ETN 17.40%
JETD MAX Airlines -3X Inverse Leveraged ETNs 16.73%
Bottom Performers
SOXS Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X ETF -28.31%
QPUX Defiance 2X Daily Long Pure Quantum ETF -22.73%
DFEN Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X ETF -20.31%
GDXU MicroSectors Gold Miners 3X Leveraged ETN -19.57%
FLYU MicroSectors Travel 3x Leveraged ETN -16.10%

Analyzing the Weekly Flows

Analyzing the weekly flows, the entire channel experienced a total net outflow of -$3,517M. Despite the broader drag, the “Leverage | Inverse – Crypto” category attracted the most net new money with $99M in inflows against a total AUM of $4,157M. The “Leverage | Inverse – Commodity” category also saw positive investor interest, gathering $46M. Conversely, the vast majority of the selling pressure hit the “Leverage | Inverse – Equity” category, which bled a staggering -$2,970M.

Category Flows Summary

Category Fund Count AUM 5 Day Flow 30 Day Flow 90 Day Flow YTD Flow 1 Year Flow
Leverage | Inverse – Crypto 24 $4,157M $99M $324M $1,163M $1,168M $5,142M
Leverage | Inverse – Commodity 16 $5,646M $46M -$116M $1,624M $2,244M $3,107M
Leverage | Inverse – Fixed Income 15 $3,586M -$56M -$315M -$729M -$997M -$1,863M
Leverage | Inverse – Single Stock 311 $29,417M -$635M -$1,345M $2,744M $2,737M $5,642M
Leverage | Inverse – Equity 192 $116,042M -$2,970M -$7,786M -$7,180M -$12,676M -$32,963M
Grand Total 558 $158,848M -$3,517M -$9,238M -$2,377M -$7,524M -$20,936M

Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow

The top ETF for inflows by absolute dollar amount was SOXS (Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X ETF), hauling in a substantial $542M as investors positioned defensively in the semiconductor sector. Alternatively, SOXL (Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF) and TQQQ (ProShares UltraPro QQQ) experienced massive liquidations, leading the outflows with -$1,576M and -$1,494M, respectively.

Ticker Fund Name 5-Day Flow
Inflows
SOXS Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X ETF $542M
SQQQ ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ $239M
SCO ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil $109M
QLD ProShares Ultra QQQ $104M
SH ProShares Short S&P500 $73M
Outflows
SOXL Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF -$1,576M
TQQQ ProShares UltraPro QQQ -$1,494M
UPRO ProShares UltraPro S&P500 -$204M
TECL Direxion Daily Technology Bull 3X ETF -$163M
PSQ ProShares Short QQQ -$146M

Issuer League Table Update

ProShares maintains its commanding lead in the channel, securing the #1 spot with a 46.52% market share, followed by Direxion with 34.81%. Over the last week, Defiance led all issuers by capturing $112M in net inflows. In contrast, Direxion bore the brunt of the capital flight, posting the channel’s largest weekly outflows at -$1,569M.

Top 5 Issuers by AUM

Brand Fund Count AUM AUM Market Share
ProShares 107 $73.90B 46.52%
Direxion 118 $55.30B 34.81%
GraniteShares 39 $7.66B 4.82%
REX Microsectors 19 $7.18B 4.52%
Tradr 57 $4.00B 2.52%

Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow

Brand 5-Day Flow
Inflows
Defiance $112M
Volatility Shares $51M
T-Rex $32M
Outflows
Direxion -$1,569M
ProShares -$1,504M
Tradr -$470M

For a deeper dive into these trends, access our FREE, in-depth Leverage | Inverse 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.