Weekly Channel Summary
The EQ: Specialty channel closed the week with $21.02B in total AUM spread across 80 ETFs from 54 issuers. Net flows were positive at $110M for the 5-day period, extending a strong year with $6,014M gathered year-to-date and $6,413M over the trailing 1-year period. This consistent inflow trend underscores sustained investor demand for hedged and long/short equity strategies within the specialty equity space.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
The Asset Allocation: Specialty – Alternative Asset Sleeve category topped the week with a 4.34% WTD gain, though its limited 2-fund base and lack of longer-term data warrant caution in drawing broader conclusions. Long | Short strategies (26 funds) posted a solid 2.35% WTD return, supported by strong YTD performance of 8.99% and a 1-year gain of 10.35%. Hedged equity funds, the largest category by count with 52 funds, rose a more modest 1.42% WTD, bringing YTD returns to 5.97%. On the fund level, WSLS led all specialty ETFs with a 5.83% weekly gain, while HFSP lagged the field with a 3.16% decline.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asset Allocation: Specialty – Alternative Asset Sleeve | 4.34% | -0.32% | — | — | — | — |
| Long | Short | 2.35% | -2.69% | -1.83% | 2.40% | 8.99% | 10.35% |
| Hedged | 1.42% | -2.72% | -3.01% | 0.72% | 5.97% | 7.50% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
Among top performers, NLSI and AINT both delivered gains exceeding 4.9%, reflecting strength across long/short and dollar-neutral AI-managed strategies. UPSD and CBLS rounded out the top five with weekly returns above 3.9%. On the downside, LBAY and SHRT posted losses exceeding 1.9%, with short-strategy and alternative-yield funds generally underperforming the broader hedged and long/short cohorts this week.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| WSLS | WisdomTree Efficient Long/Short U.S. SmallCap Equity Fund ETF | 5.83% |
| NLSI | NEOS Long/Short Equity Income ETF | 5.20% |
| AINT | FINQ DOLLAR NEUTRAL U.S. Large Cap AI-Managed Equity ETF | 4.95% |
| UPSD | Aptus Large Cap Upside ETF | 4.57% |
| CBLS | Clough Hedged Equity ETF | 3.93% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| HFSP | TradersAI Large Cap Equity & Cash ETF | -3.16% |
| LBAY | Leatherback Long/Short Alternative Yield ETF | -2.74% |
| SHRT | Gotham Short Strategies ETF | -1.96% |
| LSEQ | Harbor Long-Short Equity ETF | -1.53% |
| ONEH | TrueShares Equity Hedge ETF | -0.87% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The channel generated $110M in net inflows over the 5-day period, led closely by Hedged equity ($56M) and Long | Short ($55M) categories, which together accounted for nearly all weekly inflows. The small Asset Allocation: Specialty – Alternative Asset Sleeve category saw a modest $1M outflow, reflecting its limited scale within the channel. Over longer horizons, Long | Short strategies have gathered $3,777M YTD and $3,912M over the past year, outpacing Hedged equity’s $2,238M and $2,501M respective totals. This divergence highlights a sustained investor preference for long/short structures relative to pure hedged equity exposures throughout 2026.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hedged | 52 | $13.09B | $56M | $152M | $601M | $2,238M | $2,501M |
| Long | Short | 26 | $7.92B | $55M | $252M | $1,073M | $3,777M | $3,912M |
| Asset Allocation: Specialty – Alternative Asset Sleeve | 2 | $5M | -$1M | $0M | $0M | $0M | $0M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
PRAE led all specialty funds with $47M in weekly inflows, followed closely by BTAL at $38M. On the outflow side, QBER saw the largest redemptions at $10M, followed by ONEH with $8M in outflows. These flow patterns suggest investors rotated into newer equity-plus-alternatives and market-neutral strategies while reducing exposure to bear-hedge and equity-hedge products during the period.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| PRAE | PlanRock Equity Plus Alternatives ETF | $47M |
| BTAL | AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund | $38M |
| MKTN | Federated Hermes MDT Market Neutral ETF | $15M |
| UPSD | Aptus Large Cap Upside ETF | $15M |
| HELO | JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF | $12M |
| Outflows | ||
| QBER | TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF | -$10M |
| ONEH | TrueShares Equity Hedge ETF | -$8M |
| CAOS | Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | -$5M |
| KSPY | KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | -$3M |
| CLSE | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF | -$3M |
Issuer League Table Update
JPMorgan remains the dominant issuer in the EQ: Specialty channel with $5.22B in AUM and a 24.83% market share across 4 funds, followed by First Trust at $2.63B and a 12.49% share from a single fund. PlanRock led all issuers in weekly inflows with $47M, driven entirely by its PRAE fund, while AGF followed with $38M tied to BTAL. On the outflow side, TrueShares experienced the largest weekly redemptions at $15M, reflecting combined outflows from its QBER and ONEH products.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan | 4 | $5.22B | 24.83% |
| First Trust | 1 | $2.63B | 12.49% |
| iShares | 1 | $2.17B | 10.31% |
| Fidelity | 2 | $1.03B | 4.88% |
| Convergence | 1 | $969M | 4.61% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| PlanRock | $47M |
| AGF | $38M |
| Federated Hermes | $15M |
| Outflows | |
| TrueShares | -$15M |
| Alpha Architect | -$5M |
| KraneShares | -$3M |
For a deeper dive into these trends, access our FREE, in-depth EQ: Specialty 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.
