Weekly Channel Summary
The Alternatives channel closed the week with $20.98B in total AUM spread across 51 ETFs from 28 issuers. Net inflows totaled $325M over the trailing 5-day period, contributing to a $10,593M gain year-to-date and $11,145M over the past year. These figures underscore sustained investor demand for diversifying strategies within the channel throughout 2026.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
On a week-to-date basis, Multi-Strategy funds led the channel with a 0.60% gain, followed by Managed Futures at 0.25%, while Event Driven slipped modestly by 0.14%. Managed Futures remains the standout on a longer horizon, up 15.82% YTD and 22.35% over the past year, ahead of Multi-Strategy’s 14.49% YTD and 11.74% 1-Year gains. Within volatility strategies, Vol – Short edged higher by 0.18% WTD, while Vol – Long declined sharply by 2.12%, extending its steep 40.33% YTD loss. The WZRD Opportunistic Trader ETF topped all funds with a 5.87% weekly gain, contrasting with the UVIX 2x Long VIX Futures ETF’s 3.89% decline at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Absolute Return Performance Snapshot
| Absolute Return | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Strategy | 0.60% | 1.83% | 3.63% | 9.06% | 14.49% | 11.74% |
| Managed Futures | 0.25% | 3.96% | 6.20% | 4.87% | 15.82% | 22.35% |
| Event Driven | -0.14% | -0.28% | 0.89% | 2.09% | 2.63% | 2.95% |
Volatility Performance Snapshot
| Volatility | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Short | 0.18% | 4.47% | 11.04% | 28.07% | 11.78% | 18.31% |
| Vol – Long | -2.12% | -11.94% | -26.54% | -54.69% | -40.33% | -53.73% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
Beyond WZRD’s leading 5.87% weekly return, First Trust’s FAAR and Volatility Premium Plus ETF ZVOL rounded out the top performers with gains of 1.92% and 1.25%, respectively. Managed futures funds FFUT and HFMF each added 1.12%, aligning with the category’s broader strength this week. On the downside, long-volatility products dominated the laggards, with UVIX and UVXY falling 3.89% and 2.72%, respectively. Simplify’s Multi-QIS Alternative ETF QIS also declined 2.71%, extending a difficult stretch for volatility-hedging strategies.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| WZRD | Opportunistic Trader ETF | 5.87% |
| FAAR | First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF | 1.92% |
| ZVOL | Volatility Premium Plus ETF | 1.25% |
| FFUT | Fidelity Managed Futures ETF | 1.12% |
| HFMF | Unlimited HFMF Managed Futures ETF | 1.12% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | -3.89% |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -2.72% |
| QIS | Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF | -2.71% |
| VXX | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | -1.72% |
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -1.52% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The Alternatives channel gathered $325M in net inflows over the trailing five days, led decisively by Managed Futures at $206M and Multi-Strategy at $104M, both continuing to build on substantial YTD totals of $3,644M and $6,731M, respectively. Event Driven added a modest $6M for the week. Within volatility strategies, Vol – Long attracted $17M while Vol – Short saw $7M in outflows, consistent with its negative YTD and 1-Year flow trends. Overall, the week’s flow pattern reinforces managed futures and multi-strategy vehicles as the primary growth engines within the channel.
Absolute Return Flows Summary
| Absolute Return | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed Futures | 17 | $9.08B | $206M | $891M | $1,164M | $3,644M | $4,407M |
| Multi-Strategy | 15 | $9.06B | $104M | $493M | $1,497M | $6,731M | $6,981M |
| Event Driven | 8 | $438M | $6M | $13M | $6M | -$19M | $7M |
Volatility Flows Summary
| Volatility | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol – Long | 6 | $1.35B | $17M | $61M | $358M | $456M | $112M |
| Vol – Short | 5 | $1.05B | -$7M | -$50M | -$149M | -$220M | -$361M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
iMGP’s DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF DBMF led all funds with $166M in weekly inflows, followed by JPMorgan’s JPFP at $88M and iShares’ IALT at $68M. On the outflow side, Simplify’s Managed Futures Strategy ETF CTA saw the largest redemptions at $102M, notably offsetting gains elsewhere in the managed futures category. The -1x Short VIX Futures ETF SVIX also posted outflows of $7M, continuing the muted flow trend seen across short-volatility products.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| DBMF | iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $166M |
| JPFP | JPMorgan Managed Futures Plus ETF | $88M |
| IALT | iShares Systematic Alternatives Active ETF | $68M |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $36M |
| LALT | First Trust Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF | $28M |
| Outflows | ||
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -$102M |
| SVIX | -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | -$7M |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -$6M |
| SVXY | ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -$3M |
| BTA | Beacon Tactical Alternatives Risk ETF | -$1M |
Issuer League Table Update
iShares remains the largest issuer in the Alternatives channel with $6.06B in AUM and a 28.86% share, followed by iM at $4.95B and 23.61% share, together commanding over half of channel assets despite operating just three funds combined. iM led all issuers in weekly inflows at $166M, driven entirely by DBMF’s strong gathering, while JPMorgan and iShares also posted solid inflows of $88M and $69M, respectively. On the outflow side, Simplify experienced the largest redemptions at $101M, primarily tied to CTA’s weekly decline, while ProShares and Beacon saw comparatively minor outflows of $3M and $1M.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| iShares | 2 | $6.06B | 28.86% |
| iM | 1 | $4.95B | 23.61% |
| Simplify | 5 | $2.11B | 10.07% |
| NYLIM | 2 | $1.27B | 6.04% |
| Franklin | 1 | $1.11B | 5.28% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| iM | $166M |
| JPMorgan | $88M |
| iShares | $69M |
| Outflows | |
| Simplify | -$101M |
| ProShares | -$3M |
| Beacon | -$1M |
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.
