Weekly Channel Summary
The Alternatives channel, encompassing 48 ETFs from 27 issuers, currently holds $12.86 billion in assets under management. This week, the channel registered a net inflow of $55 million, contributing to a strong year-to-date total of $3.12 billion. Over the past twelve months, investors have allocated a net $5.82 billion into these strategies.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Long Volatility funds led performance this week, posting an average gain of 2.94% despite a challenging year. Conversely, Absolute Return – Managed Futures was the weakest category with a 1.68% decline. This weekly result runs counter to year-to-date trends, where the Managed Futures category is up 6.99% while Long Volatility funds have fallen 20.47%.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volatility – Long | 2.94% | -15.77% | -39.72% | -22.25% | -20.47% | -61.34% |
| Absolute Return – Event Driven | 0.34% | 0.21% | 0.78% | 1.63% | 2.07% | 4.92% |
| Absolute Return – Multi-Strategy | -0.75% | 0.46% | 4.78% | 6.09% | 6.47% | 16.16% |
| Volatility – Short | -1.25% | 3.54% | 14.01% | -0.44% | -0.70% | 23.69% |
| Absolute Return – Managed Futures | -1.68% | -4.73% | 0.03% | 6.58% | 6.99% | 19.32% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
Leveraged volatility products were the top individual performers, led by a 5.15% surge in the 2x Long VIX Futures ETF (UVIX). The ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) also posted a strong gain of 3.73%. At the other end of the spectrum, the Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF (QIS) recorded the largest loss, declining by 5.22% for the week.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | 5.15% |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | 3.73% |
| ZVOL | Volatility Premium Plus ETF | 3.13% |
| VIXY | ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | 2.65% |
| VXX | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | 1.97% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| QIS | Simplify Multi-QIS Alternative ETF | -5.22% |
| ASGM | Virtus AlphaSimplex Global Macro ETF | -4.04% |
| WTIP | WisdomTree Inflation Plus Fund | -3.91% |
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -2.94% |
| JPFP | JPMorgan Managed Futures Plus ETF | -2.94% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Investors allocated a net $55 million to the Alternatives channel, with flows showing a clear divergence between categories. The Absolute Return – Managed Futures category was the primary destination for new capital, attracting $114 million. In contrast, both Volatility – Long and Volatility – Short strategies saw significant withdrawals, shedding a combined $75 million.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Return – Managed Futures | 16 | $7.39B | $114M | $485M | $1,140M | $2,594M | $3,711M |
| Absolute Return – Multi-Strategy | 12 | $2.53B | $11M | $85M | $500M | $605M | $828M |
| Absolute Return – Event Driven | 9 | $444M | $5M | $8M | -$17M | -$27M | $2M |
| Volatility – Short | 5 | $1.08B | -$25M | -$59M | -$235M | -$96M | -$639M |
| Volatility – Long | 6 | $1.42B | -$50M | -$257M | $659M | $48M | $1,916M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF (CTA) was the clear favorite among investors, single-handedly gathering $98 million in net inflows. On the redemption side, volatility-focused ETFs saw the largest exits. The ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (SVXY) and the ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) led outflows with $28 million and $22 million in withdrawals, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| CTA | Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $98M |
| DBMF | iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | $11M |
| LALT | First Trust Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF | $7M |
| CUSD | CrossingBridge Ultra-Short Duration ETF | $6M |
| FLSP | Franklin Systematic Style Premia ETF | $4M |
| Outflows | ||
| SVXY | ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -$28M |
| UVXY | ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -$22M |
| VXX | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | -$19M |
| UVIX | 2x Long VIX Futures ETF | -$7M |
| VIXY | ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | -$2M |
Issuer League Table Update
With a 31.0% market share, iM remains the largest issuer in the Alternatives space, followed by Simplify, which holds a 16.6% share. Simplify also led all issuers in weekly asset gathering, bringing in $98 million thanks to strong demand for its managed futures fund. Conversely, ProShares experienced the largest net outflows for the week, with investors pulling $52 million from its suite of volatility products.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| iM | 1 | $3.99B | 30.99% |
| Simplify | 5 | $2.13B | 16.60% |
| New York Life Investments | 2 | $1.26B | 9.80% |
| Franklin | 1 | $938M | 7.29% |
| ProShares | 6 | $823M | 6.40% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| Simplify | $98M |
| iM | $11M |
| First Trust | $9M |
| Outflows | |
| ProShares | -$52M |
| iPath | -$19M |
| Volatility Shares | -$4M |
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.
