Weekly Channel Summary
The EQ: Specialty ETF channel currently commands $14 billion in total assets under management across 70 ETFs from 50 distinct issuers. The past week saw steady activity with $0.18 billion in net inflows, contributing to a strong year-to-date (YTD) gathering of $3.10 billion. Over the trailing 12-month period, the channel has attracted a total of $3.26 billion in new capital, reflecting sustained investor interest in specialized equity strategies.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Performance in the specialty space was modestly positive this week, with Equity: Specialty – Hedged leading the way with a 0.10% return. This category continues its strong momentum for the year, sitting at a 11.99% YTD gain. The Equity: Specialty – Long | Short category followed closely with a 0.08% weekly return, maintaining a solid 7.68% return for 2025.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity: Specialty – Hedged | 0.10% | 2.32% | 2.02% | 10.91% | 11.99% | 12.05% |
| Equity: Specialty – Long | Short | 0.08% | 1.44% | 0.17% | 5.33% | 7.68% | 7.85% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The single best-performing ETF this week was the TradersAl Large Cap Equity & Cash ETF (HFSP), which surged 2.43%. On the downside, the worst-performing funds were the Simplify VettaFi Private Credit Strategy ETF (PCR) and the Leatherback Long/Short Alternative Yield ETF (LBAY), which fell -2.69% and -2.65%, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| HFSP | TradersAl Large Cap Equity & Cash ETF | 2.43% |
| CTEF | Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | 2.19% |
| CLSE | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF | 1.61% |
| SHRT | Gotham Short Strategies ETF | 1.47% |
| MKTN | Federated Hermes MDT Market Neutral ETF | 1.10% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| PCR | Simplify VettaFi Private Credit Strategy ETF | -2.69% |
| LBAY | Leatherback Long/Short Alternative Yield ETF | -2.65% |
| CCOR | Core Alternative ETF | -1.46% |
| FORH | Formidable ETF | -1.06% |
| CBLS | Clough Hedged Equity ETF | -1.03% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The EQ: Specialty channel recorded total net flows of $166 million this week. The Equity: Specialty – Hedged category was the primary driver, attracting $146 million in new assets, bringing its total AUM to $10.1 billion. Equity: Specialty – Long | Short also saw positive momentum with $19 million in inflows, while there were no major category-level outflows reported this period.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity: Specialty – Hedged | 49 | $10.1B | $146M | $194M | $613M | $2,565M | $2,668M |
| Equity: Specialty – Long | Short | 20 | $3.8B | $19M | $101M | $203M | $529M | $585M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
Leading the pack for inflows was the Fidelity Hedged Equity ETF (FHEQ), which gathered an impressive $115 million. Conversely, the largest outflows were seen in the AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund (BTAL) with -$16 million in net withdrawals, followed by the Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF (ADME), which saw -$5 million leave the fund.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| FHEQ | Fidelity Hedged Equity ETF | $115M |
| HELO | JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF | $20M |
| ORR | Militia Long/Short Equity ETF | $18M |
| CAOS | Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | $7M |
| FTLS | First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF | $7M |
| Outflows | ||
| BTAL | AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund | -$16M |
| ADME | Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF | -$5M |
| UPSD | Aptus Large Cap Upside ETF | -$4M |
| PHEQ | Parametric Hedged Equity ETF | -$2M |
| SPUC | Simplify US Equity PLUS Upside Convexity ETF | -$1M |
Issuer League Table Update
JPMorgan and First Trust continue to dominate the EQ: Specialty landscape, holding 27.60% and 15.36% market share, respectively. In terms of weekly activity, Fidelity led the group by gathering $116 million in new assets, while AGF saw the largest outflow among notable issuers with -$16 million in redemptions.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan | 3 | $3.84B | 27.60% |
| First Trust | 1 | $2.14B | 15.36% |
| Fidelity | 2 | $0.78B | 5.58% |
| Simplify | 5 | $0.65B | 4.65% |
| Swan | 1 | $0.60B | 4.31% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| Fidelity | $116M |
| JPMorgan | $21M |
| Militia | $18M |
| Outflows | |
| AGF | -$16M |
| Aptus | -$9M |
| Parametric | -$2M |
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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.
