Traders Pivot to Single-Stock Bets, Pulling Cash from Broad Equity Index ETFs

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Weekly Channel Summary

The Leverage & Inverse channel encompasses 659 ETFs from 27 issuers, with total assets under management reaching $194.61 billion. This week, the channel attracted significant net inflows of $1.96 billion, a positive turn for tactical traders. However, this recent influx has not yet reversed the longer-term trend, with year-to-date flows remaining negative at -$1.28 billion and one-year redemptions totaling $8.83 billion.

This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards

Inverse Fixed Income was the only category to post a positive return this week, gaining 1.25% as interest rate sentiment shifted. In contrast, risk-on segments faced steep declines, with Crypto ETFs leading the downturn at -10.05%. Despite the weekly pullback, Single Stock and Equity ETFs remain the standout performers year-to-date, boasting impressive gains of 297.77% and 122.70%, respectively.

Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance

Inverse single-stock funds dominated the top performers list, reflecting bearish bets on specific names. Tradr 2X Short CBRS Daily ETF (CBRZ) surged by 71.95%, leading all funds for the week. On the other end of the spectrum, Defiance Daily Target 2X Long VELO ETF (VELL) experienced the largest decline, falling by 70.03%, highlighting the high-conviction nature of trading in this channel.

Ticker Fund Name WTD Performance
Top Performers
CBRZ Tradr 2X Short CBRS Daily ETF 71.95%
RKLZ Defiance Daily Target 2x Short RKLB ETF 66.67%
MSTZ T-Rex 2X Inverse MSTR Daily Target ETF 63.64%
SMST Defiance Daily Target 2x Short MSTR ETF 63.17%
IREZ Tradr 2X Short IREN Daily ETF 52.04%
Bottom Performers
VELL Defiance Daily Target 2X Long VELO ETF -70.03%
CBRX Tradr 2X Long CBRS Daily ETF -52.37%
CBRG Leverage Shares 2X Long CBRS Daily ETF -51.71%
NVTX Tradr 2X Long NVTS Daily ETF -48.05%
STLU Volatility Shares 2x Stellar ETF -47.90%

Analyzing the Weekly Flows

Leverage & Inverse ETFs saw net inflows of nearly $2.0 billion this week, driven almost entirely by a single category. Single Stock ETFs were the clear favorite, attracting a massive $3.14 billion in new assets. This strong demand was partially offset by significant withdrawals from broader market products, as Equity ETFs shed $752 million and Commodity ETFs saw outflows of $364 million.

Category Flows Summary

Category Fund Count AUM 5 Day 30 Day 90 Day YTD 1 Year
Leverage | Inverse – Single Stock 368 $45.90B $3,141M $6,948M $9,406M $13,480M $19,198M
Leverage | Inverse – Crypto 28 $2.79B $122M $351M $589M $1,436M $4,800M
Leverage | Inverse – Fixed Income 15 $3.18B -$192M -$571M -$774M -$1,451M -$2,601M
Leverage | Inverse – Commodity 22 $4.32B -$364M $3,000M $3,220M $5,506M $6,461M
Leverage | Inverse – Equity 226 $138.43B -$752M -$4,762M -$15,387M -$20,252M -$36,684M

Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow

At the fund level, flows highlighted specific thematic bets, particularly within the technology sector. Direxion Daily MU Bull 2X ETF (MUU) led all funds, gathering $770 million in new assets. In contrast, traders took profits in other popular tech plays, with Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF (SOXL) experiencing the largest weekly outflow of $994 million. ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil (SCO) also saw significant redemptions, losing $273 million.

Ticker Fund Name 5-Day Flow
Inflows
MUU Direxion Daily MU Bull 2X ETF $770M
SNXX Tradr 2X Long SNDK Daily ETF $623M
TQQQ ProShares UltraPro QQQ $510M
SPCH Leverage Shares 2X Long SPCX Daily ETF $349M
MVLL GraniteShares 2x Long MRVL Daily ETF $317M
Outflows
SOXL Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF -$994M
SCO ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil -$273M
TMF Direxion Daily 20+ Year Treasury Bull 3X ETF -$158M
KORU Direxion Daily MSCI South Korea Bull 3X ETF -$109M
SH ProShares Short S&P500 -$102M

Issuer League Table Update

The issuer landscape remains concentrated, with ProShares and Direxion commanding a combined market share of nearly 80%, holding $81.71 billion and $73.58 billion in assets, respectively. This week, Tradr led all issuers in asset gathering, attracting $759 million in net inflows. On the other hand, Direxion experienced the largest net outflows among all issuers, with investors pulling $250 million from its funds.

Top 5 Issuers by AUM

Brand Fund Count AUM AUM Market Share
ProShares 111 $81.71B 41.99%
Direxion 123 $73.58B 37.81%
GraniteShares 38 $11.69B 6.01%
Tradr 67 $8.83B 4.54%
REX Microsectors 21 $7.17B 3.68%

Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow

Brand 5-Day Flow
Inflows
Tradr $759M
GraniteShares $533M
Leverage Shares $362M
Outflows
Direxion -$250M
Cambria -$2M
AdvisorShares -$1M

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.