Weekly Channel Summary
The Thematic ETF channel, comprising 383 ETFs from 99 issuers, closed the week with a total of $276.2 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM). The channel experienced significant positive flows, attracting $3.15 billion over the past week. This momentum builds on strong year-to-date inflows of $37.5 billion and even more substantial inflows of $42.5 billion over the past year, indicating sustained investor interest in thematic strategies.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
This week, Precious Metals was the standout performer, leading all categories with a 4.75% week-to-date (WTD) return, contributing to an impressive 137.52% year-to-date (YTD) gain. On the other end of the spectrum, the FinTech category was the primary laggard, posting a slight decline of -0.12% for the week, though it remains a top performer year-to-date with a remarkable 50.56% return.
Category Performance Snapshot
| Category | WTD | 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precious Metals | 4.75% | 17.52% | 54.87% | 68.28% | 137.52% | 103.28% |
| Sustainability | 3.59% | 9.39% | 21.38% | 54.40% | 37.54% | 29.92% |
| Alternative Equity | 2.41% | -6.87% | -11.40% | 3.20% | -4.95% | -2.98% |
| Infrastructure | 2.15% | 3.76% | 7.80% | 25.25% | 21.22% | 15.15% |
| Health Innovation | 1.98% | 8.46% | 13.62% | 29.26% | 13.69% | 2.92% |
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | 1.36% | 2.22% | 9.04% | 40.84% | 22.87% | 28.17% |
| Natural Resources | 1.35% | 7.73% | 19.13% | 47.81% | 39.55% | 25.26% |
| Disruptive Tech | 1.16% | 2.03% | 9.63% | 45.08% | 23.68% | 30.18% |
| Industrial Revolution | 0.95% | 3.90% | 10.60% | 44.47% | 29.12% | 34.12% |
| Midstream & MLPs | 0.51% | -3.51% | -1.72% | 0.09% | 2.14% | 7.62% |
| Evolving Consumer | 0.30% | -2.16% | 12.39% | 34.19% | 22.42% | 18.07% |
| FinTech | -0.12% | 9.30% | 22.44% | 108.52% | 50.56% | 67.71% |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by Weekly Performance
The top-performing ETF this week was the ProShares S&P Kensho Cleantech ETF (CTEX), which surged by 10.62%. On the flip side, the Tema International Defense Innovation ETF (GDFN) and the First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry & Digital Economy ETF (CRPT) were the biggest laggards, with returns of -6.75% and -6.15% respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Top Performers | ||
| CTEX | ProShares S&P Kensho Cleantech ETF | 10.62% |
| IBAT | iShares Energy Storage & Materials ETF | 8.77% |
| CNRG | SPDR S&P Kensho Clean Power ETF | 8.71% |
| SIMS | SPDR S&P Kensho Intelligent Structures ETF | 8.37% |
| SURI | Simplify Propel Opportunities ETF | 8.09% |
| Bottom Performers | ||
| GDFN | Tema International Defense Innovation ETF | -6.75% |
| CRPT | First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry & Digital Economy ETF | -6.15% |
| JEDI | Defiance Drone and Modern Warfare ETF | -4.95% |
| SHLD | Global X Defense Tech ETF | -4.67% |
| YOLO | AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF | -4.25% |
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The Thematic channel saw total net inflows of $3.15 billion this week, with every major category attracting new assets. The Natural Resources category led the pack, gathering $751 million in new capital, bringing its total AUM to $42.5 billion. Disruptive Tech also saw very strong interest, pulling in $738 million. With no categories experiencing net outflows, investor sentiment across the thematic landscape was broadly positive.
Category Flows Summary
| Category | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Resources | 54 | $42.5B | $751M | $2,899M | $3,780M | $2,643M | $3,586M |
| Disruptive Tech | 59 | $51.4B | $738M | $6,569M | $9,690M | $16,436M | $18,599M |
| Evolving Consumer | 45 | $17.9B | $564M | ($40M) | $1,374M | $797M | $351M |
| Infrastructure | 38 | $38.5B | $493M | $1,549M | $4,071M | $6,884M | $9,676M |
| Thematic – Multi-Sector | 39 | $25.8B | $195M | ($447M) | $1,370M | $5,924M | $5,325M |
| Industrial Revolution | 34 | $15.5B | $135M | $1,794M | $2,557M | $4,663M | $4,622M |
| FinTech | 24 | $6.6B | $125M | ($79M) | $590M | $535M | $831M |
| Precious Metals | 14 | $46.9B | $80M | $1,068M | $1,551M | ($2,097M) | ($2,635M) |
| Sustainability | 27 | $6.1B | $43M | $241M | $338M | ($235M) | ($714M) |
| Health Innovation | 25 | $2.3B | $15M | $53M | $17M | ($66M) | ($221M) |
| Midstream & MLPs | 16 | $20.5B | $12M | $5M | $343M | $1,407M | $2,251M |
| Alternative Equity | 8 | $2.2B | $0M | $72M | $214M | $660M | $873M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund (FDN) was the clear inflows leader this week, pulling in an impressive $535 million. On the other side of the ledger, the iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) and the ERShares Private-Public Crossover ETF (XOVR) experienced the largest outflows, shedding $106 million and $43 million, respectively.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| FDN | First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund | $535M |
| NLR | VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF | $245M |
| REMX | VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF | $222M |
| GRID | First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart GRID Infrastructure Index | $199M |
| BAI | iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF | $198M |
| Outflows | ||
| ITB | iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF | -$106M |
| XOVR | ERShares Private-Public Crossover ETF | -$43M |
| ARKE | ARK Fintech Innovation ETF | -$31M |
| GDX | VanEck Gold Miners ETF | -$28M |
| ARKW | ARK Next Generation Internet ETF | -$26M |
Issuer League Table Update
The issuer landscape remains concentrated, with Global X (17.41%) and VanEck (15.76%) maintaining their positions as the top two issuers by market share. In terms of weekly flows, First Trust was the standout, attracting an impressive $952 million in new assets. Among the top issuers, Invesco experienced the largest outflows for the week, with a modest net redemption of $31 million.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Brand | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global X | 35 | $48.08B | 17.41% |
| VanEck | 18 | $43.53B | 15.76% |
| iShares | 33 | $43.14B | 15.62% |
| First Trust | 29 | $40.28B | 14.58% |
| ARK | 7 | $15.72B | 5.69% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Brand | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| First Trust | $952M |
| VanEck | $513M |
| Global X | $431M |
| Outflows | |
| ERShares | -$43M |
| Invesco | -$31M |
| Emerald | -$10M |
For a deeper dive into these trends, access our FREE, in-depth Thematic 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.
