Defensive Posture: Volume Surges in Hedged Equity & International Value

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Macro Summary

US Markets were relatively quiet today with total volume of $297.0B (101% of 30-day average). While broad market activity was flat, we saw a distinct surge in specific corners of the market, most notably in Equity: Specialty – Hedged (164% of average activity) and Equity: Global Ex-U.S. Large Cap – Value (which fell 0.43% on the day). This targeted rotation into hedged and international value strategies suggests investors may be positioning for potential volatility or seeking relative value outside of traditional domestic growth.

Asset Class Summary

Asset Class Volume 30D Avg. % of 30D Avg.
Equity $205.3B $197.1B 104%
Fixed Income $29.5B $31.2B 94%
Commodities $8.1B $13.1B 62%
Digital Asset $9.6B $8.5B 112%
Currency $102.5M $75.1M 136%
Alternative $1.7B $1.7B 100%
Non-Traditional $42.6B $43.4B 98%
Multi-Asset $146.2M $186.3M 79%

Equity

Equity markets saw healthy engagement with total volume of $205.3B (104% of the 30-day average). The session was heavily influenced by the Equity: U.S. Small Cap – Blend category (finishing the day down 0.08%) and Equity: Global Ex-U.S. Large Cap – Value (closing down 0.43%). Activity was largely driven by heavy turnover in BDYN (closing -0.06%) and GARP (closing +0.76%), indicating a focus on both active management and quality growth factors.

High-Volume Categories (>$100M Traded)

Category Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1-Day Return
Equity: U.S. Small Cap – Blend 125% $14.4B -0.08%
Equity: Global Ex-U.S. Large Cap – Value 147% $779.2M -0.43%

High-Activity Ticker Outliers

Ticker Name Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1D Return
BDYN iShares Dynamic Equity Active ETF 1274% $124.3M -0.06%
GARP iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF 1075% $210.8M +0.76%
FFSM Fidelity Fundamental Small-Mid Cap ETF 400% $11.6M +0.41%
EIS iShares MSCI Israel ETF 351% $19.9M -0.26%
WTV WisdomTree US Value Fund of Benef Interest 312% $37.6M -0.32%
WCMI First Trust WCM International Equity ETF 308% $21.4M -0.28%
BKDV BNY Mellon Dynamic Value ETF 293% $15.8M -0.02%
VV Vanguard Large-Cap ETF 291% $229.8M +0.36%
HELO JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF 276% $57.2M +0.25%
BDVL iShares Disciplined Volatility Equity Active ETF Trust Unit 261% $13.9M -0.29%

Fixed Income

Fixed Income volume came in at $29.5B, representing 94% of the 30-day average. The session saw elevated flows in the Fixed Income: Taxable – Securitized category (down 0.11%). Turnover was largely driven by heavy turnover in XHLF (closing -0.01%) and SCHQ (closing -0.09%).

High-Volume Categories (>$100M Traded)

Category Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1-Day Return
Fixed Income: Taxable – Securitized 130% $824.5M -0.11%

High-Activity Ticker Outliers

Ticker Name Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1D Return
XHLF BondBloxx Bloomberg Six Month Target Duration US Treasury ETF 1180% $335.8M -0.01%
SCHQ Schwab Long-Term U.S. Treasury ETF 943% $171.5M -0.09%
HYDB iShares High Yield Systematic Bond ETF 660% $95.0M +0.03%
SYFI AB Short Duration High Yield ETF 564% $23.8M +0.15%
DGCB Dimensional Global Credit ETF 423% $12.3M -0.04%
CLOZ Eldridge BBB-B CLO ETF 372% $45.1M -0.04%
IBTF iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Treasury ETF 311% $32.5M +0.06%
LGOV First Trust Long Duration Opportunities ETF 307% $10.5M -0.20%
XTEN BondBloxx Bloomberg Ten Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF 279% $15.6M -0.11%
GVI iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF 277% $34.2M -0.03%

Commodities

Commodities trading was lighter than usual, with volume of $8.1B reaching just 62% of the average. While broader activity was muted, the Commodity: Multi-Sector – Broad Market category saw relative strength. Specific interest was seen in DBC (closing -0.99%).

High-Volume Categories (>$100M Traded)

Category Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1-Day Return
No categories met the high-volume criteria.

High-Activity Ticker Outliers

Ticker Name Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1D Return
DBC Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund 235% $22.1M -0.99%

Crypto

Digital Asset markets saw volume of $9.6B (112% of average), despite a broad pullback. Activity was centered in Digital Asset: Cryptocurrency – Bitcoin (down 2.91%) and Digital Asset: Cryptocurrency – Ethereum (down 5.27%), with investors remaining active amidst the price weakness.

High-Volume Categories (>$100M Traded)

Category Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1-Day Return
No categories met the high-volume criteria.

High-Activity Ticker Outliers

Ticker Name Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1D Return
No high-activity ticker outliers for this asset class.

Currencies

Currency markets saw a surge in activity, with volume reaching 136% of the average ($102.5M). This was driven entirely by the Currency category (down 0.21%), with significant action in UUP (closing +0.62%).

High-Volume Categories (>$100M Traded)

Category Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1-Day Return
Currency 136% $102.5M -0.21%

High-Activity Ticker Outliers

Ticker Name Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1D Return
UUP Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund 169% $53.7M +0.62%

Alternatives

Alternatives volume matched its average exactly (100%) at $1.67B. Activity was distributed across volatility and absolute return strategies, with no single category or ticker dominating the session’s flows.

High-Volume Categories (>$100M Traded)

Category Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1-Day Return
No categories met the high-volume criteria.

High-Activity Ticker Outliers

Ticker Name Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1D Return
No high-activity ticker outliers for this asset class.

Non-Traditional

Non-Traditional volume was $42.6B (98% of average). While no specific categories met the high-volume threshold, trading was active in Leverage and Synthetic Income themes. Outliers included FOCT (closing +0.19%) and GGLL (closing +6.01%).

High-Volume Categories (>$100M Traded)

Category Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1-Day Return
No categories met the high-volume criteria.

High-Activity Ticker Outliers

Ticker Name Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1D Return
FOCT FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – October 445% $18.8M +0.19%
GGLL Direxion Daily GOOGL Bull 2X Shares 286% $427.0M +6.01%
BUFZ FT Vest Laddered Moderate Buffer ETF 218% $7.5M +0.04%
BUCK Simplify Treasury Option Income ETF 207% $6.3M +0.04%
UDOW ProShares UltraPro Dow30 184% $664.1M +0.04%
MSTX Defiance Daily Target 2x Long MSTR ETF 183% $267.2M -18.40%
MUU Direxion Daily MU Bull 2X Shares 161% $134.6M -2.33%
BUFR FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF 158% $55.7M +0.21%
XDTE Roundhill S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF 158% $20.5M +0.86%
SPXS Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 3x Shares 155% $386.6M -1.09%

Multi-Asset

Multi-Asset volume was quiet at $146.2M (79% of average). No specific categories or tickers stood out as significant volume outliers.

High-Volume Categories (>$100M Traded)

Category Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1-Day Return
No categories met the high-volume criteria.

High-Activity Ticker Outliers

Ticker Name Activity vs ADV $ Volume 1D Return
No high-activity ticker outliers for this asset class.

Disclaimer: This AI-assisted commentary is for informational purposes only. The “High-Volume Categories” table includes categories with over $100M in volume and activity at least 125% of their 30-day average, limited to the top 5 by volume. The “High-Activity Ticker Outliers” table shows the top 10 ETFs from each asset class, sorted by the highest trading activity versus their 30-day average. All reported ETFs have AUM over $250M and an ADV greater than $2.5M.

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.