The 5 Most Popular Single-Stock ETFs of 2025

Investor interest in single-stock ETFs is surging in 2025. There are now 196 of these funds trading in the U.S., with total assets under management of $36.2 billion. So far this year, they’ve pulled in $13.7 billion in net inflows, underscoring the continued appetite for aggressive, high-conviction trades on popular stocks.

These ETFs typically come in three flavors: leveraged ETFs that aim to amplify returns (and losses), inverse ETFs that seek to profit when a stock falls and covered call ETFs that generate income by capping upside in exchange for option premiums.

The strategies can be compelling on paper but, as you'll see, the performance often falls short. Here are the five most popular single-stock ETFs of the year based on inflows.

Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X Shares (TSLL)

• Inflows: $4.5 billion
• YTD Return: -63%

Tesla may be down, but investor interest is anything but. The Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X Shares (TSLL), a 2x leveraged ETF tracking Tesla, has attracted more inflows than any other single-stock ETF this year. With Tesla shares off 27% year to date, some investors are betting on a comeback using TSLL. 

So far, though, that strategy has been punishing. TSLL has lost 63%, driven by Tesla’s slide and amplified by leverage. 

Tesla’s struggles stem from sagging EV sales, competition from other automakers and CEO Elon Musk’s growing political baggage, including a very public rift with President Donald Trump. Still, Tesla remains a favorite among speculators, thanks to long-term hopes for AI-driven autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots.

YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF (MSTY)

• Inflows: $4.5 billion
• YTD Return: +34%

The YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF (MSTY) uses a covered call strategy tied to Strategy Inc. (MSTR), the business software firm turned Bitcoin holding company. Under executive chairman Michael Saylor, Strategy has accumulated nearly 600,000 Bitcoins, now worth about $65 billion.

MSTY earns income by selling call options on the stock, allowing it to offer a massive distribution yield north of 75%. Of course, that figure reflects options premiums, not stable dividends. It also comes with a tradeoff: Investors cap their upside in exchange for regular income. That’s been a drag this year, with MSTY returning 34% versus 39% for MSTR stock.

YieldMax NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF (NVDY)

• Inflows: $742 million
• YTD Return: +11%

The YieldMax NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF (NVDY) follows a similar playbook to MSTY but with Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) as the underlying stock. Nvidia recently became the first company in history to reach a $4 trillion market cap, fueled by insatiable demand for its AI chips.

Despite that, the ETF has underperformed. Shares of Nvidia are up 22% this year, while NVDY has gained only 11%—another example of how options income can cap upside in a stock.

YieldMax COIN Option Income Strategy ETF (CONY)

• Inflows: $669 million
• YTD Return: +19%

Coinbase Global Inc. (COIN) has staged a major comeback this year, with shares soaring 47% to their highest levels since 2021. The crypto company has benefited from surging Bitcoin prices and growing interest in stablecoins, particularly following the IPO of Circle Internet Group Inc. (CRCL), issuer of the USDC stablecoin. 

Coinbase shares in roughly half the income from USDC reserves through its partnership with Circle, making it a direct beneficiary of the stablecoin’s growth.

Yet despite Coinbase’s rally, the YieldMax COIN Option Income Strategy ETF (CONY) has significantly lagged the stock, returning just 19% year to date. As with other YieldMax ETFs, the covered call strategy sacrifices upside in exchange for yield.

YieldMax TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF (TSLY)

• Inflows: $650 million
• YTD Return: -22%

While the aforementioned TSLL tries to turbocharge Tesla exposure, the YieldMax TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF (TSLY) takes a more conservative approach, selling call options on Tesla to generate income. Tesla’s 27% decline this year has hurt the fund, but TSLY is down only 22%, as the options premiums have helped cushion the blow.

It’s a rare case among the top single-stock ETFs where the options strategy has outperformed the underlying stock. Still, the fund hasn’t escaped the broader selloff in Tesla and remains a high-risk bet.

The Bottom Line 

The surge in flows into single-stock ETFs highlights the growing demand for speculative and income-generating strategies built around hot stocks. But investors should understand the mechanics and limitations of these products. 

Leverage cuts both ways, while covered calls limit upside. And despite the potential for short-term outperformance, single-stock ETFs often underperform the underlying stocks they’re tied to over longer time horizons.