Fastest Growing ETFs 1H 2022

Here at ETF.com, we talk a lot about asset flows into and out of ETFs. Each day, each week and each month, we put together lists of the ETFs that garner the largest inflows and the largest outflows of assets—an indication of where investors are putting their money to work. 

Most of the time, the same batch of ETFs finds itself on these lists. These funds are usually super liquid, extraordinarily cheap and have billions of dollars in assets. For example, year to date, the $241 billion Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and the $277 billion iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) have had the largest inflows, totaling $24 billion and $16.2 billion, respectively. 

No matter how you slice it, those are sizable inflows. That said, VOO and IVV aren’t necessarily the ETFs growing the fastest. 

On an absolute basis they are, but not on a percentage basis. Year-to-date inflows for the two ETFs represent an increase of 8% and 5%, respectively, over their total assets at the start of the year. Those are solid gains for such large ETFs, but nowhere close to the top of the heap. 

On a percentage basis, there are loads of ETFs that have grown much faster in 2022—ETFs that almost never make our flows lists because they are starting from a much smaller asset base. In this article, we’ll take a look at these fast-growing funds, which, in many cases, are flying under the radar of the ETF investing public at large. 

Measuring Growth 

Admittedly, it’s much easier for a small fund to register a big percentage increase in its assets. A fund with only $1 million in assets under management simply has to grow to $2 million for its assets to double. Is that noteworthy? Not really. 

How about a $1 million fund growing to $50 million? Now that could be noteworthy for some; others might not pay attention until a fund grows even larger, into the hundred-million or even the billion-dollar range. 

That’s why we’ve put together two lists: one that showcases the fastest-growing ETFs of the year no matter their starting level of assets, and another that includes ETFs that had $100 million or more in assets at the start of 2022. 

Most ETFs Shed Assets 

Before we get into the list, it’s important to note that most ETFs have shed assets this year. Inflows have been impressive in the face of all the head winds hitting the economy and markets—in the year-to-date period through June 10, investors added close to $300 billion to U.S.-listed ETFs, despite a bear market in stocks and bonds.  

Even so, price declines have overwhelmed the inflows, so total assets in ETFs have declined from $7.2 trillion at the start of the year to $6.5 trillion currently (changes in AUM reflect price movements and flows).  

In that environment, the number of ETFs that have grown their assets is quite small. Only about a quarter of funds have seen an increase in their AUM since the start of the year. 

Fastest Growing ETFs of 2022 (Starting AUM >$0)

Note: Data measures the year-to-date period through June 17 

Heady Growth From A Small Base 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first list includes smaller ETFs that grew their assets from a tiny asset base. That includes the First Trust Nasdaq Food & Beverage ETF (FTXG), which grew its AUM from $6 million to $791 million; the Mindful Conservative ETF (MFUL), which grew from $1 million to $87 million; and the AXS Astoria Inflation Sensitive ETF (PPI), which grew by $1 million to $71 million. 

Most of the other funds on the all-encompassing list also started with less than $10 million in AUM at the start of the year. However, two notable funds that started with larger bases of assets are the Dimensional National Municipal Bond ETF (DFNM) and the Teucrium Wheat Fund (WEAT). 

DFNM’s AUM nearly grew by 10 times, from $33 million to $325 million, while WEAT’s assets exploded from $76 million to $644 million. 

Fastest Growing ETFs of 2022 (Starting AUM >$100M)

Note: Data measures the year-to-date period through June 17 

Larger Starting Point 
Thus far, the ETFs we’ve looked at began the year with only a few million dollars in assets. The largest among those was WEAT, which started 2022 with $76 million in AUM. 

Next up are the ETFs that began the year with a larger asset base—$100 million or more. Naturally, the growth of assets for these funds is smaller on a percentage basis, but still extremely impressive. 

Floating rate bond ETFs, which provide steady income without the interest rate risk of traditional bonds, have been in vogue, as have ETFs that target highly profitable companies with strong cash flows—an appealing characteristic in a rising rate environment.  

The Dimensional Core Fixed Income ETF (DFCF) grew its AUM from $175 million to $838 million; the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) grew its assets from $1.3 billion to $5.8 billion; and the iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF (TFLO) grew its AUM from $342 million to $1.4 billion. 

For a full list of this year’s fastest growing ETFs, see the tables above. 

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