No Trippin’: Trump Trade Pushes PSIL, VCAR Higher

A tiny psychedelic medicine ETF and a self-driving car fund mostly invested in Tesla Inc. are the top performing exchange-traded funds over the past month, a period that’s seen surging valuations and inflows due in part to the election of Donald Trump. 

AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF (PSIL) gained 58% over the past month through Nov. 14, according to the etf.com Pulse tool, pushed higher by psychedelic therapy treatment advocate Robert Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the U.S. Health and Human Services Dept.

Also surging: Simplify Volt RoboCar Disruption and Tech ETF (VCAR), which is 76% allocated to Tesla and 5.4% to Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X Shares (TSLL), an ETF that aims to double Tesla’s share performance. Tesla has increased 49% this past month as founder Elon Musk campaigned with Donald Trump and was named co-head of the president-elect's Department of Government Efficiency task force. 

A variety of investments have soared following the Nov. 5 election that brings Trump back to the White House. Cryptocurrencies funds are among those surging thanks to Trump’s advocacy, and crypto-related funds YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF (MSTY) and First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry and Digital Economy ETF (CRPT) are the past month’s Nos. 3 and 4 performers. 

While the so-called Trump trades are handily beating the 3% or so one-month gain in the S&P 500, as measured by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), longer-term increases remain to be seen, etf.com research lead Kent Thune said. 

“Markets are moving in the short term on anticipation of looser regulation, which includes crypto, financials, and yes, psychedelics,” he said. “It’s too early to know if any of the so-called Trump trades will hold in the long term.” 

Top 10 Equity ETFs for past month through 11/14
Source: etf.com Pulse

U.S. ETFs inflows hit around $910 billion for the year, topping the previous $900 billion annual record and appear poised to top $1 trillion in new cash for the first time. 

The $7.14 million PSIL added another 2.3% as of noon Friday New York time, Nov. 15. Its biggest holding is its 12% stake in MindMed Inc., which has jumped 47% this past month. 

PSIL, Hallucinogens and RFK

Kennedy shared his enthusiasm for hallucinogens in September. 

“My mind is open to the idea of psychedelics for treatment,” he said. “People ought to have the freedom and the liberty to experiment with these hallucinogens to overcome debilitating disorders.”