$7.2B Flows Into Int'l Equity ETFs During Week
International equity ETFs continue to garner favor among investors in the week ending Thursday, May 11.
[Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect YTD top performers table. We are working to correct that.]
Investors continued to pile into international equity ETFs this week, helping to offset modest outflows from U.S. equity ETFs. According to the latest data from FactSet, investors added a grand total of $6.2 billion to U.S.-listed ETFs in the week ending Thursday, May 11. Year-to-date flows now stand at $177.6 billion.
On a segment-by-segment basis, international equity ETFs had the bulk of inflows, at $7.2 billion. That was followed by inflows of $525 million into U.S. fixed-income ETFs, inflows of $207 million into international fixed-income ETfs, and inflows of $40 million into commodity ETFs.
In contrast, U.S. equity ETFs had outflows for a second-straight week to the tune of $2 billion. The S&P 500 tested its all-time high near 2,400 a few times during the period, but ultimately ended the period modestly lower.
Meanwhile, the U.S. 10-year bond yield fluctuated between 2.3% and 2.4% during the week before last trading around 2.33%.
International ETFs Dominate
Out of the ETFs with the top 10 creations this week, eight of them were international equity funds. The only U.S.-focused names on the list were the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), with inflows of $313 million; and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY), with inflows of $304 million.
Outside of that, investors were focused on broad international developed-market ETFs, Europe ETFs and emerging market ETFs.
The broad international funds on the list included the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA), with inflows of $1.3 billion; the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA), with inflows of $483 million; and the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA), with inflows of $409 million.
The Europe funds that were in favor were the iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF (EZU), with creations of $837 million; and the Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK), with creations of $275 million.
Rounding out the top 10 was a pair of emerging market funds―the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) and the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO)―with inflows of $737 and $275 million, respectively.
High-Yield Bond ETF Leads Outflows
In contrast to the inflows list, the outflows list was chock-full of U.S. ETFs. The iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) was the biggest loser, with redemptions of $1.4 billion. The rival SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETF (JNK) also fell out of favor, with outflows of $295 million.
Most of the other names on the list were broad U.S. equity funds, such as the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and the iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD)―and sector funds such as the iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF (IYR) and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP).
For a full list of this week's top inflows and outflows, see the tables below:
Top 10 Creations (All ETFs)
| Ticker | Name | Net Flows ($,mm) | AUM ($, mm) | AUM % Change |
| EFA | iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | 1,323.70 | 71,978.98 | 1.87% |
| EZU | iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF | 836.51 | 11,806.60 | 7.63% |
| IEMG | iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 737.43 | 30,018.33 | 2.52% |
| IEFA | iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 483.30 | 25,217.95 | 1.95% |
| VEA | Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | 408.64 | 51,948.64 | 0.79% |
| SCZ | iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF | 377.75 | 8,061.74 | 4.92% |
| IVV | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | 312.67 | 110,779.61 | 0.28% |
| XLY | Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund | 303.56 | 12,885.97 | 2.41% |
| VWO | Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF | 275.00 | 54,027.91 | 0.51% |
| VGK | Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF | 274.70 | 13,000.76 | 2.16% |
Top 10 Redemptions (All ETFs)
| Ticker | Name | Net Flows ($,mm) | AUM ($, mm) | AUM % Change |
| HYG | iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | -1,373.54 | 17,292.77 | -7.36% |
| IWM | iShares Russell 2000 ETF | -941.42 | 38,200.04 | -2.41% |
| IWD | iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF | -373.68 | 37,004.90 | -1.00% |
| SPY | SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | -301.73 | 231,874.88 | -0.13% |
| JNK | SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETF | -295.02 | 11,213.14 | -2.56% |
| IYR | iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF | -245.57 | 4,701.88 | -4.96% |
| QQQ | PowerShares QQQ Trust | -235.22 | 50,540.78 | -0.46% |
| DIA | SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust | -230.21 | 16,107.57 | -1.41% |
| XLP | Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund | -198.23 | 8,835.30 | -2.19% |
| MDY | SPDR S&P Midcap 400 ETF Trust | -188.86 | 18,833.18 | -0.99% |
ETF Weekly Flows By Asset Class
| Net Flows ($, mm) | AUM ($, mm) | % of AUM | |
| U.S. Equity | -1,972.00 | 1,634,032.07 | -0.12% |
| International Equity | 7,208.90 | 633,793.72 | 1.14% |
| U.S. Fixed Income | 525.19 | 454,317.30 | 0.12% |
| International Fixed Income | 207.47 | 47,641.57 | 0.44% |
| Commodities | 39.57 | 62,549.12 | 0.06% |
| Currency | -30.84 | 2,767.42 | -1.11% |
| Leveraged | 91.08 | 27,141.96 | 0.34% |
| Inverse | -115.61 | 17,216.26 | -0.67% |
| Asset Allocation | 10.78 | 6,946.34 | 0.16% |
| Alternatives | 236.04 | 3,853.70 | 6.12% |
| Total: | 6,200.58 | 2,890,259.45 | 0.21% |
Top 10 Volume Surprises, Funds >$50 mm AUM
| Ticker | Name | Average Volume (30 Day) | 1 Week Average Volume | % of Average |
| FNY | First Trust Mid Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund | 23,224 | 89,246 | 384.29% |
| BSCH | Guggenheim BulletShares 2017 Corporate Bond ETF | 151,077 | 345,508 | 228.70% |
| DBEZ | Deutsche X-trackers MSCI Eurozone Hedged Equity ETF | 30,574 | 67,692 | 221.40% |
| JKK | iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF | 2,636 | 5,697 | 216.10% |
| ADRD | BLDRS Developed Markets 100 ADR Index Fund | 3,966 | 9,428 | 237.71% |
| GSLC | Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF | 109,430 | 213,353 | 194.97% |
| FVC | First Trust Dorsey Wright Dynamic Focus 5 ETF | 66,332 | 142,343 | 214.59% |
| BSCK | Guggenheim BulletShares 2020 Corporate Bond ETF | 207,339 | 383,491 | 184.96% |
| JJC | iPath Bloomberg Copper Subindex Total Return ETN | 46,818 | 76,217 | 162.79% |
| FNDF | Schwab Fundamental International Large Co. Index ETF | 412,148 | 821,268 | 199.27% |
Top 10 Weekly Performers, Excluding Leverage/Inverse Funds and <1,000 Shares Traded
| Ticker | Name | Weekly Performance | Weekly Volume | AUM ($, mm) |
| ASHS | Deutsche X-trackers Harvest CSI 500 China-A Shares Small Cap ETF | 4.88% | 44,533 | 20.05 |
| CNCR | Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF | 4.86% | 58,651 | 31.99 |
| TBLU | Tortoise Water Fund | 4.33% | 9,230 | 2.54 |
| USV | ETRACS UBS Bloomberg CMCI Silver Total Return ETN | 3.89% | 1,049 | 3.76 |
| SLIM | The Obesity ETF | 3.67% | 2,341 | 2.56 |
| CSLS | Credit Suisse X-Links Long/Short Equity ETN | 3.62% | 8,525 | 13.63 |
| CNXT | VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF | 3.55% | 31,425 | 22.65 |
| BAL | iPath Bloomberg Cotton Subindex Total Return ETN | 3.48% | 34,545 | 13.35 |
| BBH | VanEck Vectors Biotech ETF | 3.15% | 90,916 | 665.50 |
| CUPM | iPath Pure Beta Copper ETN | 3.06% | 1,551 | 0.63 |
Bottom 10 Weekly Performers, Excluding Leverage/Inverse Funds and <1,000 Shares Traded
| Ticker | Name | Weekly Performance | Weekly Volume | AUM ($, mm) |
| PSCE | PowerShares S&P SmallCap Energy Portfolio | -6.79% | 125,506 | 45.62 |
| XES | SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF | -6.59% | 2,779,808 | 292.99 |
| GAZ | iPath Bloomberg Natural Gas Subindex Total Return ETN | -6.03% | 142,785 | 4.44 |
| BRAQ | Global X Brazil Consumer ETF | -6.00% | 9,560 | 6.31 |
| XOP | SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF | -5.98% | 64,018,904 | 2,193.36 |
| NIB | iPath Bloomberg Cocoa Subindex Total Return ETN | -5.78% | 626,699 | 59.06 |
| OIL | iPath S&P GSCI Crude Oil Total Return ETN | -5.68% | 12,058,166 | 673.09 |
| CHOC | iPath Pure Beta Cocoa ETN | -5.62% | 15,838 | 5.07 |
| FXN | First Trust Energy AlphaDEX Fund | -5.59% | 3,395,993 | 345.99 |
| PXI | PowerShares DWA Energy Momentum Portfolio | -5.59% | 122,291 | 110.24 |
Bottom 10 YTD Performers
| Ticker | Name | YTD Performance | Weekly Performance | AUM ($, mm) |
| XIVH | VelocityShares VIX Short Volatility Hedged ETN | -30.72% | -0.78% | 53.68 |
| SCIN | Columbia India Small Cap ETF | -28.72% | -2.48% | 27.92 |
| SCIF | VanEck Vectors India Small-Cap Index ETF | -28.41% | -2.13% | 302.98 |
| SMIN | iShares MSCI India Small Cap ETF | -26.92% | -1.34% | 177.69 |
| EMQQ | Emerging Markets Internet & Ecommerce ETF | -26.41% | -3.02% | 62.71 |
| KWEB | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | -25.64% | -4.67% | 384.20 |
| PLND | VanEck Vectors Poland ETF | -23.45% | 1.60% | 17.69 |
| INXX | Columbia India Infrastructure ETF | -23.25% | -2.07% | 51.94 |
| EPOL | iShares MSCI Poland Capped ETF | -23.17% | 1.26% | 284.42 |
| PGJ | PowerShares Golden Dragon China Portfolio | -23.15% | -4.39% | 161.59 |
Disclaimer: All data as of 6 a.m. Eastern time the date the article is published. Data is believed to be accurate; however, transient market data is often subject to subsequent revision and correction by the exchanges.
