ETF Flows Undeterred By Market Mania
Investors added $10 billion to U.S.-listed ETFs during the past week.
A few wobbles in the stock market didn't stop investors from adding to their ETF holdings this week. On net, almost $10 billion flowed into U.S.-listed ETFs during the week ending Thursday, Jan. 28, according to FactSet. That brings year-to-date inflows up to $65.5 billion, ahead of the $48.3 billion seen at this same time a year ago.
Investors were largely undeterred by the wild moves in GameStop, AMC and other meme stocks during the period. Fueled by immense buying by individual investors and hedge funds frantically covering their positions, those stocks dominated the financial news cycle for much of the week.
However, you wouldn't be able to tell that from this week's relatively ho-hum flows data, which suggests that things were business as usual for most investors.
About $950 million came out of U.S. equity ETFs, a modest sum. At the same time, $7.6 billion headed into international equity ETFs, including $981 million into the JPMorgan BetaBuilders Japan ETF (BBJP) and $884 million into the JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia ex-Japan ETF (BBAX).
International equity ETFs have been the most popular segment of the year so far, with a haul of $34.7 billion, triple the take of U.S. equity ETFs. Some investors consider international equities a bargain compared to U.S. equities. Up until this month, the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) hadn't hit a new high since 2018, and the iShares Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) hadn't hit a new high since 2007.
That all changed in January 2021. Perhaps this marks the start of a new bull trend in international stocks. At least some investors seem to think so.
For a full list of this week's top inflows and outflows, see the tables below:
Top 10 Creations (All ETFs)
Ticker | Name | Net Flows ($,mm) | AUM ($, mm) | AUM % Change |
SDY | SPDR S&P Dividend ETF | 1,306.88 | 18,391.59 | 7.11% |
BBJP | JPMorgan BetaBuilders Japan ETF | 980.51 | 7,389.18 | 13.27% |
BBAX | JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia ex-Japan ETF | 883.92 | 2,705.77 | 32.67% |
VTI | Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | 845.97 | 206,008.37 | 0.41% |
BND | Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | 690.83 | 70,276.21 | 0.98% |
FXR | First Trust Industrials/Producer Durables AlphaDEX Fund | 659.09 | 1,139.64 | 57.83% |
JPHY | JPMorgan High Yield Research Enhanced ETF | 528.87 | 1,023.07 | 51.69% |
AGG | iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 493.06 | 86,252.18 | 0.57% |
SPHD | Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF | 464.21 | 3,104.06 | 14.95% |
IUSB | iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF | 455.03 | 9,575.07 | 4.75% |
Top 10 Redemptions (All ETFs)
Ticker | Name | Net Flows ($,mm) | AUM ($, mm) | AUM % Change |
SPY | SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | -4,143.80 | 321,893.30 | -1.29% |
HYG | iShares iBoxx USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | -2,198.36 | 21,164.00 | -10.39% |
QUAL | iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | -1,230.65 | 19,797.52 | -6.22% |
IWM | iShares Russell 2000 ETF | -864.17 | 62,951.64 | -1.37% |
LQD | iShares iBoxx USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | -696.08 | 52,118.47 | -1.34% |
FDN | First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund | -668.08 | 10,536.58 | -6.34% |
XRT | SPDR S&P Retail ETF | -630.95 | 237.36 | -265.82% |
USMV | iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | -574.89 | 30,108.74 | -1.91% |
XLF | Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund | -574.41 | 28,484.20 | -2.02% |
GLD | SPDR Gold Trust | -555.29 | 68,998.24 | -0.80% |
ETF Weekly Flows By Asset Class
Net Flows ($, mm) | AUM ($, mm) | % of AUM | |
U.S. Equity | -946.59 | 3,142,873.46 | -0.03% |
International Equity | 7,613.14 | 1,120,609.59 | 0.68% |
U.S. Fixed Income | 3,027.07 | 980,506.70 | 0.31% |
International Fixed Income | 1,090.50 | 126,983.85 | 0.86% |
Commodities | -811.46 | 141,626.14 | -0.57% |
Currency | 0.61 | 1,998.74 | 0.03% |
Leveraged | -383.50 | 46,192.46 | -0.83% |
Inverse | 186.36 | 11,880.56 | 1.57% |
Asset Allocation | 88.75 | 13,704.60 | 0.65% |
Alternatives | 90.93 | 6,322.74 | 1.44% |
Total: | 9,955.81 | 5,592,698.84 | 0.18% |
Asset Classes (Year-to-Date)
Net Flows ($, mm) | AUM ($, mm) | % of AUM | |
U.S. Equity | 11,714.37 | 3,142,873.46 | 0.37% |
International Equity | 34,683.10 | 1,120,609.59 | 3.10% |
U.S. Fixed Income | 13,784.52 | 980,506.70 | 1.41% |
International Fixed Income | 3,842.13 | 126,983.85 | 3.03% |
Commodities | 259.65 | 141,626.14 | 0.18% |
Currency | 78.15 | 1,998.74 | 3.91% |
Leveraged | -1,293.30 | 46,192.46 | -2.80% |
Inverse | 1,485.30 | 11,880.56 | 12.50% |
Asset Allocation | 369.37 | 13,704.60 | 2.70% |
Alternatives | 621.14 | 6,322.74 | 9.82% |
Total: | 65,544.44 | 5,592,698.84 | 1.17% |
Top 10 Weekly Performers, Excluding Leverage/Inverse Funds and <1,000 Shares Traded
Ticker | Name | Weekly Performance | Weekly Volume | AUM ($, mm) |
GAMR | Wedbush ETFMG Video Game Tech ETF | 25.84% | 645,881 | 223.26 |
VIXY | ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | 23.55% | 43,463,385 | 469.78 |
VXX | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures ETN | 23.48% | 276,829,589 | 1,560.98 |
XRT | SPDR S&P Retail ETF | 21.85% | 55,426,346 | 237.36 |
PSCD | Invesco S&P SmallCap Consumer Discretionary ETF | 14.36% | 67,723 | 42.30 |
RWJ | Invesco S&P SmallCap 600 Revenue ETF | 13.50% | 249,039 | 408.54 |
XSVM | Invesco S&P SmallCap Value with Momentum ETF | 11.63% | 206,450 | 147.97 |
VXZ | iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN | 9.57% | 132,985 | 44.82 |
VIXM | ProShares VIX Mid-Term Futures ETF | 9.20% | 441,696 | 90.64 |
GAZ | iPath Series B Bloomberg Natural Gas Subindex Total Return ETN | 9.17% | 12,856 | 4.07 |
Top 10 YTD Performers
Ticker | Name | YTD Performance | Weekly Performance | AUM ($, mm) |
VFIN | Simplify Volt Fintech Disruption ETF | 6,900.00% | -2.80% | 3.59 |
POTX | Global X Cannabis ETF | 49.19% | -0.20% | 82.35 |
XRT | SPDR S&P Retail ETF | 41.84% | 21.85% | 237.36 |
GAMR | Wedbush ETFMG Video Game Tech ETF | 39.36% | 25.84% | 223.26 |
THCX | The Cannabis ETF | 35.44% | -2.25% | 92.54 |
MJ | ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF | 35.26% | -0.05% | 1,467.07 |
CNBS | Amplify Seymour Cannabis ETF | 34.15% | -1.27% | 54.92 |
PSCD | Invesco S&P SmallCap Consumer Discretionary ETF | 33.11% | 14.36% | 42.30 |
RWJ | Invesco S&P SmallCap 600 Revenue ETF | 31.86% | 13.50% | 408.54 |
MOON | Direxion Moonshot Innovators ETF | 30.64% | 6.36% | 66.28 |
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.