U.S.-listed ETFs added more than $16.3 billion in assets in the period between Oct. 8 and Oct. 14, as investors dipped their toes back into equity funds after two weeks of sub-$10 billion inflows and a $30 billion outflow in late September.
U.S.-listed ETFs have gained $669.5 billion in assets so far in 2021, and manage a total of $6.7 trillion, according to ETF.com data provider FactSet.
Inflation, Earnings Drive Sector Inflows
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) led all ETFs in flows, with a $1.6 billion gain in assets during the period.
However, a slightly higher-than-expected inflation print in the week bolstered technology and energy funds to round out the top 10 gainers. The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) added $1.6 billion in the period, followed by the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT), with $552.6 million; the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK), with $471 million; and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE), with almost $401.4 million.
Tech stocks tend to benefit during inflationary periods since those companies aren’t as exposed to rising prices.
The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) made an appearance in the top 10, with an inflow of just under $470 million, powered primarily by double-digit positive earnings surprises at BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley.
(Use our stock finder tool to find an ETF’s allocation to a certain stock.)
However, the First Trust Capital Strength ETF (FTCS) added all of its $1.3 billion in inflows this week on Thursday. That suggests the start of a heartbeat trade that may be only a temporary boost in the week's inflows.
Corporate Bonds Keep Sliding
The Communications Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLC) led outflows on the week, with $904.2 million pulled from the fund, but $619 million of that amount was pulled in the exit of a heartbeat trade.
Two of the most popular corporate bond ETFs extended outflow slides into a second straight week, with the iShares iBoxx USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) and the SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETF (JNK) losing $637.4 million and $607.8 million, respectively.
LQD has now lost more than $2.1 billion in assets over a two-week period, while LQD has lost just shy of $1.1 billion to outflows.
For a full list of this week’s top inflows and outflows, see the tables below:
Top 10 Creations (All ETFs)
| Ticker | Name | Net Flows ($,mm) | AUM ($, mm) | AUM % Change |
| SPY | SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | 1,653.39 | 389,279.78 | 0.42% |
| QQQ | Invesco QQQ Trust | 1,640.04 | 185,848.74 | 0.88% |
| FTCS | First Trust Capital Strength ETF | 1,343.05 | 9,664.66 | 13.90% |
| TLT | iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | 569.51 | 15,420.37 | 3.69% |
| VGT | Vanguard Information Technology ETF | 522.65 | 49,953.74 | 1.05% |
| XLK | Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund | 471.00 | 44,134.07 | 1.07% |
| XLF | Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund | 469.86 | 42,415.92 | 1.11% |
| VEA | Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | 457.78 | 103,996.88 | 0.44% |
| IWN | iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF | 426.26 | 16,587.86 | 2.57% |
| XLE | Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund | 401.37 | 27,316.04 | 1.47% |
Top 10 Redemptions (All ETFs)
| Ticker | Name | Net Flows ($,mm) | AUM ($, mm) | AUM % Change |
| XLC | Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund | -904.18 | 14,616.20 | -6.19% |
| LQD | iShares iBoxx USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | -637.38 | 38,591.20 | -1.65% |
| JNK | SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETF | -607.80 | 7,877.16 | -7.72% |
| IVV | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | -607.42 | 290,492.32 | -0.21% |
| IWM | iShares Russell 2000 ETF | -534.69 | 67,938.98 | -0.79% |
| EMB | iShares JP Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF | -511.62 | 18,995.60 | -2.69% |
| QUAL | iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | -379.08 | 22,958.62 | -1.65% |
| XLB | Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund | -309.57 | 7,300.81 | -4.24% |
| GLD | SPDR Gold Trust | -132.22 | 56,412.07 | -0.23% |
| IWF | iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF | -124.94 | 72,237.98 | -0.17% |
ETF Weekly Flows By Asset Class
| Net Flows ($, mm) | AUM ($, mm) | % of AUM | |
| U.S. Equity | 10,250.66 | 3,945,157.38 | 0.26% |
| International Equity | 2,258.01 | 1,283,158.03 | 0.18% |
| U.S. Fixed Income | 2,830.91 | 1,084,436.77 | 0.26% |
| International Fixed Income | -226.03 | 148,207.23 | -0.15% |
| Commodities | 686.07 | 138,887.37 | 0.49% |
| Currency | 25.48 | 1,958.33 | 1.30% |
| Leveraged | -96.81 | 63,865.94 | -0.15% |
| Inverse | 253.30 | 13,032.90 | 1.94% |
| Asset Allocation | 56.08 | 18,699.60 | 0.30% |
| Alternatives | 266.66 | 6,955.41 | 3.83% |
| Total: | 16,304.33 | 6,704,358.96 | 0.24% |
Asset Classes (Year-to-Date)
| Net Flows ($, mm) | AUM ($, mm) | % of AUM | |
| U.S. Equity | 317,253.66 | 3,945,157.38 | 8.04% |
| International Equity | 176,386.38 | 1,283,158.03 | 13.75% |
| U.S. Fixed Income | 133,057.91 | 1,084,436.77 | 12.27% |
| International Fixed Income | 28,663.02 | 148,207.23 | 19.34% |
| Commodities | -3,391.24 | 138,887.37 | -2.44% |
| Currency | 86.80 | 1,958.33 | 4.43% |
| Leveraged | 4,259.63 | 63,865.94 | 6.67% |
| Inverse | 5,820.12 | 13,032.90 | 44.66% |
| Asset Allocation | 4,382.22 | 18,699.60 | 23.43% |
| Alternatives | 2,936.60 | 6,955.41 | 42.22% |
| Total: | 669,455.11 | 6,704,358.96 | 9.99% |
Top 10 Weekly Performers, Excluding Leverage/Inverse Funds and <1,000 Shares Traded
| Ticker | Name | Weekly Performance | Weekly Volume | AUM ($, mm) |
| URNM | North Shore Global Uranium Mining ETF | 16.09% | 1,933,855 | 807.64 |
| URA | Global X Uranium ETF | 14.02% | 8,411,179 | 1,198.86 |
| TAN | Invesco Solar ETF | 9.35% | 5,137,425 | 3,146.73 |
| HDRO | Defiance Next Gen H2 ETF | 7.58% | 118,188 | 42.80 |
| CTEX | ProShares S&P Kensho Cleantech ETF | 7.28% | 10,384 | 4.45 |
| JO | iPath Series B Bloomberg Coffee Subindex Total Return ETN | 6.23% | 360,973 | 121.33 |
| VCLO | Simplify Volt Cloud and Cybersecurity Disruption ETF | 6.06% | 40,022 | 10.48 |
| RAYS | Global X Solar ETF | 5.95% | 10,677 | 2.45 |
| CTEC | Global X CleanTech ETF | 5.77% | 198,883 | 167.91 |
| ACES | ALPS Clean Energy ETF | 5.60% | 1,179,761 | 963.39 |
Top 10 YTD Performers
| Ticker | Name | YTD Performance | Weekly Performance | AUM ($, mm) |
| BDRY | Breakwave Dry Bulk Shipping ETF | 388.70% | -4.08% | 126.69 |
| FCG | First Trust Natural Gas ETF | 108.35% | -1.25% | 505.04 |
| URNM | North Shore Global Uranium Mining ETF | 105.36% | 16.09% | 807.64 |
| UNG | United States Natural Gas Fund LP | 105.00% | -2.68% | 467.49 |
| FRAK | VanEck Unconventional Oil & Gas ETF | 104.38% | -0.67% | 18.59 |
| PXE | Invesco Dynamic Energy Exploration & Production ETF | 104.33% | -0.92% | 120.50 |
| JJT | iPath Series B Bloomberg Tin Subindex Total Return ETN | 101.77% | -1.36% | 19.31 |
| GAZ | iPath Series B Bloomberg Natural Gas Subindex Total Return ETN | 98.14% | -2.37% | 17.47 |
| PXI | Invesco DWA Energy Momentum ETF | 90.28% | -1.01% | 92.45 |
| UNL | United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund LP | 86.43% | -1.05% | 17.37 |
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.
