Weekly Inflows Total A Monster $24B Thanks To 'SPY'

Huge inflows into U.S. equity ETFs―and one ETF in particular―pushed weekly inflows to a monster $23.5 billion. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) alone pulled in $12.6 billion in the week ending Thursday, March 2, according to FactSet. The latest wave of cash into ETFs means that year-to-date inflows now stand at a stunning $101.7 billion.

SPY's big weekly haul made up most of the flows into U.S. equity ETFs, which had net creations of $18.2 billion in the period. The S&P 500 relentlessly rallied all week long, hitting a record high of 2,401 on Thursday before pulling back modestly. The index is already up close to 7% for the year after just two short months.

Other ETF segments to see inflows during the week were international equity, with $1.7 billion; U.S. fixed income, with $2.9 billion; international fixed income, with $300 million; and commodities, with $158 million.

Winners Other Than 'SPY'
Though SPY was far and away the inflows leader for the week, there were a few other noteworthy ETFs to make the top 10. The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) had creations of $615 million, which translates to a 7.2% increase in its assets under management.

On the international front, the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) garnered inflows of $723 million. International stocks have largely been overshadowed by their U.S. counterparts so far this year, but IEFA returned a respectable 5.5% to-date in 2017.

Meanwhile, the Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund (VCSH) and the iShares TIPS Bond ETF (TIP) were a pair of fixed-income ETFs to make the inflows list, with creations of around $288 million each. 

Outflows From Treasury & Volatility ETFs
On the outflows side, the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) saw redemptions of $412 million, equaling a 7.4% drop in its AUM. Treasurys sold off and interest rates spiked significantly this week, with the 10-year yield jumping from 2.3% to 2.5% in the period.

The iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) was another flows loser this week. It had redemptions of $217 million, equaling a drop of 16.6% in its assets under management.

A few sector and industry funds to fall out of favor were the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK), the iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) and the iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (IHI). Outflows from the funds ranged from $135 million to $155 million. 

Finally, two single-country ETFs also made the outflows list. The iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF (EWW) and the iShares MSCI Canada ETF (EWC) saw outflows of around $150 million each.

For a full list of this week's top inflows and outflows, see the tables below:

Top 10 Creations (All ETFs)

Top 10 Redemptions (All ETFs)

ETF Weekly Flows By Asset Class

Top 10 Volume Surprises, Funds >$50 mm AUM

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.