ETFs Post Record $176B Inflows in October

Core Insights - Investors invested a record $175.6 billion into U.S.-listed ETFs in October, marking the largest monthly inflow in history, bringing total inflows for 2025 to $1.12 trillion, just $4 billion short of the full-year 2024 record [1] - With two months remaining in the year, inflows are projected to reach between $1.3 trillion and $1.5 trillion, surpassing last year's total [1] Inflows Across Asset Classes - U.S. equity ETFs attracted $73.1 billion, while U.S. fixed income ETFs saw inflows of $42.5 billion [2] - International equity ETFs gained $35.4 billion, international fixed income funds added $9.4 billion, and both commodities and currency ETFs received approximately $5.8 billion each [2] - The widespread inflows indicate the growing adoption of ETFs across various asset classes [2] Top Performing Funds - The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) led with $17.7 billion in inflows, raising its assets to nearly $800 billion, and has accumulated almost $104 billion this year, on track for a second consecutive year exceeding $100 billion in inflows [3] - The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) followed with $6.7 billion, and the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) added $6.3 billion, with QQQ up about 24% year-to-date due to AI-driven enthusiasm in large-cap tech stocks [4] Demand for Crypto and Commodities - The iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) attracted $4.3 billion as Bitcoin approached a record near $125,000 before retreating towards $100,000 [5] - The SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) saw inflows of $3.6 billion as gold prices surged above $4,300 an ounce, reflecting a 63% increase year-to-date before slightly declining below $4,000 [5] International Flows - The JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF (BBEU) led international flows with $4 billion in October, up about 25% for the year [6] - The iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) was the only fixed income fund in the top ten, attracting $4.1 billion as the 10-year Treasury yield briefly dipped to 3.94% before rising to 4.09% [6] Outflows from Specific Sectors - The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) experienced the largest outflows in October, losing $4.1 billion as investors rotated out of small caps [7] - The Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (SOXL) saw outflows of $2.7 billion as traders took profits following a strong performance in semiconductor stocks like Nvidia [7]