Equities Surge, Commodities Sink As ETF Investors Streamline Portfolio For 2026

Core Viewpoint - ETF investors are entering the new year with a mix of confidence and caution, showing a preference for equities and income while avoiding leverage and macro trades [1][8]. Group 1: ETF Inflows and Performance - U.S.-listed ETFs attracted $42.8 billion in inflows during the week ending Jan. 2, driven by a strong market close to 2025 [2]. - U.S. equity ETFs led the inflows, with $30.5 billion, where the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) received the highest inflow of $8.65 billion, followed by SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) with $7.75 billion and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) with $4.03 billion [3]. - The demand was primarily for broad-market funds rather than sector-specific or thematic ETFs, indicating a general bullish sentiment without high-conviction bets [4]. Group 2: Fixed-Income and Other Asset Classes - Fixed-income ETFs also saw significant interest, with U.S. bond funds attracting $6.8 billion and international fixed income adding $2 billion, reflecting a focus on yield rather than duration risk [5]. - Commodity ETFs, such as SPDR Gold Shares and abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF, experienced outflows of $686 million, while currency ETFs lost $249 million, indicating a decline in demand for inflation hedges as equity optimism rises [6]. Group 3: Risk Appetite and Trading Strategies - Higher-risk trading strategies faced notable withdrawals, with leveraged ETFs losing $919 million and inverse products seeing $447 million in outflows, suggesting a shift towards simpler investment strategies [7]. - Overall, the asset-class data indicates a market that is optimistic yet disciplined, with investors favoring equities and income while sidelining more aggressive trading strategies [8].