Record ETF inflows and the SpaceX leveraged ETF launch headlined this week’s ETF Prime. Host Nate Geraci welcomed Kirsten Chang, senior industry analyst at VettaFi, for a mid-year checkup, followed by Paul Marino of Themes ETFs.
Key Takeaways:
- U.S. ETF inflows topped $1 trillion at mid-year at a pace of $8 to $9 billion per day.
- DRAM became the most successful ETF launch in history, crossing $25 billion in roughly three months.
- Active ETFs accounted for 80% of new launches in the first half, extending 74 straight months of inflows.
The first half of 2026 delivered a string of milestones. U.S. ETF assets reached roughly $15.5 trillion, with ETF inflows eclipsing $1 trillion at the halfway point at a rate of $8 to $9 billion per day. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) also became the most successful ETF launch in history, crossing $25 billion in roughly three months.
See more: The Q2 Flowdown: ETFs Smash Records to Start Summer
Active strategies dominated product development, with 80% of new ETF launches in the first half carrying an active mandate and 74 consecutive months of active ETF inflows now on the books. Fixed income was a quiet standout, with inflows running roughly 60% ahead of last year’s record pace, and nearly 40% going to active managers.
Drawing on polling data from VettaFi’s midyear Market Outlook Symposium, Chang outlined how advisors are positioning for the second half. About 30% of respondents plan to increase equity exposure while reducing fixed income. Chang noted that roughly one in five advisors is actively shopping outside the traditional 60/40 framework, adding alternatives, commodities, or real assets.
On thematic preferences, AI topped the list at 76% of respondents, followed by robotics at 61%. Chang said the robotics number reflects a rotation from software-focused AI toward physical, hardware-driven automation. Advisors also showed strong appetite for small and midcap equities, which ranked first among planned equity additions at 39%.
SpaceX ETFs Break Trading Records
Paul Marino, chief revenue officer at Themes ETFs, also joined to discuss the Leverage Shares 2X Long SpaceX Daily ETF (SPCH) and Leverage Shares 2X Short SpaceX Daily ETF (SSPC). SPCH set the record for the biggest first week of trading in ETF history, topping $4 billion in volume over just four trading days.
Marino stressed that these products reset daily and function as trading vehicles, not buy-and-hold instruments. In choppy markets, that daily reset can decay returns over time. He urged investors to size positions carefully, know their exit points, and use stop-losses before trading.
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