When the market gets rough, advisors and investors turn to trusted sources for insights and data. VettaFi is grateful that this occurred last week. Our ETF Database platform saw a spike in traffic and many of our ETF list pages were sought out.
On Thursday, traffic to our ETF Database rose 50% from the prior week and was up over 100% year over year. Friday was even stronger. Advisors and investors have increasingly been visiting the ETF Database in 2025 after a record year for ETF flows in 2024. However, the tariff-led equity market selloff led to an acceleration in ETF educational efforts.
Let’s review some of the data and related ETFs.
Digging for Gold ETFs
The ETF Database’s list of gold ETFs had been a popular page over the last year, but on Thursday it soared and was also actively visited on Friday. The list was the most popular of the thematic pages on Thursday.
Gold has been a safe haven for decades. ETFs on the list have performed well in 2025, rising 16% as of April 5. The SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD ) is the largest of the gold ETFs, with $94 billion in assets. Meanwhile, the iShares Gold Trust Micro (IAUM ) is the least expensive, with a 0.09% fee.
Betting Against the Market
ETF Database has an array of inverse-related ETF lists that focus on ETFs which do well when the market declines. These lists saw traffic more than double on Thursday. On Friday, traffic for some of them was even stronger than it was for gold ETFs.
In the week ended April 5, the Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X ETF (SOXS ) rose 58%. Meanwhile, the broader ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ ETF (SQQQ ) was up 31%. Readers should be aware that these inverse and leveraged ETFs can quickly reverse course when the sell off ends.
Location, Location, Interest Rates
Information about Real Estate ETFs was also in demand. This sector list also saw a doubling in traffic compared to last week. Real Estate ETFs benefit from a flight to quality and lower interest rates.
However, these equity ETFs do not perform the same. The Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ ) was down 4.5% year-to-date as of April 5. Meanwhile, its peer, the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE ), declined only 3.6%.
Calling on China
While interest in China ETFs increased last Thursday, we saw a doubling of traffic to this emerging market list on Friday relative to the prior week. Chinese equity ETFs were strong performers to start 2025, but sold off last week due to the tariff battle.
The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB ) offers exposure to faster growing Internet companies in China. Meanwhile, the iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI ) is more broadly diversified.
Artificial (Un)Intelligence
Traffic across the ETF Database site is not reciprocal. Gold, inverse and real estate ETF interest soared last week, but some ETF lists did not. One example is artificial intelligence. This list has consistently been one of our most popular, but last week traffic decreased.
The list includes some targeted ETFs like the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ ) and the ROBO Global Artificial Intelligence ETF (THNQ ). However, it also includes some broader technology ETFs that benefit from the theme. These ETFs declined sharply last week.
A former colleague used to say that there’s a bull market somewhere, even when the market sells off. I’m happy to say many investors turned to VettaFi’s ETF Database to help them in their ETF educational efforts in hopes of finding one.
Gratitude to my TMX VettaFi colleague Mitchell Home, for gathering the above data.
For more news, information, and analysis, visit the China Insights Channel.
VettaFi LLC (“VettaFi”) is the index provider for THNQ, for which it receives an index licensing fee. However,THNQ is not issued, sponsored, endorsed, or sold by VettaFi, and VettaFi has no obligation or liability in connection with the issuance, administration, marketing, or trading of THNQ.
