It’s no secret that 2025 proved to be a very fortunate environment for the ETF market. After all, U.S. ETFs saw record net inflows of about $1.49 trillion that year.
Key Takeaways:
- U.S. ETFs have seen more than $700 billion in net inflows this year, as of May 13, 2026.
- Given that ETF inflows for last year were at around $1.49 trillion, 2026 is on a good pace to challenge the record.
- A number of different ETF approaches are seeing significant investor attention, highlighting the flexibility and versatility of the ETF wrapper.
However, 2026 is a different beast entirely, and as such, many have wondered if ETFs will be able to keep the momentum up. Fortunately, early evidence is implying that enthusiasm for the ETF wrapper won’t be slowing down any time soon.
As of May 13, 2026, the year has already witnessed more than $700 billion in net inflows. Despite only being halfway through May, this number puts 2026 at the fourth highest year for ETF flows, bested only by 2021, 2024, and 2025.
Following the Money
Now, the broad ETF market may be seeing compelling flows, but where is that money going? Well, there are a number of different approaches that are seeing strong investor interest.
To start, many of the traditional tried-and-true S&P 500 funds are still doing extremely well. The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY ), a household name at this point, saw $16.76 billion in net flows between April 12, 2026 and May 12, 2026.
SPY isn’t the only popular S&P 500 ETF leading the pack. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO ) likewise offers impressive fund flows, seeing net flows of $16.86 billion from April 12, 2026 through May 12, 2026.
Attention Moving Beyond the S&P 500
S&P 500 funds aren’t the only strategies that are seeing significant attention from investors. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) may be a new fund — having only launched back in early April — but its standout exposure to computer memory and storage chip companies has let it see breakneck flows out of the gate. After all, the fund has already hit $7.5 billion in assets under management, despite having launched less than two months ago.
See More: Powerhouse AI ETF DRAM Hits $6.5 Billion at Record Pace
Sectors beyond AI are also seeing significant investor interest. For instance, the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE ) has attracted strong fund flows throughout the year. Between January 1, 2026 and May 12, 2026, the fund has seen net inflows of $6.15 billion.
What all these show is that the flexible ETF wrapper is enabling a menagerie of different strategies to thrive under all this investor momentum. Given that the ETF market had already accrued more than $700 billion by May 13, the industry could very well be poised to break 2025’s record by the end of the year.
“ETF adoption has never been stronger, as advisors and investors embrace the diversification, liquidity and tax benefits,” said Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi. “Not only have broad market-cap weighted ETFs gained traction, but other more targeted products see increasing use. We’re on pace to smash last year’s net inflows with a seasonally strong fourth quarter.”
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