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| By Jim Nelson |
While stocks are pushing higher, inch by inch, there could be a driver for it outside of AI enthusiasm or easing oil prices.
According to State Street Investment Management, ETF inflows are on pace to break all records for money coming in.
Last year, ETFs saw net inflows of about $1.5 trillion.
In just the first six months of 2026, they already hit the $1 trillion mark, with some expecting the final tally for the year to hit $2.3 trillion.
Index ETFs continue to lead the way. And they may be what’s driving some of the stock market’s turnaround this year after a rough Q1.
But your typical S&P 500 ETF is not where we’re seeing the biggest growth in capital inflows.
Active ETFs, those managed rather than passively following an index, are gaining ground on traditional offerings.
These now constitute 39% of all ETF investing.2 They barely existed just a decade ago.
Tech expert Michael A. Robinson warned about some of these last month.
There is not only more money flowing into ETFs today than ever. There are more ETFs than ever before … by a wide margin.
Though, the odd single-stock or over-leveraged ETFs still make up just a small percentage of ETFs in terms of assets.
Speaking of tech, that sector saw $44.8 billion in ETF inflows in the first half of 2026, $13.4 billion of which came in just last month.
That’s a period when the Nasdaq actually fell in value.
That could signal that more specific ETFs could be one way to beat the market.
One piece of advice, however, is to check in on Weiss ETF ratings before you go shopping for one.
Your experts use the ratings to help them find you the best ones. And this week, there were a few worth highlighting.
Here’s what they found …
How to Invest in the Golden Age of Biotech
Biotechs go through long periods of time when investors ignore them. Then, there are times when they start to shine. Right now, they are radiant.
The Dow's Blind Spot (and Why the Next Pick Won't Be Mag-7)
Our ratings chief Gavin Magor dove into the recent changes in the major indices — from SpaceX’s inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 to Alphabet’s Dow adoption. What he found was that there’s a better way to invest.
The Perfect Setup for Gold’s Next Leg Higher
Gold might not have been everyone’s favorite metal over the past quarter. But Sean Brodrick says that will change … and soon.
Small-Caps Just Beat the S&P 2-to-1 — Here's Why It’s Not Over
After taking a back seat to the “trillion-dollar club” for the better part of this decade, small-caps are on the rise. Michael A. Robinson shows you where to look.
The U.S. Drone Dominance Program Will Create a Defense Tech Boom
On Monday, Ukraine showed it could strike deep into Siberia in Russia with its drones. Michael shows you why a new U.S. program seeks to match that capability and where to profit from it.
Jim Nelson
Managing Editor, Weiss Ratings Daily
