Growth and Broad Market ETFs Attract Largest Inflows Amid Year-End Positioning

Date: December 22, 2025

Market Overview

Year-end investor activity appears to favor broad equity and growth-oriented ETFs, as inflows today totaled over $55 billion across the top 10 funds. The data suggests a preference for large-cap benchmarks and growth strategies, with the S&P 500-focused IVV leading flows despite its $757.91 billion AUM. Growth ETFs such as IVW and IUSG, which track S&P 500 Growth and U.S. Growth indices respectively, also attracted significant capital, while value strategies like IVE and IUSV saw smaller but meaningful inflows. The strong YTD performance of several growth-oriented funds—up 21% or more—may be reinforcing risk-on positioning as investors lock in gains or adjust portfolios ahead of the new year.

ETF Highlights

The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) led inflows with $34.82 billion, underscoring its role as a core benchmark holding. With $757.91 billion in assets and a YTD gain of 16.84%, the fund likely benefited from year-end portfolio rebalancing and demand for broad market exposure. The iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (IVE) added $4.78 billion, reflecting continued interest in value tilts despite its 11.68% YTD return, which lags growth peers. Conversely, the iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (IVW) attracted $3.29 billion, bolstered by its 21.81% YTD outperformance.

The VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ), both with YTD gains exceeding 20%, drew $2.87 billion and $1.16 billion respectively. QQQ’s Nasdaq-100 exposure and 21.12% YTD return may have appealed to investors seeking growth in large-cap tech. Smaller-cap strategies also saw modest inflows, including the iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) with $1.36 billion, though its 7.01% YTD gain trails broader market averages.

Notable Trends / Surprises

A clear tilt toward growth strategies emerges from today’s data, with three growth-focused ETFs (IVW, IUSG, QQQ) among the top 10 inflows. This contrasts with value ETFs, which accounted for two smaller inflows (IVE, IUSV) but significantly lower volumes. The dominance of S&P 500 benchmarks—IVV, IVE, and IVW—highlights the sector’s entrenched role in investor portfolios, while Nasdaq-100 and small-cap inflows suggest diversification efforts. The strong inflow into MOAT, despite its relatively modest $15.91 billion AUM, points to niche demand for quality-driven strategies.

Conclusion

Today’s inflows may indicate a strategic shift toward growth and broad equity exposure, potentially reflecting year-end portfolio adjustments or optimism about earnings visibility. The scale of flows into large-cap benchmarks and growth-oriented funds could point to sustained confidence in U.S. equities, while smaller value and small-cap inflows suggest cautious diversification. Investors may be positioning for a stable start to 2026, though the emphasis on growth strategies underscores ongoing sector rotation dynamics.