The exchange-traded fund (ETF) market witnessed a dynamic week ending June 27, 2025, with fintech-related ETFs emerging as top performers. As global equity markets posted broad gains, investor sentiment strengthened across sectors, particularly in technology-driven financial services. This week’s trends highlight shifting capital flows, rising liquidity, and growing institutional interest in innovation-focused financial themes.
Market Overview: Global Indices Rally
Last week, major stock indices advanced across both domestic and international markets. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.91%, closing at 3,424.23 points, with a weekly high of 3,462.75. The Shenzhen Component Index gained 3.73%, reaching 10,378.55, while the ChiNext Index surged 5.69% to close at 2,124.34—its strongest weekly performance in recent months.
Global markets mirrored this bullish momentum. In the U.S., the Nasdaq Composite climbed 4.25%, outpacing the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which rose 3.82%, and the S&P 500, up 3.44%. Across Asia-Pacific, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced 3.2%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 4.55%, reflecting strong risk appetite and optimism around technological innovation and economic recovery.
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ETF Performance: Fintech Dominates Weekly Gains
Equity ETF Market Snapshot
Equity ETFs delivered robust returns last week, with the median weekly return reaching 2.92%. Performance varied across categories:
- Size-index ETFs: The top performer was E Fund ChiNext 50 ETF, returning 6.51%.
- Sector-index ETFs: Huatai CSI All Share Software Development ETF led with an impressive 8.76% gain.
- Strategy-index ETFs: Qianhai Yuanchen CSI 500 Equal Weight ETF posted a 3.8% return.
- Style-index ETFs: ChinaAMC ChiNext Momentum Growth ETF surged 7.47%.
- Theme-based ETFs: Fintech-themed funds dominated, with ChinaAMC CSI Fintech Theme ETF leading all categories at 14.33%.
Top Gainers and Losers
The strongest-performing equity ETFs last week were heavily concentrated in the fintech and software development segments:
- ChinaAMC CSI Fintech Theme ETF: +14.33%
- CSOP CSI Fintech Theme ETF: +14.22%
- Bosera CSI Fintech Theme ETF: +13.88%
- Huatai CSI All Share Software Development ETF: +8.76%
- China Merchants CSI All Share Software ETF: +8.75%
On the downside, energy-sector ETFs faced outflows and price declines due to weaker commodity prices and profit-taking:
- Bosera CSI Oil & Gas Resources ETF: –3.31%
- YinTong CSI Oil & Gas Resources ETF: –3.23%
- Invesco CSOP National Oil & Gas ETF: –3.11%
- Fullgoal CSI Oil & Gas Resources ETF: –3.02%
- Penghua National Oil & Gas ETF: –2.82%
Liquidity and Trading Activity
Market liquidity improved significantly. Equity ETFs saw a 57.7% increase in average daily trading value and a 66.2% rise in trading volume compared to the prior week. Turnover rates edged up by 0.35 percentage points, indicating heightened investor engagement and improved market depth.
Capital Flows: A500 and Bank ETFs Attract Strong Inflows
Largest Inflows
Investors poured capital into large-cap exposure and defensive sectors:
- Huatai Bosung CSI A500 ETF: +¥32.64 billion
- CSOP CSI Banking ETF: +¥10.17 billion
- Jeshi CSI A500 ETF: +¥9.76 billion
- GF Securities CSI A500 ETF: +¥4.58 billion
- Huatai Bosung CSI Photovoltaic Industry ETF: +¥3.11 billion
The strong inflows into A500-tracking funds suggest growing appetite for diversified mid-cap exposure, while banking ETFs benefited from renewed confidence in financial stability and dividend yields.
Largest Outflows
Conversely, some large-cap and small-cap benchmark funds experienced outflows:
- E Fund CSI A500 ETF: –¥8.75 billion
- E Fund CSI 300 ETF (Initiated): –¥8.23 billion
- Nanfang CSI 500 ETF: –¥6.35 billion
- Nanfang CSI 1000 ETF: –¥6.34 billion
- Guotai CSI Full-Index Securities Company ETF: –¥5.66 billion
This rotation may reflect profit-taking after recent rallies or strategic rebalancing toward higher-growth segments like fintech.
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Financing and Short-Selling Trends
Total margin financing for equity ETFs increased slightly from ¥408.289 billion to ¥410.791 billion week-on-week. Short-selling volume rose from 2.086 billion to 2.098 billion units.
Notably:
- The most actively financed ETF was ChinaAMC SSE STAR 50 Component ETF, with ¥5.61 billion in margin purchases.
- The most heavily shorted was Tianhong CSI Full-Index Securities Company ETF, with 70 million units sold short.
These figures suggest continued speculative interest in tech-heavy and financial sector ETFs.
Market Structure: Fintech Fuels Growth in Theme-Based Funds
As of last week, there were 1,192 ETFs listed in the market:
- Equity ETFs: 969
- Bond ETFs: 29
- Money Market ETFs: 27
- Commodity ETFs: 17
- Cross-border ETFs: 150
Total assets under management (AUM) reached ¥4.27 trillion, up ¥103.87 billion from the previous week. Equity ETFs accounted for 70.5% of total AUM (¥3.01 trillion), maintaining their dominance.
Within equity ETFs:
- The largest fund-scale growth was seen in Huatai Bosung CSI A500 ETF (+¥11.53 billion).
- In the banking sector, CSOP CSI Banking ETF added ¥2.41 billion.
- ChinaAMC ChiNext Momentum Growth ETF gained ¥387 million.
- In thematic funds, Jeshi SSE STAR Chip ETF led with a ¥1.248 billion increase.
New Launches: Sector Diversification Continues
Six new ETFs launched last week, expanding access to high-growth themes:
- Huabao Hang Seng Stock Connect Innovative Drug Select ETF
- Yongying SSE STAR Composite Price Enhanced Strategy ETF
- GF Securities Hang Seng Stock Connect Technology Theme ETF
- ICBC Credit Suisse CSI Stock Connect Automotive Industry Theme ETF
- Penghua ChiNext New Energy Vehicle ETF
- Yongying CNI Free Cash Flow ETF
These launches reflect increasing institutional focus on innovation-driven sectors such as healthcare, clean energy, and AI-powered investment strategies.
Institutional Outlook: Fintech Innovation Gains Momentum
Western Securities: Focus on Fintech and Brokerage Opportunities
Western Securities emphasizes that fintech and brokerage firms are strong beta plays in rising markets. With improving risk sentiment and active trading volumes, these sectors are poised for earnings upside driven by higher commission income, asset management growth, and digital transformation.
Minsheng Securities: AI Agents Usher in a New Era
Minsheng Securities believes that AI agents are triggering a software revolution at a critical inflection point—from concept to commercialization. Financial technology stands at the forefront of this wave, supported by advancements in domestic computing power and satellite internet infrastructure now entering mass deployment.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why did fintech ETFs outperform other sectors last week?
A: Fintech ETFs benefited from strong tech sector momentum, positive institutional outlooks, and increased adoption of AI-powered financial services. Their high beta nature also amplified gains during broad market rallies.
Q: What are the risks associated with investing in theme-based ETFs like fintech?
A: Thematic ETFs often carry higher volatility due to concentration risk and sensitivity to regulatory changes or technological shifts. Investors should consider diversification and long-term trends before allocating heavily.
Q: How do A500 ETFs differ from CSI 300 or CSI 500 funds?
A: The CSI A500 index covers mid-to-small cap companies across sectors, offering broader diversification than the large-cap-focused CSI 300 or pure mid-cap CSI 500, making it attractive during growth-oriented market phases.
Q: Are inflows into banking ETFs a sign of defensive positioning?
A: Partially yes—banking ETFs offer stable dividends and exposure to economic recovery, but recent inflows may also reflect expectations of rising interest margins and improved credit quality.
Q: What does rising margin financing indicate about market sentiment?
A: Higher margin balances suggest growing investor confidence and willingness to leverage positions, typically seen during bullish phases. However, excessive leverage can increase systemic risk if markets reverse.
Q: How can investors track real-time ETF flows and performance?
A: Financial data platforms provide live updates on trading volume, net flows, holdings, and premiums/discounts to NAV—critical for timing entries and exits in fast-moving markets.
Core Keywords: Fintech ETFs, equity ETF performance, stock market trends, AI in finance, thematic investing, capital flows, market liquidity, institutional outlook.