FRANKFURT (DEUTSCHE BÖRSE AG) - May 5, 2026. Demand for equity ETFs remains robust. '85 percent of turnover is concentrated in these products,' reports Frank Mohr of Société Générale, noting an exceptionally high share. The bulk of this volume is driven by buy orders. As is customary, globally diversified index funds such as the Vanguard FTSE All-World (), which has just reached a new all-time high, remain the most popular choices.

Holger Heinrich of Baader Bank AG highlights the Xtrackers MSCI World (), which is also trading at record levels. Conversely, the trader observes selling pressure in 'more specialized or thematic approaches,' such as the Amundi MSCI World ESG Broad Transition () and the BNP Paribas Easy MSCI World SRI PAB (). Both ETFs exclusively track companies with high ESG ratings.

European ETFs Gaining Ground

U.S. index funds, including the iShares Core S&P 500 (), Xtrackers MSCI USA (), WisdomTree US Efficient Core (), and UBS S&P 500 Scored & Screened UC (), are also seeing active buying. However, the traditional dominance of these two leading categories has softened slightly, with Europe gaining momentum. 'Overall, we are seeing solid investment flows here,' Mohr explains.

This trend is primarily driven by 'exceptionally strong demand' for the Amundi CAC 40 ESG (). Heinrich notes inflows into classic benchmark indices such as the STOXX Europe 600 () and the STOXX Europe 50 (). Meanwhile, ICF Bank clients are trading the DAX, though they are increasingly positioning for a downturn via the WisdomTree DAX 3x Daily Short ETN (). The DAX has underperformed many international peer indices over the past few weeks.

Tech Funds Remain in Favor

Many technology stocks continue to significantly outperform. Interest in corresponding sector ETFs remains high, with Mohr reporting a 'distinct buying surplus.' Buy lists include the iShares MSCI World Information Technology Sector (), Xtrackers Artificial Intelligence & Big Data (), iShares Automation & Robotics (), and iShares Smart City Infrastructure (). All aforementioned index funds have recently posted strong gains.

Orlemann reports heavy buying in the Global X Hydrogen (), which has nearly quadrupled over the past year and recently climbed to its highest level since early 2023. The focus here is on companies within the hydrogen industry. Also in demand is the VanEck Quantum Computing (), which has surged 27 percent since the end of March.

Continued Strong Interest in Crude Oil ETNs

The energy sector is also seeing high trading volumes. Orlemann reports sustained buying of the WisdomTree WTI Crude Oil 2x Daily Leveraged () and the WisdomTree Brent Crude Oil (). Precious metals are also returning to focus. While the WisdomTree Physical Silver () is seeing majority buy orders, sell orders are prevailing in the Invesco Physical Gold EUR Hedged ().

ETF Trading on Xetra

Equity ETFs

World: Buy/Sell

USA: Buy

Europe: Buy

Sector ETFs

Technology: Buy

Energy: Buy

Financials: Buy/Sell

Defense: Buy/Sell

Commodity ETNs

Gold/Silver: Buy/Sell

Crude Oil: Buy/Sell

Bond ETFs

Money Market: Buy/Sell

By Thomas Koch, May 5, 2026, © Deutsche Börse AG

(Deutsche Börse AG is solely responsible for the content of this column. These contributions do not constitute a solicitation to buy or sell securities or other assets.)