Value ETFs pulled in $15.4 billion during February while growth strategies hemorrhaged $743 million, marking one of the sharpest reversals in investor sentiment since the post-pandemic rally began, according to State Street Global Advisors.
Three of the largest value ETFs captured the bulk of these flows. The Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) led with $2.71 billion in monthly inflows, followed by the State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF (SPYV) at $89.54 million and the iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) at $301.54 million, according to ETF Database.
The shift signals a change in market leadership after years of growth and technology dominance. Cyclical sectors that anchor value indexes posted an average 20% year-to-date return through February. That vastly outpaced the technology sector’s 6% decline over the same period, according to the State Street report.
The size of February’s flows suggests advisors are doing more than testing value strategies with small allocations. They appear to be making deliberate portfolio shifts, giving cyclical and value-oriented sectors a more central role after years on the sidelines.
The rotation extends beyond simple style preferences. Non-U.S. equity ETFs, which often carry value tilts relative to U.S. markets, captured 51% of all equity flows in February despite representing only 21% of the market, according to State Street. International developed markets, emerging markets, and single-country funds all hit record three-month flow levels.
VTV’s dominance reflects both its scale and cost advantage. With $171.4 billion in assets and a 0.03% expense ratio, the fund has attracted $12.6 billion over the past year, according to ETF Database. The fund delivered a 21.1% return over that period.
VLUE offered stronger performance with a 42.7% one-year return, with a higher 0.15% expense ratio and smaller $10.1 billion asset base, according to ETF Database. The fund tracks the MSCI USA Enhanced Value Index.
SPYV sits between the two, with a 0.04% expense ratio and $32.9 billion in assets, having gathered $3.86 billion over the past year with a 16.8% return, according to ETF Database.
Cyclicals Drive the Shift
The rotation has concentrated in three sectors. Energy, materials, and industrials combined for $8.5 billion in February inflows, more than offsetting $5 billion in outflows from financials, according to State Street.
These three cyclical sectors now account for 65% of all sector flows in 2026, far above their 47% market share of sector assets, according to the report. This overweight positioning suggests advisors are making deliberate allocation changes rather than marginal adjustments.
Energy ETFs alone pulled in $3.36 billion during February. They have gathered $7.59 billion year-to-date. That translates to a 12.41% flow rate relative to assets under management, according to State Street. Materials added $1.35 billion in February with $7.76 billion year-to-date, while industrials brought in $3.85 billion for the month.
Geopolitical Catalysts Add Momentum
The conflict that began in Iran during late February adds another dimension to the value case. State Street’s report anticipates continued interest in aerospace & defense and oil & gas sectors as energy supply disruptions and rising defense budgets drive fundamentals.
Inflation-linked bond ETFs attracted $1.8 billion in February. They have pulled in $11 billion over the past 12 months, according to the report. The flows suggest advisors are positioning for persistent inflation pressures that could intensify with Middle East supply disruptions.
Monetary easing combined with stubborn inflation readings may create an environment where near-term earnings from cyclical companies matter more than long-term growth projections.
Small-cap ETFs, another segment that skews toward value characteristics, rebounded with $5 billion in February inflows after a year of outflows, according to State Street. The Russell 2000 Index has outperformed large-caps by 6.2 percentage points over the past year, despite trailing on flows until recently.
Questions About Sustainability
The February data represents only two months of a potential multi-year rotation. Value’s 2026 outperformance follows years of underperformance, during which many advisors reduced or eliminated value tilts from model portfolios.
Fixed income flows paint a different picture. Long-term government bond ETFs experienced outflows during February as investors moved to short-term and intermediate-term bonds, according to State Street. The change suggests concerns about duration risk that could eventually extend to long-duration growth stocks.
High-yield corporate bond ETFs and bank loans posted combined outflows of $220 million in February as credit concerns around AI and software companies created volatility, according to the report. The credit market pullback stands in contrast to the cyclical equity enthusiasm.
The State Street report frames the current environment as one requiring “resilient, balanced” portfolios rather than wholesale shifts. Cyclical sectors delivered 20% returns to start 2026. However, those gains followed the technology sector’s extended rally, which saw the Magnificent Seven stocks drive most market returns through 2024 and 2025.
Sector ETFs as a category hit a record $10 billion in February inflows. They have gathered $19 billion through the first two months of 2026. That’s their strongest start to a year on record, according to State Street. The granular positioning suggests advisors are making targeted bets on specific cyclical exposures rather than broad value allocations.
Originally published on Advisor Perspectives
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