Media Release
Equities and gold drive strongest start to the year for Australian ETFs
11 February 2026
The Australian Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) market has seen its strongest start to the year on record with investors pouring $5.3 billion into ETFs in January.
The latest Global X ETF Market Scoop, released today, shows global equities remain the most popular ETF category with $815 million in flows in the first month of 2026. Australian shares attracted $668 million, followed by gold ($326 million) and US shares ($309 million).
Silver was the top performer in January, with the Global X Physical Silver Structured ETF (ETPMAG) delivering a 36.4% return to becoming the best performing ETF in the country so far this year. ETPMAG is also the best performing ETF over the past 12 months with a total return of $189.3%.
“Investors piled into hard assets on persistent supply tightness and fear of missing out, only to see prices whipsaw lower in bouts of profit-taking and leverage unwinds that briefly exposed how stretched positioning had become,” said Marc Jocum, Senior Product and Investment Strategist at Global X ETFs Australia.
January saw record trading activity in precious metals ETFs, with gold and silver ETFs collectively seeing $2.4 billion traded value for the month. ETPMAG remained the most traded ETF on the Australian market year-to-date - a title that is normally reserved for traditional share market ETFs.
Renewable Energy ETF flows surge on copper demand
January was the second consecutive record-breaking month for Renewable Energy ETFs, with approximately $200 million invested into materials underpinning decarbonisation and electrification.
“Copper led the charge, with Australia’s only copper mining ETF (WIRE) attracting $104 million in flows over the month, making it one of the most popular ETFs in the Australian market,” Mr Jocum said.
“That momentum was echoed across the broader energy transition complex, with rare earths and critical minerals ETFs drawing around $40 million in flows, while uranium miners attracted a further $48 million.”
Best Performing ETFs (industry wide) in January 2026
Monthly Returns
- ETPMAG, Global X Physical Silver Structured, 36.4%.
- URNM, Betashares Global Uranium ETF, 33.7%.
- HGEN, Global X Hydrogen ETF, 24.8%.
- ATOM, Global X Uranium ETF, 24.3%.
- IKO, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, 21.3%.
Most popular Global X ETFs in January 2026
Monthly Flows
For All Media Queries
Please contact James Mitchell, Global X Australia | +61 413 619 034 | james.mitchell@globalxetfs.com.au
About Global X ETFs Australia
Global X ETFs Australia is a leading ETF provider with a growing range of cost-effective and innovation-led products which are built to help Australian investors achieve their investment outcomes by providing access to a successful pool of ETFs across thematics, income, commodities, digital assets and more. Global X Australia’s nuanced understanding of the local market is backed by international resources and expertise to deliver a beyond ordinary experience for all stakeholders.
About Global X ETFs
Global X ETFs was founded in 2008. For more than a decade, our mission has been empowering investors with unexplored and intelligent solutions. Our product lineup features almost 400 ETF strategies worldwide and over US$132 billion in assets under management1. While we are distinguished for our Thematic Growth, Income, and International Access ETFs, we also offer Core, Commodity, and Alpha funds to suit a wide range of investment objectives.
Global X is a member of Mirae Asset Financial Group, a global leader in financial services, with more than US$754 billion in assets under management worldwide2. Mirae Asset has an extensive global ETF platform ranging across the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam with over US$198 billion in assets under management.3
1. Assets under management as at November 2025, Global X
2 Assets under management as at September 2025, Mirae Asset Financial Group
3 Assets under management as at November 2025, Mirae Asset Global Investments
Disclaimer
Issued by Global X Management (AUS) Limited (‘Global X’) (AFSL 466778, ACN 150 433 828). Global X Physical Gold (GOLD), Silver (ETPMAG), Platinum (ETPMPT), Palladium (ETPMPD) and Precious Metals Basket (ETPMPM) are issued by Global X Metal Securities Australia Limited, a corporate authorised representative (CAR No: 001274650) under Global X. This is general information only and not personal advice. This communication doesn't consider your personal circumstances or needs. Investors should consider whether these products are appropriate for them, obtain financial advice and read the product disclosure statement (PDS), prospectus (as applicable) and target market determination (TMD) before making investment decisions. All PDSs, prospectuses and TMDs are available on our website: www.globalxetfs.com.au. Investment in any products are subject to risks, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. This content may not be reproduced, distributed or published by any recipient for any purpose. Global X nor any of its affiliates make any warranty as to the accuracy of any data used or displayed in this communication or to the performance of any product.