Global markets have been into a tailspin this year on red-hot inflation and rising rate worries. The Fed has hiked interest rates this year by 300 bps so far. The European Central Bank (ECB) too embarked on the rate hike mode. The ECB has raised interest rates by 125 so far this year (read: ECB Hikes Rates: ETFs to Win/Lose).

The Bank of England hiked its key interest rate to 2.25% from 1.75% on Thursday and said it would continue to "respond forcefully, as necessary" to tame inflation, despite the economic concerns.

The Central Bank of Sweden announced a 100 basis points hike in interest rates last week saying that the inflation was too stubborn. Despite the 100-bps hike, the Riksbank is still behind its inflation target by 0.25%, which indicates further rate hikes. The Swiss central bank also hiked rates by 75 basis points to 0.5% Thursday. The move brought an end to an era of negative rates in Europe.

The S&P 500 is down about 22% this year (as of Sep 23, 2022) while iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI Quick QuoteACWI - Free Report) has added about 23.9% this year. Against this backdrop, below we highlight a few global equities ETFs that outdid the S&P 500 this year.

ETFs in Focus

WBI BullBear Yield 3000 ETF (WBIG Quick QuoteWBIG - Free Report) – Down 5.79% YTD

The WBI BullBear Yield 3000 ETF seeks long-term capital appreciation and the potential for current income, while also seeking to protect principal during unfavorable market conditions. This active cash-hedged all-cap ETF focused on value stocks with attractive dividend yields. The fund holds 60.9% of stock and 39.1% of cash. The expense ratio of WBIG is 1.25% while it yields 2.42% annually.

WBI BullBear Yield 3000 ETF (WBIF) – Down 7.76% YTD

WBIF is an active ETF focused on global small-, mid- and large-cap value stocks that pay dividends. The fund seeks to manage risk to capital while providing attractive returns and long-term growth of capital. The rigorous stock selection process targets the highest quality value stocks. The expense ratio of WBIG is 1.25% and it yields 1.52% annually.

Alpha Architect Value Momentum Trend ETF – Down 9.6% YTD

The Alpha Architect Value Momentum Trend ETF seeks long term capital appreciation while attempting to minimize market drawdowns. The strategy seeks to invest in the cheapest, highest quality value stocks that have the highest quality momentum too. The strategy’s trend-following system looks to minimize large drawdowns via trend signals. The fund charges 83 bps in fees.

Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF (INFL Quick QuoteINFL - Free Report) – Down 10.7% YTD

The Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF is an actively managed ETF that seeks long-term growth of capital in real (inflation-adjusted) terms. It seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies that are expected to benefit, either directly or indirectly, from rising prices of real assets, such as those whose revenues are expected to increase with inflation without corresponding increases in expenses. The fund charges 85 bps in fees.

IQ Hedge Macro Tracker ETF – Down 11.3% YTD

The underlying IQ Hedge Macro Index seeks to replicate the risk-adjusted return characteristics of a combination of hedge funds pursuing a macro strategy and hedge funds pursuing an emerging markets strategy. The fund charges 67 bps in fees.