The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has stagnated over the past month, falling over 3%.
However, some pockets are gaining strong momentum.
There are several themes and sectors capturing strong tailwinds in the back half of 2026.
Here are some ASX ETFs ignoring the broader market downturn and charging ahead.
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Cybersecurity ASX ETFs
One theme that is outperforming right now is cybersecurity.
The strong rise in cybersecurity-related stocks over the past six months reflects a broader shift in how investors view the impact of AI on the sector.
Initially, there were concerns that AI would make cybersecurity less valuable by automating vulnerability detection and reducing the need for traditional security solutions.
However, the market has increasingly recognised that AI is also making cyberattacks more sophisticated, scalable and difficult to defend against, creating greater demand for cybersecurity products and services.
The rapid adoption of AI, cloud computing and digital infrastructure is expanding the potential attack surface for businesses, while growing cyber threats are encouraging companies and governments to increase security spending.
This has strengthened expectations for long-term revenue and earnings growth across the cybersecurity industry, particularly among leading providers, and has driven a significant re-rating of the sector.
Two beneficiaries of this trend are BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) and Global X Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: BUGG).
These funds have risen by 37% and 47% in the last 6 months and could be set up for long-term success if these tailwinds continue.
Global healthcare and biotech ASX ETFs
The healthcare and biotechnology sector has benefited from a combination of strong innovation, improving investor sentiment and the potential for significant new markets.
Advances in areas such as obesity treatments, oncology, gene therapy and precision medicine are creating opportunities for companies to develop new therapies with very large commercial markets, while the rapid adoption of AI in drug discovery and clinical development is raising expectations that medicines can be developed more efficiently.
These tailwinds have benefited ASX ETFs BetaShares Global Healthcare ETF – Currency Hedged (ASX: DRUG) and Global X S&P Biotech ETF (ASX: CURE).
Both have enjoyed significant momentum in recent months, and could be top buys heading into the back part of 2026.
Gaming and Esports
After a rough first 6 months of the year, another ASX ETF harnessing strong momentum is Betashares Video Games And Esports ETF (ASX: GAME).
It has risen 13% since late July thanks to renewed investor confidence in the long-term growth of interactive entertainment.
The industry continues to benefit from the shift towards digital distribution, recurring revenue through subscriptions and in-game purchases, and the growing global audience for gaming, while major new game releases can create significant bursts of revenue and engagement.
At the same time, the sector is increasingly benefiting from advances in AI, which have the potential to reduce development costs, improve game creation and enable more personalised and dynamic gaming experiences.
