Weekly Channel Summary
The Buffer channel ended the week with $102.83B in AUM spread across 555 ETFs from 22 issuers. Net flows totaled $388M for the five-day period, bringing the year-to-date total to $15,295M and the trailing one-year figure to $17,876M. The channel continues to see steady accumulation, with weekly inflows representing a continuation of the strong demand observed throughout 2026.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Fixed Income led all categories on a WTD basis at 1.31%, a notable reversal given its deeply negative YTD (-3.76%) and 1-Year (-7.07%) returns. Equity and Crypto both posted modest WTD declines of -0.18%, though Equity remains the stronger performer over longer horizons with an 8.03% YTD gain versus Crypto’s -5.27%. Commodity was the weakest performer for the week at -1.74%, extending its negative trend across all trailing periods including a -5.96% YTD return. Among individual funds, UOCT stood out with the largest weekly inflow in the channel, reflecting continued investor interest in October-dated buffer structures despite the broader Equity category’s flat weekly performance.
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The Buffer channel attracted $388M in net inflows for the week, with Equity funds accounting for the entirety of the positive flow at $388M against AUM of $100.92B. Crypto, Commodity, and Fixed Income categories were essentially flat for the period, each registering $0M in net flow. By outcome period, Buffer Reset: Laddered strategies led inflows with $194M for the week and $4,374M YTD, followed by Buffer Reset: September funds at $93M. On the outflow side, Buffer Reset: May strategies saw the largest weekly redemption at -$122M, even as the segment retains a strong $1,623M YTD inflow figure.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | 530 | $100.92B | $388M | $1,196M | $5,524M | $15,353M | $17,905M |
| Commodity | 1 | $54M | $0M | $2M | $4M | $4M | $21M |
| Crypto | 20 | $145M | $0M | -$7M | -$37M | -$49M | -$12M |
| Fixed Income | 2 | $20M | $0M | $5M | $1M | -$13M | -$38M |
Flows by Outcome Period / Strategy
| Outcome Period / Strategy | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | 29 | $19.65B | $194M | $501M | $1,554M | $4,374M | $5,136M |
| Buffer Reset: September | 40 | $6.70B | $93M | $433M | $1,513M | $794M | $821M |
| Buffer Reset: October | 44 | $4.83B | $58M | $479M | $752M | -$200M | $453M |
| Buffer Reset: Quarterly | 44 | $9.91B | $44M | $455M | $903M | $2,780M | $3,298M |
| Buffer Reset: March | 31 | $5.09B | $21M | $9M | -$96M | $479M | $566M |
| Buffer Reset: February | 25 | $4.75B | $19M | -$39M | -$210M | $836M | $564M |
| Buffer Reset: July | 54 | $7.27B | $16M | $98M | $622M | $782M | $281M |
| Buffer Reset: April | 45 | $5.64B | $16M | -$126M | -$21M | $634M | $615M |
| Buffer Reset: August | 35 | $5.10B | $14M | $164M | $1,160M | $601M | $532M |
| Buffer Reset: January | 44 | $7.00B | $13M | -$56M | -$131M | $1,068M | $866M |
| Buffer Reset: June | 40 | $6.47B | $12M | -$34M | -$69M | $2,001M | $1,778M |
| Buffer Reset: Semi-Annually | 10 | $1.23B | $6M | $12M | $49M | $54M | $54M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 11 | $2.43B | $4M | -$402M | $86M | $457M | $581M |
| Buffer Reset: December | 34 | $6.19B | $0M | -$8M | -$163M | -$437M | $36M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 1 | $39M | $0M | -$1M | $0M | -$3M | -$3M |
| Buffer Reset: Monthly | 2 | $2M | $0M | -$0M | $2M | $2M | $2M |
| Buffer Reset: Daily | 4 | $12M | -$0M | $2M | $3M | $7M | $6M |
| Buffer Reset: November | 26 | $4.00B | -$2M | -$105M | -$185M | -$555M | $686M |
| Buffer Reset: May | 34 | $4.83B | -$122M | -$185M | -$277M | $1,623M | $1,602M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
Innovator’s UOCT led all funds in weekly inflows at $62M, followed closely by BOCT at $57M and BALT at $56M. On the outflow side, FT Vest’s GOCT saw the largest weekly redemption at -$112M, while Innovator’s BMAY followed at -$55M. The spread between the top inflow and top outflow funds highlights continued rotation within October and May dated buffer series as investors reposition around upcoming reset dates.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| UOCT | Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF – October | $62M |
| BOCT | Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – October | $57M |
| BALT | Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | $56M |
| BUFP | PGIM Laddered S&P 500 Buffer 12 ETF | $53M |
| POCT | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – October | $48M |
| Outflows | ||
| GOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – October | -$112M |
| BMAY | Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – May | -$55M |
| UMAY | Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF – May | -$52M |
| DHDG | FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly 2.5 to 15 Buffer ETF | -$39M |
| QCOC | FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Conservative Buffer ETF – October | -$30M |
Note: the following fund(s) were excluded from the flow totals above because the weekly flow exceeds 75% of the fund’s AUM and may be the result of a custom rebalance: DOCT (-$351M), FOCT (-$1,057M).
Issuer League Table Update
FT Vest remains the largest issuer in the Buffer channel with $50.03B in AUM and a 48.65% market share, followed by Innovator at $37.49B and 36.46% share. Despite FT Vest’s scale advantage, Innovator led all issuers in weekly inflows at $140M, with PGIM close behind at $123M. FT Vest still posted a positive $71M for the week, rounding out the top three inflow gatherers. On the outflow side, Corgi registered the only notable weekly redemption among issuers at -$6M, a modest figure relative to the broader channel’s positive flow trajectory.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 123 | $50.03B | 48.65% |
| Innovator | 162 | $37.49B | 36.46% |
| Allianz | 60 | $6.17B | 6.00% |
| PGIM | 47 | $2.03B | 1.97% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.73B | 1.68% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Issuer | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| Innovator | $140M |
| PGIM | $123M |
| FT Vest | $71M |
| Outflows | |
| Corgi | -$6M |
| m+ Funds | $0M |
| ARK | $0M |
For a deeper dive into these trends, access our FREE, in-depth Buffer ETF reports in the right side panel of this page.
Disclosures
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. All investments, including ETFs, involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Investors should consider their investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing.
This analysis was developed by the team at ETF Action. We leverage advanced AI tools to assist in the drafting and refinement of our content, based on our expert prompts, direction, and final review.
