Weekly Channel Summary
The Buffer channel ended the week with $102.27B in AUM spread across 554 ETFs from 22 issuers. Net flows totaled $635M for the five-day period, extending a strong run that has produced $14,133M in year-to-date inflows and $17,423M over the trailing 12 months. The channel continues to see steady accumulation, with weekly inflows representing a continuation of the broader 2026 trend of growth in defined-outcome strategies.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Commodity led category performance for the week with a 0.74% gain, followed by Equity at 0.55% and Fixed Income at 0.37%, while Crypto was the lone decliner at -1.33%. Equity, which dominates the channel with 531 funds, also leads on a longer-term basis with a 9.30% YTD return and 11.53% over the trailing year. Fixed Income remains under pressure across longer horizons, down 6.82% YTD and 8.28% over one year, while Crypto has also struggled on a YTD basis at -4.87% despite its stronger 3-month showing of 8.31%. Among individual funds, POCT stood out as the top asset gatherer for the week, reflecting continued investor interest in near-term October-dated buffer resets.
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The Buffer channel drew $635M in net inflows over the trailing five days. Equity-linked buffer strategies accounted for virtually all of the activity, pulling in $633M against $101.99B in AUM, while Fixed Income added a modest $4M. Crypto-linked buffer products were the lone outflow category among asset classes, shedding $2M, a minor figure relative to the channel’s overall scale. By outcome period, the October reset cohort led all segments with $331M in weekly inflows, followed by September resets at $115M and the Laddered strategy at $105M, while the April reset cohort saw the largest outflow at -$37M.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | 530 | $101.99B | $633M | $1,234M | $5,147M | $14,189M | $17,419M |
| Fixed Income | 2 | $18M | $4M | $1M | $0M | -$13M | -$16M |
| Commodity | 1 | $53M | $0M | $0M | $3M | $2M | $18M |
| Crypto | 20 | $151M | -$2M | -$9M | -$33M | -$44M | $2M |
Flows by Outcome Period / Strategy
| Outcome Period / Strategy | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Reset: October | 46 | $6.03B | $331M | $42M | $298M | -$695M | $556M |
| Buffer Reset: September | 40 | $6.63B | $115M | $868M | $1,375M | $675M | $783M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | 29 | $19.46B | $105M | $444M | $1,399M | $4,049M | $4,922M |
| Buffer Reset: Quarterly | 43 | $9.86B | $97M | $27M | $914M | $2,660M | $3,307M |
| Buffer Reset: August | 35 | $5.10B | $57M | $245M | $1,121M | $570M | $501M |
| Buffer Reset: June | 40 | $6.52B | $10M | -$26M | $48M | $1,987M | $1,732M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 11 | $2.43B | $6M | $61M | $96M | $440M | $625M |
| Buffer Reset: March | 31 | $5.12B | $5M | $18M | -$80M | $488M | $533M |
| Buffer Reset: Semi-Annually | 10 | $1.23B | $3M | $13M | $44M | $44M | $26M |
| Buffer Reset: Daily | 4 | $10M | $0M | $0M | $2M | $6M | $1M |
| Buffer Reset: Monthly | 2 | $2M | -$1M | $2M | $2M | $2M | $2M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 1 | $39M | -$2M | -$1M | -$0M | -$4M | -$3M |
| Buffer Reset: May | 34 | $4.97B | -$3M | -$90M | -$156M | $1,741M | $1,713M |
| Buffer Reset: December | 34 | $6.18B | -$5M | -$94M | -$262M | -$473M | -$35M |
| Buffer Reset: July | 54 | $7.28B | -$7M | $141M | $1,091M | $741M | $176M |
| Buffer Reset: November | 26 | $4.02B | -$12M | -$118M | -$289M | -$547M | $774M |
| Buffer Reset: January | 44 | $7.03B | -$14M | -$64M | -$254M | $1,070M | $822M |
| Buffer Reset: February | 25 | $4.75B | -$14M | -$205M | -$247M | $817M | $485M |
| Buffer Reset: April | 44 | $5.58B | -$37M | -$37M | $17M | $561M | $501M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
Fund-level flows were led by POCT, which gathered $75M over the week, followed by ZOCT at $54M and NOCT at $52M, underscoring continued demand for October-dated and longer-duration protection structures. On the outflow side, the Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF – April (KAPR) led redemptions at -$36M, followed by the Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF – March (NMAR) at -$27M. These outflows were notably smaller in magnitude than the top inflow funds, consistent with the channel’s net positive weekly flow.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| POCT | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – October | $75M |
| ZOCT | Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF – 1 Yr October | $54M |
| NOCT | Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF- October | $52M |
| DDFG | Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF | $52M |
| BALT | Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | $46M |
| Outflows | ||
| KAPR | Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF – April | -$36M |
| NMAR | Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF – March | -$27M |
| NJUL | Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF – July | -$10M |
| PFEB | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – February | -$8M |
| PNOV | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – November | -$7M |
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: DDFA (-$51M).
Issuer League Table Update
FT Vest and Innovator remain the dominant forces in the Buffer channel, commanding 48.62% and 36.60% of total AUM, respectively, with Allianz a distant third at 6.01%. Innovator led all issuers in weekly inflows at $296M, followed closely by FT Vest at $215M and PGIM adding $38M, together accounting for the bulk of the channel’s net creations. On the outflow side, Day Hagan recorded the largest weekly redemption among issuers at -$2M, a negligible amount relative to the channel’s overall inflow momentum, with VistaShares and Measured Risk Portfolios also posting minor outflows.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 122 | $49.72B | 48.62% |
| Innovator | 162 | $37.43B | 36.60% |
| Allianz | 60 | $6.15B | 6.01% |
| PGIM | 47 | $1.89B | 1.85% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.74B | 1.70% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Issuer | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| Innovator | $296M |
| FT Vest | $215M |
| PGIM | $38M |
| Outflows | |
| Day Hagan | -$2M |
| VistaShares | -$1M |
| Measured Risk Portfolios | -$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.
