Weekly Channel Summary
The Buffer channel ended the week with $103.82B in total AUM spread across 558 ETFs from 24 issuers. Net inflows of $378M over the past five days extended a strong year, bringing YTD net flow to $16,658M and 1-Year net flow to $18,557M. The channel continues to see steady capital accumulation, reflecting sustained investor interest in defined-outcome strategies.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Equity-linked buffer products led the channel on a WTD basis, advancing 1.54% and bringing YTD performance to 7.73%, the strongest among all categories tracked. Crypto-linked buffer funds were the weakest performers WTD, falling 4.07%, and remain negative YTD at -11.51%, underscoring continued volatility in that niche segment. Fixed Income buffer products also declined on the week, down 2.31%, despite a positive 1-month return of 1.40%. Among individual names, BUFR stood out as a flow leader within the equity category that drove the week’s broad gains, reinforcing the dominance of equity-based buffer strategies in the channel’s overall return profile.
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The channel attracted $378M in net inflows over the past five trading days, with equity buffer funds accounting for the vast majority at $373M. Among outcome-period segments, Buffer Reset: Laddered strategies led with $84M of weekly inflows, followed closely by Semi-Annually reset funds at $83M and October-reset funds at $76M. On the other end, January-reset buffer funds saw the largest outflow at -$17M, while December-reset products also shed -$11M. Fixed Income and Commodity categories posted modest inflows of $5M and $2M respectively, while Crypto buffer funds saw a small net outflow of -$1M, consistent with their weak price performance.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | 535 | $103.61B | $373M | $2,405M | $5,910M | $16,714M | $18,570M |
| Fixed Income | 2 | $24M | $5M | $5M | $9M | -$8M | -$9M |
| Commodity | 1 | $55M | $2M | $3M | $5M | $5M | $21M |
| Crypto | 20 | $133M | -$1M | -$7M | -$32M | -$54M | -$25M |
Flows by Outcome Period / Strategy
| Outcome Period / Strategy | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | 31 | $19.93B | $84M | $637M | $1,529M | $4,716M | $5,263M |
| Buffer Reset: Semi-Annually | 10 | $1.48B | $83M | $266M | $288M | $312M | $317M |
| Buffer Reset: October | 46 | $6.97B | $76M | $954M | $1,370M | $320M | $591M |
| Buffer Reset: Quarterly | 45 | $10.08B | $71M | $313M | $1,000M | $2,989M | $3,368M |
| Buffer Reset: November | 26 | $4.32B | $63M | $305M | $140M | -$242M | $312M |
| Buffer Reset: August | 35 | $5.11B | $17M | $66M | $924M | $640M | $595M |
| Buffer Reset: July | 54 | $7.26B | $13M | $61M | $386M | $812M | $603M |
| Buffer Reset: March | 31 | $5.12B | $12M | $47M | -$79M | $515M | $693M |
| Buffer Reset: September | 40 | $6.85B | $5M | $315M | $1,749M | $991M | $879M |
| Buffer Reset: Daily | 4 | $12M | $1M | $3M | $4M | $8M | $8M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 1 | $39M | $0M | $0M | -$0M | -$3M | -$3M |
| Buffer Reset: Monthly | 2 | $2M | $0M | $0M | $2M | $2M | $2M |
| Buffer Reset: May | 34 | $4.63B | -$0M | -$292M | -$452M | $1,448M | $1,451M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 11 | $2.44B | -$1M | $27M | $100M | $472M | $556M |
| Buffer Reset: April | 45 | $5.63B | -$4M | $17M | -$51M | $629M | $641M |
| Buffer Reset: February | 25 | $4.67B | -$6M | -$58M | -$274M | $756M | $607M |
| Buffer Reset: June | 40 | $6.43B | -$9M | $29M | -$166M | $2,004M | $1,989M |
| Buffer Reset: December | 34 | $5.98B | -$11M | -$152M | -$333M | -$636M | -$78M |
| Buffer Reset: January | 44 | $6.85B | -$17M | -$132M | -$245M | $926M | $764M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) led all funds in weekly inflows at $67M, followed by Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF (BALT) with $44M and AllianzIM U.S. Equity 6 Month Floor5 Apr/Oct ETF (FLAO) at $38M. On the outflow side, FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly Dynamic Buffer ETF (FHDG) led redemptions at -$21M, followed by Innovator Laddered Allocation Buffer ETF (BUFB) at -$16M. These flow patterns suggest investors rotated within the buffer space rather than exiting the category broadly.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $67M |
| BALT | Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | $44M |
| FLAO | AllianzIM U.S. Equity 6 Month Floor5 Apr/Oct ETF | $38M |
| JAJL | Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF – 6mo Jan/Jul | $23M |
| DHDG | FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly 2.5 to 15 Buffer ETF | $21M |
| Outflows | ||
| FHDG | FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly Dynamic Buffer ETF | -$21M |
| BUFB | Innovator Laddered Allocation Buffer ETF | -$16M |
| CPRY | Calamos Russell 2000 Structured Alt Protection ETF January | -$11M |
| ZSEP | Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF – 1 Yr September | -$10M |
| QJUN | FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF – June | -$8M |
Issuer League Table Update
FT Vest remains the largest issuer in the Buffer channel with $50.48B in AUM and a 48.62% market share across 123 funds, followed by Innovator at $37.85B and 36.46% share across 162 funds. FT Vest also led weekly inflows among issuers, gathering $189M, with Innovator close behind at $113M and Allianz adding $51M. On the outflow side, Calamos posted the largest weekly redemption at -$7M, followed by Measured Risk Portfolios at -$5M. The concentration of flows among the two largest issuers highlights their continued dominance of both AUM and new capital in the buffer ETF space.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 123 | $50.48B | 48.62% |
| Innovator | 162 | $37.85B | 36.46% |
| Allianz | 60 | $6.19B | 5.96% |
| PGIM | 47 | $2.14B | 2.06% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.74B | 1.68% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Issuer | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| FT Vest | $189M |
| Innovator | $113M |
| Allianz | $51M |
| Outflows | |
| Calamos | -$7M |
| Measured Risk Portfolios | -$5M |
| KraneShares | -$3M |
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.
