Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF space continues to reflect robust engagement, managing a total AUM of $78.8B across 454 funds from 20 issuers. For the past week, the channel saw net inflows of $292M, bringing the year-to-date total to $13.2B.
Over the past year, total flows have reached $14.7B, underscoring sustained investor demand for defined outcome strategies. The competitive landscape remains active, with 30 new ETFs launched in the last three months alone, broadening the toolkit available to investors.
Performance
Performance within the Buffer universe remains idiosyncratic, largely driven by the specific beta exposure of the underlying strategies. This week, the Digital Asset: Cryptocurrency – Bitcoin category posted the strongest Week-To-Date (WTD) return at 8.45%, while the Fixed Income: Taxable – Government Long category saw the softest gains, returning 0.76%.
To dig deeper into the specific return profiles and risk-adjusted metrics, we encourage you to access the full, free performance report available in the right-side panel.
Flows
Flows this week were heavily concentrated in Equity strategies, which commanded the majority of net new assets. In terms of implementation, the November outcome period was the most active, attracting significant capital. Among individual funds, BUFR took the top spot for inflows.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | # of Funds | AUM | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer – Equity | 412 | $77,976M | $292M | $878M | $3,510M | $12,835M | $14,328M |
| Buffer – Synthetic Income | 18 | $566M | $4M | $31M | $73M | $216M | $214M |
| Buffer – Commodity | 1 | $58M | $1M | $1M | ($26M) | ($11M) | $16M |
| Buffer – Fixed Income | 2 | $35M | $0M | ($24M) | ($14M) | ($16M) | ($14M) |
| Buffer – Crypto | 19 | $190M | ($5M) | $7M | $25M | $164M | $164M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: November | $156M | $469M | $848M | $524M | $801M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | $67M | $312M | $800M | $2,712M | $3,183M |
| Buffer Reset: Quarterly | $37M | $386M | $975M | $2,724M | $2,763M |
| Outflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: February | ($6M) | ($136M) | ($422M) | $924M | $831M |
| Buffer Reset: July | ($9M) | ($318M) | ($249M) | $698M | $555M |
| Buffer Reset: December | ($23M) | ($453M) | ($693M) | ($462M) | $1,307M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $47M |
| FNOV | FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – November | $32M |
| GNOV | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF -November | $30M |
| DNOV | FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – November | $25M |
| JANZ | TrueShares Structured Outcome (January) ETF | $24M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| FHDG | FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly Dynamic Buffer ETF | ($8M) |
| DJUL | FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – July | ($8M) |
| FOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – October | ($7M) |
| PJAN | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – January | ($7M) |
| UDEC | Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF – December | ($7M) |
League Tables
FT Vest remains the clear leader in the space, managing the largest asset base of $38.49B and topping the weekly flow charts with $222M in net new assets. Innovator holds the second-largest position with $29.36B in AUM, also seeing positive momentum with $37M in weekly inflows.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 115 | $38.49B | 48.82% |
| Innovator | 152 | $29.36B | 37.24% |
| Allianz | 49 | $4.85B | 6.15% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.31B | 1.66% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.22B | 1.55% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| FT Vest | $222M | $575M | $1.32B | $4.91B | $5.66B |
| Innovator | $37M | -$108M | $1.36B | $5.06B | $5.60B |
| TrueShares | $21M | $61M | $0.05B | $0.23B | $0.25B |
| Outflows | |||||
| First Trust | -$1M | $2M | $0.00B | $0.01B | $0.01B |
| Calamos | -$5M | $7M | ($0.01B) | $0.25B | $0.32B |
| Allianz | -$10M | $40M | $0.15B | $0.83B | $0.90B |
Explore the data behind the insights. This weekly recap is just the start. Access the complete, in-depth reports for FREE in the right side panel to analyze performance, track flows, and view the latest league tables.
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.
