Weekly Channel Summary
The Buffer ETF channel, comprising 536 funds from 19 issuers, holds $97.26 billion in total assets. This week, the channel attracted $510 million in net inflows, contributing to a year-to-date total of $10.60 billion. Over the past year, investors have allocated a net $15.58 billion to these strategies.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
Commodity was the top-performing category this week, gaining 2.84%, although it remains down 1.29% year-to-date. The vast Equity category, which holds over 99% of channel assets, rose by 1.40% for the week and is up 7.80% so far this year. On the other end of the spectrum, Fixed Income was the weakest performer with a 0.69% weekly gain, while Crypto funds posted a modest 0.83% increase but are still down 10.55% year-to-date.
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Buffer ETFs saw net inflows of $510 million, driven almost entirely by the Equity asset class which gathered $514 million. Strategies with an August reset period led the way, attracting $230 million in new assets. Laddered strategies also proved popular, pulling in $163 million, while funds with a September reset period experienced the largest outflows at $16 million.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | 513 | $97.03B | $514M | $1,672M | $4,830M | $10,633M | $15,600M |
| Commodity | 1 | $51M | $0M | $0M | $3M | -$0M | -$10M |
| Fixed Income | 2 | $18M | -$0M | -$0M | -$12M | -$14M | -$40M |
| Crypto | 20 | $163M | -$3M | -$17M | -$17M | -$22M | $32M |
Flows by Outcome Period / Strategy
| Outcome Period / Strategy | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Reset: August | 35 | $4.09B | $230M | $213M | -$10M | -$339M | $182M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | 28 | $18.19B | $163M | $498M | $1,336M | $3,114M | $4,504M |
| Buffer Reset: July | 53 | $6.80B | $73M | $758M | $956M | $349M | $1M |
| Buffer Reset: April | 45 | $5.63B | $19M | $36M | $189M | $673M | $385M |
| Buffer Reset: June | 40 | $6.59B | $18M | $277M | $2,199M | $2,130M | $1,794M |
| Buffer Reset: Quarterly | 41 | $9.07B | $17M | $272M | $983M | $1,984M | $3,091M |
| Buffer Reset: Semi-Annually | 10 | $1.19B | $13M | $17M | $47M | $20M | $57M |
| Buffer Reset: March | 31 | $5.14B | $9M | $18M | $16M | $586M | $365M |
| Buffer Reset: February | 25 | $4.93B | $4M | -$13M | -$22M | $1,054M | $481M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 11 | $2.36B | $2M | $39M | $205M | $372M | $692M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 1 | $39M | $1M | $1M | -$6M | -$3M | -$2M |
| Buffer Reset: May | 34 | $5.09B | $0M | -$22M | $836M | $1,902M | $1,738M |
| Buffer Reset: Daily | 4 | $8M | -$0M | $0M | $1M | $4M | -$16M |
| Buffer Reset: October | 44 | $5.60B | -$4M | -$73M | -$490M | -$1,020M | $616M |
| Buffer Reset: November | 26 | $4.13B | -$6M | -$115M | -$396M | -$374M | $680M |
| Buffer Reset: January | 44 | $7.06B | -$6M | -$138M | -$302M | $1,185M | $420M |
| Buffer Reset: December | 34 | $6.26B | -$6M | -$85M | -$369M | -$295M | -$224M |
| Buffer Reset: September | 30 | $5.11B | -$16M | -$28M | -$368M | -$745M | $817M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – August (PAUG) was the week’s top asset gatherer, bringing in $86 million. Following closely was the FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) with $82 million in new assets. Conversely, the Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – January (PJAN) saw the largest redemption of $21 million, followed by the AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 Aug ETF (AUGW) with outflows of $16 million.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| PAUG | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – August | $86M |
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $82M |
| ZAUG | Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF – 1 Yr August | $27M |
| DDTG | Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF | $24M |
| BUFF | Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF | $19M |
| Outflows | ||
| PJAN | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – January | -$21M |
| AUGW | AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 Aug ETF | -$16M |
| PSEP | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – September | -$14M |
| DDTN | Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF – November | -$12M |
| GSEP | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – September | -$9M |
Issuer League Table Update
The Buffer ETF market remains concentrated, with FT Vest and Innovator controlling 48.84% and 36.56% of assets, respectively. This week, FT Vest led inflows by collecting $237 million, while Innovator also saw strong demand with $216 million in new assets. Among issuers experiencing outflows, AB Funds registered the largest net redemption at $4 million.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 121 | $47.50B | 48.84% |
| Innovator | 162 | $35.56B | 36.56% |
| Allianz | 59 | $5.92B | 6.08% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.65B | 1.70% |
| PGIM | 47 | $1.64B | 1.68% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Issuer | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| FT Vest | $237M |
| Innovator | $216M |
| PGIM | $21M |
| Outflows | |
| AB Funds | -$4M |
| Pacer | -$2M |
| Allianz | -$1M |
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.
