Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF landscape continues to hold a significant position in the market with total Assets Under Management (AUM) reaching $82,194 million across 457 ETFs and 20 distinct issuers. Net flows for the past week totaled $240 million, contributing to a year-to-date total of $711 million.
Over the past year, total flows have reached $14,113 million, reflecting a robust growth trend in the segment as investors seek defined outcome strategies. Market expansion remains steady, with 16 new ETFs launched in the last three months alone, providing further diversification options for risk-conscious portfolios.
Performance
Performance across the Buffer ETF channel remains idiosyncratic, largely driven by the specific mechanics of each fund’s outcome period and its underlying security exposure. For the current week, Digital Asset: Cryptocurrency – Bitcoin led the way with a strong Week-to-Date (WTD) return of 5.26%, while Commodity: Focused – Precious Metals also showed strength at 3.96%. Conversely, Equity: U.S. Large Cap – Growth was the weakest performer, posting a WTD return of -1.19%.
Underlying asset performance remains the primary driver of these results, though the buffer levels provide the intended downside protection or capped upside depending on the specific fund selection. For a deeper dive into specific risk-adjusted metrics, we encourage readers to access the full, free performance report in the right-side panel.
Flows
Flow activity this week was dominated by Equity-linked buffer strategies, which captured $229 million in net new money. The most active outcome period was the January reset cycle, seeing $145 million in inflows, while PJAN emerged as the top individual fund flow leader with $51 million in weekly gains.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | # of Funds | AUM | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer – Equity | 417 | $81,267M | $229M | $1,125M | $2,283M | $663M | $13,669M |
| Buffer – Synthetic Income | 18 | $626M | $12M | $54M | $100M | $48M | $270M |
| Buffer – Crypto | 19 | $214M | -$1M | $11M | $42M | $1M | $189M |
| Buffer – Commodity | 1 | $56M | $0M | $7M | $18M | $1M | $4M |
| Buffer – Fixed Income | 2 | $32M | $0M | -$2M | -$16M | -$1M | -$19M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: January | $145M | $601M | $556M | $779M | $706M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | $84M | $430M | $1,058M | $219M | $3,241M |
| Buffer Reset: December | $46M | $494M | $696M | $206M | $286M |
| Outflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: July | -$42M | -$168M | -$670M | -$122M | $481M |
| Buffer Reset: February | -$24M | -$126M | -$355M | -$38M | $791M |
| Buffer Reset: March | -$13M | -$24M | $25M | -$35M | $563M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| PJAN | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – January | $51M |
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $26M |
| BALT | Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | $22M |
| BUFM | AB Moderate Buffer ETF | $20M |
| BUFD | FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF | $18M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| PJUL | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – July | -$18M |
| GJUL | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – July | -$16M |
| SQMX | FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly Max Buffer ETF | -$15M |
| YMAR | FT Vest International Equity Moderate Buffer | -$10M |
| FEBM | FT Vest US Equity Max Buffer ETF-February | -$9M |
League Tables
The competitive landscape remains top-heavy, with FT Vest and Innovator maintaining their dominance, accounting for nearly 86% of total market share. Both issuers tied for the lead in weekly flows, each attracting $91 million in net new assets, while Allianz remains a firm third with over $5 billion in AUM.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 115 | $40.13B | 48.75% |
| Innovator | 158 | $30.45B | 36.99% |
| Allianz | 49 | $5.06B | 6.15% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.39B | 1.69% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.25B | 1.52% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| FT Vest | $91M | $707M | $0.29B | $0.19B | $5.60B |
| Innovator | $91M | $405M | $1.09B | $0.39B | $5.05B |
| AB Funds | $26M | $42M | $0.11B | $0.56B | $0.02B |
| Outflows | |||||
| Calamos | -$2M | -$4M | $0.00B | -($0.01B) | $0.22B |
| Goldman Sachs | -$2M | -$16M | -($0.02B) | -($0.02B) | $0.01B |
| Day Hagan | $0M | $0M | $0.00B | $0.00B | $0.04B |
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.
