Weekly Channel Summary
The Buffer ETF channel ended the week with $103.82B in total AUM spread across 555 funds from 22 issuers. Weekly net flows came in at $637M, extending a strong 2026 with $15,960M gathered year-to-date and $18,733M over the trailing year. The channel continues to see steady demand despite modest equity market softness during the period, underscoring the appeal of defined-outcome strategies in a volatile environment.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
On a week-to-date basis, Fixed Income was the only category in positive territory, gaining 0.34%, while Equity, the dominant category by fund count, slipped 0.24%. Commodity and Crypto lagged further, down 1.06% and 2.47% respectively, with Crypto also posting the weakest year-to-date return at -7.55%. Fixed Income’s YTD figure of -3.44% contrasts with its positive short-term momentum, reflecting a 1-month gain of 3.77%. Equity remains the strongest long-term performer among the group, up 7.78% YTD and 9.22% over the trailing year, reinforcing its role as the core driver of the Buffer channel’s overall positioning.
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
Total weekly net flow across the channel reached $637M, with Equity accounting for essentially all of the inflow activity at $637M, consistent with its dominant share of channel assets. Commodity, Crypto, and Fixed Income each saw flat to slightly negative flows for the week, underscoring the concentration of investor activity within equity-linked buffer structures. By outcome period, Buffer Reset: October led inflows with $356M, followed by Buffer Reset: Quarterly at $315M and Buffer Reset: Semi-Annually at $167M. On the other end, Buffer Reset: December saw the largest outflow at -$187M, with Buffer Reset: May also shedding -$178M, highlighting rotation away from certain reset calendars even as the broader category gathered assets.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | 532 | $103.60B | $637M | $2,709M | $5,852M | $16,018M | $18,771M |
| Commodity | 1 | $54M | $0M | $2M | $4M | $4M | $21M |
| Crypto | 20 | $145M | $0M | -$7M | -$31M | -$49M | -$21M |
| Fixed Income | 2 | $20M | $0M | $5M | $1M | -$13M | -$38M |
Flows by Outcome Period / Strategy
| Outcome Period / Strategy | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Reset: October | 46 | $6.89B | $356M | $1,344M | $1,191M | $184M | $901M |
| Buffer Reset: Quarterly | 44 | $10.04B | $315M | $663M | $1,169M | $3,095M | $3,547M |
| Buffer Reset: Semi-Annually | 10 | $1.40B | $167M | $180M | $211M | $221M | $241M |
| Buffer Reset: September | 40 | $6.89B | $164M | $431M | $1,689M | $958M | $975M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | 29 | $19.89B | $119M | $572M | $1,560M | $4,493M | $5,165M |
| Buffer Reset: March | 31 | $5.13B | $22M | $22M | -$78M | $500M | $599M |
| Buffer Reset: August | 35 | $5.14B | $15M | $110M | $1,185M | $615M | $545M |
| Buffer Reset: July | 54 | $7.31B | $8M | $45M | $538M | $790M | $332M |
| Buffer Reset: June | 40 | $6.52B | $5M | $24M | -$100M | $2,007M | $1,851M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 11 | $2.45B | $5M | $39M | -$43M | $462M | $569M |
| Buffer Reset: April | 45 | $5.67B | $2M | -$67M | -$16M | $636M | $620M |
| Buffer Reset: November | 26 | $4.07B | $1M | -$32M | -$185M | -$554M | $777M |
| Buffer Reset: Daily | 4 | $12M | $0M | $2M | $3M | $7M | $6M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 1 | $39M | $0M | -$1M | $0M | -$3M | -$3M |
| Buffer Reset: Monthly | 2 | $2M | $0M | -$0M | $2M | $2M | $2M |
| Buffer Reset: February | 25 | $4.71B | -$68M | -$63M | -$281M | $767M | $500M |
| Buffer Reset: January | 44 | $6.94B | -$107M | -$119M | -$231M | $960M | $778M |
| Buffer Reset: May | 34 | $4.68B | -$178M | -$300M | -$449M | $1,444M | $1,429M |
| Buffer Reset: December | 34 | $6.04B | -$187M | -$141M | -$339M | -$624M | -$99M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF (BALT) led all funds in weekly inflows with $274M, followed by AllianzIM U.S. Equity 6 Month Buffer10 Mar/Sep ETF (SIXP) at $162M. On the outflow side, AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 Jan ETF (JANW) led redemptions at -$101M, followed by AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer10 Dec ETF (DECT) at -$89M. The pattern suggests investors favored newly reset October and semi-annual structures while rotating out of funds approaching their January and December reset windows.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| BALT | Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | $274M |
| SIXP | AllianzIM U.S. Equity 6 Month Buffer10 Mar/Sep ETF | $162M |
| OCTW | AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 Oct ETF | $103M |
| GOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – October | $103M |
| SEPW | AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 Sep ETF | $79M |
| Outflows | ||
| JANW | AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 Jan ETF | -$101M |
| DECT | AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer10 Dec ETF | -$89M |
| DECW | AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer20 Dec ETF | -$82M |
| MAYT | AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer10 May ETF | -$76M |
| GMAY | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – May | -$76M |
Issuer League Table Update
FT Vest remains the largest issuer in the Buffer channel by AUM with $50.53B, representing a 48.68% market share across 123 funds, followed by Innovator at $37.85B and a 36.46% share spread across 162 funds. Innovator led all issuers in weekly inflows with $326M, with FT Vest close behind at $228M and PGIM adding $78M. On the outflow side, TrueShares recorded the largest weekly redemption among issuers at -$23M, followed by modest outflows from Allianz at -$5M. Together, FT Vest and Innovator continue to anchor the channel, combining for roughly 85% of total AUM and capturing the bulk of this week’s net inflows.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 123 | $50.53B | 48.68% |
| Innovator | 162 | $37.85B | 36.46% |
| Allianz | 60 | $6.18B | 5.95% |
| PGIM | 47 | $2.12B | 2.04% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.74B | 1.68% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Issuer | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| Innovator | $326M |
| FT Vest | $228M |
| PGIM | $78M |
| Outflows | |
| TrueShares | -$23M |
| Allianz | -$5M |
| KraneShares | -$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.
