Weekly Channel Summary
The Buffer ETF channel, comprising 525 products from 19 issuers, ended the week with $95.38B in total assets under management. Investors added a net $189M over the past five days, contributing to a strong year-to-date inflow of $10.09B. Over the last twelve months, the channel has successfully gathered $15.24B in new assets.
This Week’s Performance Leaders and Laggards
The dominant Equity category posted a 0.69% gain for the week, extending its year-to-date return to 6.31%. In contrast, other asset classes within the channel faced headwinds. Fixed Income was the weakest performer with a -1.01% weekly decline, while Crypto funds fell by -0.57%. Both Crypto and Fixed Income categories remain down more than 5% year-to-date.
Analyzing the Weekly Flows
The Buffer channel attracted a net $189M last week, with nearly the entire sum ($188M) flowing into Equity-based products. Among strategies, funds with a Laddered reset period led demand, pulling in $84M, followed by Quarterly reset funds which added $68M. Conversely, several monthly reset periods saw modest redemptions, with September and October reset funds experiencing the largest outflows.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | 502 | $95.15B | $188M | $1,863M | $4,917M | $10,119M | $15,226M |
| Crypto | 20 | $165M | $1M | -$12M | -$12M | -$19M | $42M |
| Commodity | 1 | $51M | $0M | $2M | $2M | -$0M | -$10M |
| Fixed Income | 2 | $18M | $0M | -$7M | -$12M | -$14M | -$17M |
Flows by Outcome Period / Strategy
| Outcome Period / Strategy | Fund Count | AUM | 5 Day | 30 Day | 90 Day | YTD | 1 Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | 28 | $17.77B | $84M | $472M | $1,493M | $2,952M | $4,373M |
| Buffer Reset: Quarterly | 41 | $8.94B | $68M | $446M | $985M | $1,967M | $3,128M |
| Buffer Reset: July | 53 | $6.63B | $52M | $1,114M | $713M | $276M | -$104M |
| Buffer Reset: June | 40 | $6.44B | $32M | $349M | $2,188M | $2,111M | $1,774M |
| Buffer Reset: February | 25 | $4.85B | $5M | -$17M | $95M | $1,050M | $462M |
| Buffer Reset: November | 26 | $4.07B | $2M | -$139M | -$406M | -$368M | $674M |
| Buffer Reset: Semi-Annually | 10 | $1.16B | $1M | $14M | $18M | $7M | $50M |
| Buffer Reset: Daily | 4 | $8M | $0M | $0M | $1M | $4M | -$16M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 1 | $38M | $0M | $0M | -$6M | -$4M | -$2M |
| Buffer Reset: April | 45 | $5.54B | -$2M | $18M | $226M | $654M | $355M |
| Buffer Reset: March | 31 | $5.07B | -$3M | -$5M | $40M | $576M | $334M |
| Buffer Reset: December | 34 | $6.17B | -$3M | -$92M | -$798M | -$289M | -$255M |
| Buffer Reset: January | 44 | $6.96B | -$4M | -$191M | -$434M | $1,192M | $394M |
| Buffer Reset: Dynamic | 11 | $2.31B | -$4M | $72M | $196M | $370M | $690M |
| Buffer Reset: May | 34 | $5.00B | -$5M | -$43M | $1,961M | $1,902M | $1,730M |
| Buffer Reset: August | 24 | $3.87B | -$10M | -$41M | -$255M | -$569M | $253M |
| Buffer Reset: October | 44 | $5.52B | -$12M | -$92M | -$553M | -$1,015M | $602M |
| Buffer Reset: September | 30 | $5.05B | -$13M | -$21M | -$571M | -$730M | $799M |
Top & Bottom 5 ETFs by 5-Day Flow
The FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) was the week’s most popular fund, attracting $44M in new capital. On the other end of the spectrum, the Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF – 2 Yr to July 2027 (TJUL) saw the largest redemption at -$14M. It was followed by the Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF – October (KOCT), which shed $11M.
| Ticker | Fund Name | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $44M |
| BALT | Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | $40M |
| ZALT | Innovator U.S. Equity 10 Buffer ETF – Quarterly | $18M |
| AJUL | Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF – 2 Yr to July 2028 | $17M |
| PJUL | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – July | $16M |
| Outflows | ||
| TJUL | Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF – 2 Yr to July 2027 | -$14M |
| KOCT | Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF – October | -$11M |
| PAUG | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – August | -$8M |
| SNTH | MRP SynthEquity ETF | -$5M |
| PMAY | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – May | -$5M |
Issuer League Table Update
FT Vest and Innovator continue to command the Buffer ETF landscape, holding 48.8% and 36.6% of the market share, respectively. FT Vest also led the week in asset gathering, pulling in $135M in net inflows. In contrast, Allianz experienced the largest outflows among issuers, with investors withdrawing a net $28M from its funds.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | Fund Count | AUM | AUM Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 121 | $46.57B | 48.82% |
| Innovator | 160 | $34.90B | 36.59% |
| Allianz | 59 | $5.82B | 6.10% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.64B | 1.72% |
| PGIM | 47 | $1.58B | 1.66% |
Top & Bottom 3 Issuers by 5-Day Flow
| Issuer | 5-Day Flow |
|---|---|
| Inflows | |
| FT Vest | $135M |
| Innovator | $55M |
| PGIM | $17M |
| Outflows | |
| Allianz | -$28M |
| Measured Risk Portfolios | -$3M |
| AB Funds | -$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.
