Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF channel manages $79.4B in assets across 452 ETFs issued by 20 different issuers. For the week, the category saw $281M in net inflows, pushing the year-to-date total to $13.4B.
Over the past year, the channel has gathered $14.3B. The space continues to expand, with 31 new ETFs launched in the last three months, signaling continued issuer activity and product proliferation.
Performance
Performance across the Buffer ETF landscape remains idiosyncratic, driven largely by the specific underlying exposure and outcome period caps. Underlying asset classes with the strongest Week-to-Date (WTD) returns included Equity: Thematic – Multi-Sector (1.28%) and Equity: Region – Asia-Pacific Emerging (1.24%).
Conversely, Digital Asset: Cryptocurrency – Bitcoin lagged with a return of -1.78%, followed by Fixed Income: Taxable – Government Long at -1.76%. For a detailed breakdown of returns by strategy and outcome period, please refer to the full performance report in the right-side panel.
Flows
Equity Buffer ETFs dominated activity, gathering $256M for the week. The December outcome period was the most active, bringing in $151M, while the PDEC led all individual funds with $65M in inflows.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | # of Funds | AUM | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer – Commodity | 1 | $68M | $10M | $11M | ($5M) | ($2M) | $8M |
| Buffer – Crypto | 19 | $203M | $11M | $14M | $33M | $175M | $175M |
| Buffer – Equity | 412 | $78,501M | $256M | $1,397M | $3,584M | $13,043M | $13,938M |
| Buffer – Fixed Income | 2 | $35M | $0M | ($14M) | ($14M) | ($16M) | ($18M) |
| Buffer Synthetic Income | 18 | $568M | $4M | $29M | $64M | $219M | $215M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: December | $151M | ($211M) | ($491M) | ($311M) | $831M |
| Buffer Reset: November | $87M | $717M | $968M | $613M | $759M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | $61M | $312M | $826M | $2,725M | $3,003M |
| Outflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: February | ($27M) | ($126M) | ($380M) | $897M | $807M |
| Buffer Reset: September | ($25M) | ($25M) | $1,017M | $1,163M | $1,145M |
| Buffer Reset: July | ($25M) | ($128M) | ($342M) | $669M | $535M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| PDEC | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – December | $65M |
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $32M |
| ZDEK | Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF – 1 Yr December | $24M |
| PNOV | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – November | $23M |
| FNOV | FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – November | $22M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| PSEP | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – September | ($28M) |
| FJAN | FT Vest US Equity Buffer ETF – January | ($20M) |
| PFEB | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – February | ($14M) |
| PJUL | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – July | ($13M) |
| DOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – October | ($11M) |
League Tables
FT Vest remains the largest issuer in the space with $38.7B in AUM, gathering $71M this week. Innovator, the second largest with $29.6B, led weekly flows with $171M, demonstrating strong momentum.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 115 | $38.71B | 48.71% |
| Innovator | 154 | $29.62B | 37.28% |
| Allianz | 49 | $4.91B | 6.17% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.33B | 1.67% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.23B | 1.54% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Innovator | $171M | $481M | $1.43B | $5.23B | $5.46B |
| FT Vest | $71M | $592M | $1.39B | $4.93B | $5.49B |
| PGIM | $54M | $81M | $0.17B | $0.39B | $0.44B |
| Outflows | |||||
| iShares | ($1M) | $118M | $0.24B | $0.34B | $0.30B |
| ProShares | $0M | ($1M) | ($0.01B) | ($0.01B) | ($0.01B) |
| KraneShares | $0M | $0M | $0.00B | $0.00B | $0.00B |
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.
