Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF segment continues to show substantial scale, with total Assets Under Management (AUM) reaching $83.13B. This capital is spread across 467 ETFs managed by 20 different issuers. For the week ending February 13, 2026, the category saw net inflows of $419M, contributing to a year-to-date total of $2.06B.
Growth momentum remains robust over the longer term, with total flows over the past year reaching $13.89B. The competitive landscape is also expanding rapidly through consistent product innovation, evidenced by the 16 new ETF launches recorded in just the last three months.
Performance
Performance across the Buffer ETF landscape remains highly idiosyncratic, driven by the diverse movement of underlying asset classes and the specific timing of outcome periods. During this past week, Fixed Income: Taxable – Government Long was the strongest performing category with a week-to-date (WTD) return of 2.25%. Conversely, the weakest performance came from Digital Asset: Cryptocurrency – Bitcoin, which saw a WTD decline of -2.32%, followed closely by U.S. Large Cap – Growth at -2.09%.
For a deeper dive into the specific return ranges and beta tracking for each category, readers should consult the full performance report available in the right-side panel.
Flows
Equity-based strategies remain the primary engine of growth for the channel, capturing $407M of the total weekly inflows. Investors showed a clear preference for the Quarterly reset implementation, which led all outcome periods in new capital. On an individual fund basis, the SFLR (Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF) led the field with $64M in weekly net inflows.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | # of Funds | AUM | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer – Commodity | 1 | $51M | $0M | ($6M) | $11M | ($5M) | $2M |
| Buffer – Crypto | 20 | $182M | ($7M) | ($10M) | $22M | ($7M) | $89M |
| Buffer – Equity | 423 | $82,191M | $407M | $1,361M | $3,836M | $1,964M | $13,484M |
| Buffer – Fixed Income | 2 | $31M | $0M | ($1M) | ($4M) | ($2M) | ($17M) |
| Buffer Synthetic Income | 18 | $677M | $18M | $64M | $131M | $106M | $334M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: Quarterly | $207M | $372M | $792M | $397M | $2,750M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | $103M | $331M | $1,056M | $509M | $3,182M |
| Buffer Reset: February | $87M | $309M | $133M | $282M | $635M |
| Outflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: July | ($72M) | ($186M) | ($486M) | ($277M) | $437M |
| Buffer Reset: April | ($40M) | ($82M) | ($120M) | ($129M) | $358M |
| Buffer Reset: August | ($10M) | ($151M) | ($240M) | ($196M) | $372M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| SFLR | Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF | $64M |
| ZALT | Innovator U.S. Equity 10 Buffer ETF – Quarterly | $55M |
| BALT | Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | $52M |
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $47M |
| PFEB | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – February | $27M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| XBJL | Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF – July | ($42M) |
| JAPR | Innovator International Developed Power Buffer ETF – April | ($31M) |
| TJUL | Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF-2 Yr to July 2027 | ($28M) |
| PBSE | PGIM S&P 500 Buffer 20 ETF – September | ($12M) |
| PAUG | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – August | ($7M) |
League Tables
The competitive landscape is heavily concentrated at the top, with FT Vest and Innovator jointly commanding over 85% of the total market share. FT Vest remains the AUM leader with $40.45B, while Innovator secured the top spot for weekly flows, bringing in $162M across its expansive product suite.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 117 | $40.45B | 48.61% |
| Innovator | 160 | $30.78B | 36.99% |
| Allianz | 50 | $5.12B | 6.15% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.42B | 1.71% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.27B | 1.52% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Innovator | $162M | $515M | $1.32B | $0.84B | $5.15B |
| FT Vest | $157M | $581M | $1.88B | $0.71B | $5.38B |
| Allianz | $58M | $82M | ($0.02B) | $0.14B | $0.70B |
| Outflows | |||||
| Calamos | -$2M | $4M | $0.03B | ($0.01B) | $0.13B |
| ARK | $0M | $0M | $0.00B | $0.00B | $0.00B |
| BufferLABS | $0M | $2M | $0.00B | $0.00B | $0.06B |
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.
