Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF channel now stands at $76.4 billion in total Assets Under Management (AUM) across 432 ETFs from 18 different issuers. For the past week, the category saw net flows of $159 million, contributing to a year-to-date total of $11.4 billion.
Over the past year, Buffer ETFs have attracted $13.9 billion in total flows. The growth trend continues, with 10 new ETFs launched in the last three months, indicating sustained product development and investor interest in the space.
Performance
Performance for Buffer ETFs remains highly idiosyncratic, driven entirely by the performance of their underlying asset class and the specific outcome period. This past week, funds linked to Digital Asset: Cryptocurrency – Bitcoin showed the strongest WTD returns at 3.89%, while funds tracking Commodity: Focused – Precious Metals were the weakest, with WTD returns of -2.00%.
For a detailed breakdown of individual fund performance, please consult the full, free performance report available in the right-side panel.
Flows
Equity-linked products continue to dominate the flow landscape, capturing the vast majority of new assets this past week. The October outcome period was the most active, seeing a surge of $227 million in net inflows. The top individual flow leader was GOCT, which alone gathered $76 million.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | # of Funds | AUM | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer – Commodity | 1 | $57M | $0M | ($12M) | ($28M) | ($13M) | $10M |
| Buffer – Crypto | 13 | $184M | $4M | ($6M) | ($99M) | $150M | $150M |
| Buffer – Equity | 398 | $75,598M | $140M | $669M | $2,011M | $11,047M | $13,556M |
| Buffer – Fixed Income | 2 | $60M | $11M | $10M | $22M | $7M | ($32M) |
| Buffer – Synthetic Income | 18 | $533M | $3M | $13M | $82M | $182M | $184M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: October | $227M | $848M | $771M | $372M | $1,106M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | $81M | $230M | $746M | $2,359M | $3,127M |
| Buffer Reset: September | $12M | $102M | $1,442M | $999M | $857M |
| Outflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: February | ($45M) | ($127M) | ($330M) | $1,064M | $842M |
| Buffer Reset: July | ($42M) | ($103M) | $212M | $1,015M | $652M |
| Buffer Reset: January | ($23M) | ($85M) | ($696M) | $1,069M | $746M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| GOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – October | $76M |
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $54M |
| POCT | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – October | $35M |
| FOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – October | $25M |
| QCOC | FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Conservative Buffer ETF – October | $22M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| IBUF | Innovator International Developed 10 Buffer ETF – Quarterly | ($35M) |
| GFEB | FT Vest US Equity Moderate Buffer ETF February | ($31M) |
| CPRJ | Calamos Russell 2000 Structured Alt Protection ETF July | ($29M) |
| GMAR | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – March | ($13M) |
| SEPW | AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer20 Sep ETF | ($8M) |
League Tables
The competitive landscape remains a two-issuer race. FT Vest leads in total AUM with $37.4 billion and also led weekly flows, pulling in $194 million. Innovator holds the second spot with $28.6 billion in AUM but experienced modest weekly outflows of ($23 million).
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 113 | $37.43B | 48.97% |
| Innovator | 149 | $28.63B | 37.45% |
| Allianz | 49 | $4.90B | 6.40% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.26B | 1.65% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.18B | 1.54% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| FT Vest | $194M | $397M | $1.06B | $4.26B | $5.50B |
| PGIM | $10M | $31M | $0.11B | $0.28B | $0.35B |
| AB Funds | $7M | $15M | $0.06B | $0.48B | $0.52B |
| Outflows | |||||
| Calamos | ($27M) | ($30M) | ($0.11B) | $0.24B | $0.32B |
| Innovator | ($23M) | $152M | $0.65B | $4.52B | $5.32B |
| Other | ($6M) | $17M | $0.04B | $0.24B | $0.24B |
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.
