Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF channel now encompasses a total AUM of $78B across 452 ETFs from 20 issuers. In the past week, the segment saw net flows of $0.34B, bringing the year-to-date total to $12.53B.
Over the past year, total flows have reached $14.43B, reflecting continued investor adoption. The trend of product expansion remains strong, with 29 new ETFs launched in the last three months alone.
Performance
Performance in the Buffer ETF space is idiosyncratic, driven by specific underlying assets and outcome periods. This past week, the ‘Commodity: Focused – Precious Metals’ category showed the strongest WTD returns at 2.55%, while ‘Digital Asset: Cryptocurrency – Bitcoin’ was the weakest, with returns of -8.22%.
For a complete breakdown of individual fund performance, please consult the full, free performance report available in the right-side panel.
Flows
Flows were once again dominated by Equity-linked products, which captured $327M. By outcome period, ‘Buffer Reset: December’ was the most active, pulling in $178M. The individual flow leader was DECT, which secured $115M.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | # of Funds | AUM | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer – Commodity | 1 | $58M | $1M | $0M | ($26M) | ($11M) | $16M |
| Buffer – Crypto | 19 | $197M | $4M | $21M | $23M | $163M | $163M |
| Buffer – Equity | 409 | $76,754M | $327M | $1,387M | $1,785M | $12,098M | $14,015M |
| Buffer – Fixed Income | 2 | $35M | ($14M) | ($12M) | ($25M) | ($16M) | ($55M) |
| Buffer Synthetic Income | 18 | $553M | $8M | $28M | $69M | $205M | $204M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: December | $178M | ($80M) | ($480M) | ($97M) | $1,657M |
| Buffer Reset: November | $111M | $700M | $445M | $147M | $779M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | $80M | $325M | $764M | $2,576M | $3,168M |
| Outflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: April | ($19M) | ($61M) | ($302M) | $372M | $376M |
| Buffer Reset: February | ($22M) | ($175M) | ($421M) | $940M | $752M |
| Buffer Reset: July | ($28M) | ($350M) | ($180M) | $720M | $588M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| DECT | AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer10 Dec ETF | $115M |
| DECU | AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped Dec ETF | $100M |
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $57M |
| PNOV | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – November | $53M |
| BALT | Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | $18M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| QBUF | Innovator Nasdaq-100 10 Buffer ETF Quarterly | ($36M) |
| PDEC | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – December | ($21M) |
| BUFB | Innovator Laddered Allocation Buffer ETF | ($14M) |
| TFJL | Innovator 20+ Year Treasury Bond 5 Floor ETF – July | ($12M) |
| PAPR | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – April | ($9M) |
League Tables
The competitive landscape remains top-heavy. FT Vest leads with $37.75B in AUM and saw $104M in weekly inflows. Innovator holds the second spot with $28.86B in AUM, but experienced minor outflows this week of ($49M).
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 114 | $37.75B | 48.59% |
| Innovator | 151 | $28.86B | 37.15% |
| Allianz | 49 | $5.09B | 6.55% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.29B | 1.66% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.22B | 1.57% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Allianz | $214M | $268M | $0.38B | $1.05B | $1.14B |
| FT Vest | $104M | $474M | ($0.18B) | $4.50B | $5.59B |
| Pacer | $25M | $40M | $0.06B | $0.13B | $0.22B |
| Outflows | |||||
| ARK | $0M | $1M | – | $0.00B | $0.00B |
| ProShares | ($1M) | ($2M) | – | ($0.01B) | ($0.01B) |
| Innovator | ($49M) | $368M | $1.09B | $4.72B | $5.21B |
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.
