Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF channel currently spans 457 ETFs across 20 issuers, managing a total of $81.1 Billion in assets under management. For the past week, the channel gathered $463 Million in net inflows, bringing the Year-to-Date total to $14.331 Billion.
Looking back over the last 12 months, Buffer ETFs have accumulated $14.542 Billion in total flows, signaling continued demand for defined outcome strategies. This growth is further evidenced by product expansion, with 30 new ETFs launched in the last three months alone.
Performance
Performance remains idiosyncratic within the Buffer channel, largely driven by the specific underlying assets tracked by each fund. This week, the Commodity: Focused – Precious Metals category led the way with a strong return of 6.79% WTD. Conversely, the Digital Asset: Cryptocurrency – Bitcoin category lagged, posting a return of -0.48%.
For a comprehensive breakdown of returns across all outcome periods and asset classes, please access the full performance report available in the right-side panel.
Flows
Equity-focused funds dominated activity this week, capturing the vast majority of assets. The Buffer Reset: December period was the most active implementation, attracting substantial capital as investors positioned for the month’s reset. Individually, GDEC took the top spot, leading all funds with significant weekly inflows.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | # of Funds | AUM | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer – Commodity | 1 | $74M | $4M | $13M | $3M | $2M | $2M |
| Buffer – Crypto | 19 | $210M | $6M | $28M | $53M | $192M | $192M |
| Buffer – Equity | 417 | $80,157M | $447M | $1,079M | $3,927M | $13,926M | $14,138M |
| Buffer – Fixed Income | 2 | $34M | $0M | ($1M) | ($15M) | ($17M) | ($16M) |
| Buffer – Synthetic Income | 18 | $579M | $7M | $13M | $58M | $229M | $226M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: December | $372M | $878M | $279M | $416M | $619M |
| Buffer Reset: October | $100M | $155M | $2,011M | $1,193M | $1,201M |
| Buffer Reset: November | $98M | $238M | $1,271M | $772M | $782M |
| Outflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: January | ($115M) | ($151M) | ($292M) | $873M | $845M |
| Buffer Reset: September | ($71M) | ($105M) | $149M | $1,081M | $1,077M |
| Buffer Reset: February | ($70M) | ($110M) | ($366M) | $818M | $800M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| GDEC | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – December | $148M |
| FNOV | FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – November | $89M |
| FOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – October | $85M |
| FDEC | FT Vest US Equity Buffer ETF – December | $84M |
| RSDE | FT Vest U.S. Equity Equal Weight Buffer ETF – December | $52M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| FJAN | FT Vest US Equity Buffer ETF – January | ($74M) |
| FFEB | FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer Fund – February | ($68M) |
| GSEP | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – September | ($68M) |
| XDEC | FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – December | ($30M) |
| XJAN | FT Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF – January | ($25M) |
League Tables
FT Vest continues to command the top position, managing $39.68 Billion in assets and leading the week with $340 Million in net inflows. Innovator maintains its strong second-place standing with $29.96 Billion in AUM and positive weekly flows.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 115 | $39.68B | 48.96% |
| Innovator | 154 | $29.96B | 36.96% |
| Allianz | 49 | $4.98B | 6.14% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.35B | 1.67% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.24B | 1.54% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | ||||
| FT Vest | $340M | $599M | $5.52B | $5.57B |
| PGIM | $46M | $125M | $0.46B | $0.47B |
| Innovator | $28M | $197M | $5.26B | $5.40B |
| Outflows | ||||
| TrueShares | ($1M) | $0M | $0.23B | $0.24B |
| KraneShares | $0M | $0M | $0.00B | $0.00B |
| ARK | $0M | $0M | $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.
