Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF channel now encompasses a total of 432 ETFs from 18 different issuers, with collective assets under management (AUM) reaching $75.41 billion. Over the past week, the space saw net inflows of $1.53 billion, contributing to a year-to-date total of $12.52 billion in new assets.
Looking at the longer-term trend, the Buffer ETF category has attracted an impressive $15.34 billion in net flows over the past year, signaling sustained investor demand for risk-managed solutions. The growth and innovation in this space continue, with 10 new ETFs having launched in the last three months alone, further broadening the options available to investors.
Performance
Performance in the Buffer ETF space is highly idiosyncratic, driven by the diverse underlying assets each fund tracks. This week highlighted this variance, with Precious Metals-linked products showing the strongest returns, posting a Week-to-Date (WTD) gain of 5.50%. In contrast, funds tied to Bitcoin experienced the most significant downturn, with the category registering a WTD decline of -8.70%.
These figures underscore the importance of looking beyond the “Buffer” label to understand the specific market exposure of each ETF. For a complete breakdown of how different strategies and underlying assets performed, please refer to the full, free performance report available in the right-side panel.
Flows
Equity-linked Buffer ETFs continued to dominate flows, attracting the lion’s share of new assets this week. The October outcome period was the most active, largely due to funds resetting and attracting fresh capital. The individual flow leader was the FOCT ETF, which single-handedly brought in over $914 million.
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | # of Funds | AUM | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer – Commodity | 1 | $57M | ($1M) | ($12M) | ($28M) | ($13M) | $10M |
| Buffer – Crypto | 12 | $178M | $5M | $10M | ($5M) | $146M | $146M |
| Buffer – Equity | 394 | $74,603M | $1,523M | $2,430M | $3,610M | $12,210M | $15,035M |
| Buffer – Fixed Income | 2 | $48M | $11M | ($2M) | $10M | ($4M) | ($36M) |
| Buffer – Synthetic Income | 18 | $527M | ($7M) | $11M | $88M | $177M | $182M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: October | $1,557M | $2,090M | $1,766M | $1,386M | $2,485M |
| Buffer Reset: Quarterly | $167M | $542M | $767M | $2,312M | $2,710M |
| Buffer Reset: Laddered | $31M | $228M | $730M | $2,274M | $3,158M |
| Outflows | |||||
| Buffer Reset: April | ($30M) | ($128M) | ($334M) | $415M | $243M |
| Buffer Reset: Semi-Annually | ($36M) | ($22M) | $1.7M | $217M | $95M |
| Buffer Reset: December | ($53M) | ($180M) | ($649M) | ($20M) | $1,608M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| FOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – October | $914M |
| DOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF – October | $244M |
| GOCT | FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF – October | $170M |
| ZALT | Innovator U.S. Equity 10 Buffer ETF – Quarterly | $52M |
| UXOC | FT Vest U.S. Equity Uncapped Accelerator ETF – October | $45M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| FHDG | FT Vest U.S. Equity Quarterly Dynamic Buffer ETF | ($76M) |
| SIXP | AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap 6 Month Buffer10 Mar/Sep ETF | ($58M) |
| UDEC | Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF – December | ($16M) |
| PJAN | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – January | ($11M) |
| BDEC | Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – December | ($11M) |
League Tables
The competitive landscape remains dominated by two key players. FT Vest, the AUM leader with $36.96 billion, had a standout week, attracting $1.41 billion in new flows. Innovator, the second-largest issuer with $28.42 billion in AUM, also saw healthy inflows of $194 million. Together, these two firms command over 86% of the total market share in the Buffer ETF space.
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 113 | $36.96B | 48.91% |
| Innovator | 149 | $28.42B | 37.60% |
| Allianz | 49 | $4.74B | 6.27% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.25B | 1.65% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.17B | 1.55% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| FT Vest | $1,407M | $1,888M | $2,510M | $5,560M | $7,100M |
| Innovator | $194M | $649M | $950M | $4,520M | $5,320M |
| PGIM | $15M | $43M | $100M | $270M | $340M |
| Outflows | |||||
| ProShares | ($3M) | ($5M) | ($10M) | ($10M) | ($10M) |
| Simplify | ($7M) | $7M | $80M | $170M | $170M |
| Allianz | ($60M) | $4M | $140M | $780M | $950M |
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.
