Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF market continues its impressive growth trajectory, now commanding over $74 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM) across 429 ETFs from 16 different issuers. The past week saw significant activity, with over $480 million in net flows, contributing to a year-to-date total of over $10.27 billion.
Last week’s flows indicate a sustained investor appetite for defined outcome strategies, a trend that has solidified over the past year with over $14.3 billion flowing into the space. The continued product innovation is also noteworthy, with 20 new ETFs launched in the past three months alone.
Performance
Performance in the buffer ETF space is highly idiosyncratic, driven by the specific underlying asset and the defined outcome parameters of each fund. Last week, funds offering exposure to more volatile asset classes like cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin +4.70%) and emerging markets (+3.68%) saw strong returns, while those tracking domestic small caps (+0.28%) were more muted.
This highlights the importance of looking beyond a single performance number and understanding the specific exposures within each buffer ETF. For a detailed breakdown of how individual buffer ETFs performed relative to their underlying beta trackers (reference asset), please access the full performance report available for free in the right side panel.
Flows
Flows by Asset Class
| Asset Class | # of Funds | AUM | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | 390 | $73.29B | $444M | $781M | $2.03B | $9.92B | $13.96B |
| Synthetic Income | 21 | $539M | $1.7M | $45M | $101M | $154M | $153M |
| Crypto | 12 | $179M | $0M | $6M | $21M | $142M | $142M |
| Fixed Income | 2 | $50M | $0M | ($10M) | ($16M) | ($2M) | ($39M) |
| Commodity | 1 | $67M | ($7M) | ($14M) | ($13M) | $1M | $26M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| September Reset | $206M | $774M | $688M | $277M | $937M |
| Semi-Annually | $127M | $162M | ($38M) | $360M | $177M |
| October Reset | $91M | ($54M) | ($350M) | ($525M) | $1.16B |
| Outflows | |||||
| November Reset | ($21M) | ($82M) | ($53M) | ($371M) | $582M |
| December Reset | ($30M) | ($218M) | ($497M) | $169M | $1.80B |
| January Reset | ($43M) | ($447M) | ($737M) | $1.20B | $786M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| SIXO | AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap 6 Month Buffer10 Apr/Oct ETF | $112M |
| PSMO | Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (October) ETF | $70M |
| BUFR | FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | $63M |
| PSEP | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – September | $52M |
| SEPU | AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped Sep ETF | $41M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| OCTW | AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer20 Oct ETF | ($48M) |
| BUFC | AB Conservative Buffer ETF | ($26M) |
| FJAN | FT Vest US Equity Buffer ETF – January | ($25M) |
| QDEC | FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF-December | ($14M) |
| PAUG | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – August | ($13M) |
League Tables
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 112 | $36.51B | 49.21% |
| Innovator | 150 | $27.67B | 37.31% |
| Allianz | 49 | $4.71B | 6.35% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.22B | 1.64% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.15B | 1.55% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Allianz | $208M | $327M | $140M | $960M | $960M |
| Pacer | $118M | $140M | $100M | $190M | $300M |
| FT Vest | $79M | $230M | $928M | $3.70B | $5.82B |
| Outflows | |||||
| ProShares | -$3M | -$13M | $0B | $0B | $0B |
| AB Funds | -$17M | $5M | $70M | $440M | $510M |
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.
