Macro Summary
The Buffer ETF market’s expansion continues, with total assets now over $74.4 billion. The landscape includes 429 ETFs from 16 different issuers. The past week saw more modest but still positive net flows of over $92 million, bringing the year-to-date total to a robust $10 billion.
This steady inflow, contributing to over $14 billion in the last year, underscores ongoing investor demand for risk-managed equity exposure. The pace of product development also remains brisk, with 19 new ETFs launched in the past three months alone, further broadening the options available to investors.
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 U.S. Small Caps (+2.19%) and U.S. Large Cap Growth (+1.91%) saw the strongest returns from their underlying reference assets, while those tracking Bitcoin (-1.09%) faced headwinds.
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 | $73.60B | $96M | $280M | $227M | $9.71B | $13.74B |
| Synthetic Income | 21 | $541M | $1M | $27M | $101M | $155M | $159M |
| Crypto | 12 | $178M | ($4M) | $1M | $16M | $138M | $138M |
| Fixed Income | 2 | $49M | $0M | ($11M) | $7M | ($2M) | ($37M) |
| Commodity | 1 | $66M | ($1M) | ($15M) | ($14M) | ($1M) | $24M |
Flows by Implementation (Outcome Period)
| Implementation | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| September Reset | $246M | $932M | $978M | $547M | $1.04B |
| Quarterly | $64M | $121M | $477M | $1.84B | $2.52B |
| Laddered | $51M | $220M | $749M | $2.08B | $3.20B |
| Outflows | |||||
| February Reset | ($51M) | ($181M) | ($286M) | $1.21B | $773M |
| April Reset | ($72M) | ($196M) | ($277M) | $469M | $160M |
| March Reset | ($79M) | ($143M) | ($258M) | $598M | $206M |
Individual Fund Flows (WTD)
| Ticker | Fund Name | WTD Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Inflows | ||
| PSEP | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – September | $81M |
| SFLR | Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF | $64M |
| USEP | Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF – September | $64M |
| PJUL | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – July | $43M |
| BSEP | Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – September | $30M |
| Top 5 Outflows | ||
| UFEB | Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF – February | ($61M) |
| XBAP | Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF – April | ($57M) |
| PMAR | Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF – March | ($33M) |
| BMAR | Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF – March | ($27M) |
| KMAY | Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF – May | ($23M) |
League Tables
Top 5 Issuers by AUM
| Issuer | # of ETFs | AUM | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest | 112 | $36.63B | 49.17% |
| Innovator | 150 | $27.84B | 37.36% |
| Allianz | 49 | $4.72B | 6.34% |
| AB Funds | 3 | $1.23B | 1.64% |
| Pacer | 13 | $1.15B | 1.54% |
Issuer Flows (WTD)
| Issuer | WTD Flow | 1M Flow | 3M Flow | YTD Flow | 1Y Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflows | |||||
| Innovator | $84M | $181M | $848M | $3.92B | $5.21B |
| FT Vest | $16M | $203M | ($840M) | $3.70B | $5.67B |
| Measured Risk Portfolios | $10M | $18M | $60M | $80M | $80M |
| Outflows | |||||
| Allianz | ($2M) | ($60M) | $190M | $770M | $1.01B |
| Calamos | ($6M) | $6M | $0M | $270M | $390M |
| iShares | ($13M) | ($7M) | ($110M) | $100M | $220M |
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.
